Chase 101: NASCAR’s latest postseason formula explained

Welcome to the NASCAR Chase and a different way to crown a champion.

NASCAR reintroduced the Chase format coming into this season, and now it’s time for it to play out. Yes, it will be different than the playoff system used for the last decade, and it’s even a new iteration of the Chase, which originally ran from 2004 through 2013. While the format still consists of the season’s final 10 races and features 16 drivers, it's worth a reminder of how it will unfold.

Let’s start with how the grid looks, with Denny Hamlin the No. 1 seed. That earned him a 25-point head start on the field.

1. Denny Hamlin + 25

2. Ryan Blaney – 25

3. Tyler Reddick – 35

4. Ty Gibbs – 40

5. Chase Briscoe – 45

6. Christopher Bell – 50

7. Kyle Larson – 55

8. Chase Elliott – 60

9. Joey Logano – 65

10. Chris Buescher – 70

11. Daniel Suarez – 75

12. Carson Hocevar – 80

13. William Byron – 85

14. Bubba Wallace – 90

15. Austin Cindric – 95

16. Ryan Preece – 100

There are more points on the line in this version of the Chase than previously, so expect to see the standings fluctuate as the weeks go on. We've seen this during the regular season, depending on who has a good day and who doesn't. A win nets a driver 55 points, and this is the era of stage racing, which means teams earn more points for overall performance, not just the result.

Here are a few things that are going to be different than the playoff system (2014-25):

• There are no eliminations. It is 10 straight weeks of a championship fight. But you can expect natural eliminations as the weeks go on, with drivers finding themselves mathematically out of contention.
• Without eliminations, that means there are no three-race rounds. Again, it’s 10 straight weeks to the finale.
• And that also means there is no reset in points every three weeks. The points will be tallied after every race (as they have been all during the regular season), and that is a driver’s standing. No bonus points. No separate point standings.
• No eliminations, no resets, and no more win-to-advance. A driver stays in championship contention through consistency.

Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano are the only two drivers in the Chase field who have raced under the previous NASCAR Chase format. Logano is also one of four former champions in the field with Chase Elliott, Kyle Larson, and Ryan Blaney, but none of those titles came in the Chase system.

Larson is the reigning and defending series champion as the Chase begins.