The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series playoffs are underway, with the first official "Chase" race since 2013 being this past Sunday night's Cook Out Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway.
It was Joe Gibbs Racing's Christopher Bell who earned his eighth top two finish of the 2026 season, and for the first time all year, it was a win rather than a runner-up. The victory moved him into second place in the standings behind teammate Denny Hamlin, whose 25-point lead dropped to 12 thanks to contact with non-playoff driver Michael McDowell.
All 16 drivers who qualified for the 10-race postseason had their point totals reset before Sunday's 367-lap race around the four-turn, 1.366-mile (2.198-kilometer) egg-shaped Darlington, South Carolina oval, based on predetermined values that were announced when NASCAR confirmed the move back to the Chase from the old "win and in", knockout-style format that was used from 2014 to 2025.
What would Hamlin's lead look like, however, if full-season points determined the championship, and how high up would Bell have ascended thanks to his victory?
Because the 16 playoff drivers would still be the drivers in the top 16, and the actual values for the drivers 17th and lower are not changed at all since they were not reset following the regular season, this list includes only the top 16.
NASCAR standings after Darlington if there were no playoffs
Rank | Driver | Points | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
1 | Denny Hamlin, No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota | 1062 | 0 |
2 | Ryan Blaney, No. 12 Team Penske Ford | 982 | -80 |
3 | Tyler Reddick, No. 45 23XI Racing Toyota | 940 | -122 |
4 | Ty Gibbs, No. 54 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota | 928 | -134 |
5 | Christopher Bell, No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota | 831 | -231 |
6 | Chase Briscoe, No. 19 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota | 804 | -258 |
7 | Kyle Larson, No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet | 765 | -297 |
8 | Chase Elliott, No. 9 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet | 746 | -316 |
9 | Joey Logano, No. 22 Team Penske Ford | 737 | -325 |
10 | Carson Hocevar, No. 77 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet | 699 | -363 |
11 | Bubba Wallace, No. 23 23XI Racing Toyota | 695 | -367 |
12 | Chris Buescher, No. 17 RFK Racing Ford | 694 | -368 |
13 | Daniel Suarez, No. 7 Spire Motorsports Chevrolet | 692 | -370 |
14 | William Byron, No. 24 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet | 672 | -390 |
15 | Austin Cindric, No. 2 Team Penske Ford | 659 | -403 |
16 | Ryan Preece, No. 60 RFK Racing Ford | 653 | -409 |
At the end of the day, this chart is purely hypothetical and, for all intents and purposes, irrelevant. The fact is that there are playoffs, and every playoff driver has competed all season long with the knowledge of what the new format rewards and what it doesn't. As was the case even during the "win and in" era, the same rules apply to everyone.
Still, as we do every year, it's interesting to have a look at what things might look like had the fans who wanted the playoffs removed entirely gotten their way.
Race two on the 10-race 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase postseason schedule is the Enjoy Illinois 300, which is set to be shown live on USA Network from World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway at 3:00 p.m. ET on Sunday, September 13.
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