NASCAR fans have longed for the days when points actually mattered, and after 12 years of the "win and in" knockout playoff format, they finally got their wish ahead of the 2026 season, with NASCAR moving back to an iteration of the "Chase" system that was utilized from 2004 to 2013.
One of the major changes with this new format is the fact that the top 16 drivers in the regular season standings are simply set to be seeded from No. 1 to No. 16 to start the 10-race postseason, with each driver's pre-playoff point value predetermined; there are no more "playoff points", which were bonus points awarded for race wins and stage wins.
And yet this points reset, when regular season points are, to some extent (but to a much lesser extent than before), slated to be thrown out the window, goes to show just how valuable regular season points now are.
Just look at the battle for the regular season championship.
For several months, after 23XI Racing's Tyler Reddick became the first driver to win the first three races of a season in Cup Series history, the regular season title appeared to be his. He won five of the first nine races, and even as he endured a three-race losing streak after that, his points lead grew to 129 during that stretch.
But over the past six races, Joe Gibbs Racing's Denny Hamlin has gotten closer, and now the lead belongs to the driver of the No. 11 Toyota, after Reddick had led the way after each of the season's first 17 events.
Hamlin's lead? One point.
It's one point that he gained because of Kaulig Racing's Ty Dillon enduring power steering issues and dropping down the order in the closing stages of Sunday's race at Sonoma Raceway.
Had that not happened, Reddick would still be the leader due to a wins tiebreaker (five wins to Hamlin's four). And the only reason they'd be tied is because Reddick set the race's fastest lap, after being mired four laps off the lead lap with power steering issues of his own and quite literally having nothing else to drive for, as nobody dropped out of the race to allow him to make up any positions.
It's one point that, when it comes to the points reset, would be the equivalent of 50 points in the championship battle.
One point.
The regular season champion is set to start the playoffs with 2,100 points, effectively 100 bonus points. The runner-up is set to begin with 2,075. This is the case regardless of the regular season gap between the two.
The difference between being up by 25 and down by 25, a 50-point swing, to start the postseason could be absolutely massive. It would almost be shocking if it didn't end up mattering.
And it's why every point truly does count. Even in the regular season before the standings are reset for the 10 "Chase" races.
Regular season race number 19 is the eero 400, which is set to be shown live on TNT from Chicagoland Speedway starting at 6:00 p.m. ET this Sunday, July 5. Don't miss the first NASCAR Cup Series race from Chicagoland since 2019!
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