If you’re looking for the NASCAR Cup standings today, you’re probably noticing something weird. The leaderboard is currently empty. Blank. Zilch.
We are in that strange, quiet pocket of January where the engines are cold, the haulers are parked in North Carolina, and the 2025 season—where Kyle Larson snatched his second championship in a nail-biter at Phoenix—is officially in the rearview mirror.
But honestly? This is the most important "zero points" moment in a decade.
Just yesterday, on January 12, 2026, NASCAR dropped a massive bombshell that fundamentally changes how we’ll be reading the standings this year. They’ve officially killed the elimination-style playoffs. The "win and you're in" era is over. We’re going back to The Chase.
The 2026 Points Shakeup: No More "Win and In"
For years, the math was simple: win a race, and you’re safe until the playoffs. Not anymore. Steve O’Donnell and the brass at Daytona just flipped the script.
Starting with the Daytona 500 on February 15, the standings will look totally different because race wins are now worth 55 points instead of 40. That’s a huge jump. It means NASCAR is trying to satisfy two types of fans at once: the ones who want winning to matter and the ones who are tired of a guy "gaming the system" by coasting after one early-season victory.
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Under the 2026 rules, you don't get an automatic ticket to the postseason just because you survived a chaotic superspeedway race. You have to be consistent. The top 16 drivers in the standings after the first 26 races make "The Chase." Period. No shortcuts.
Where Everyone Starts (The Pre-Season Context)
Since the first points-paying green flag hasn't dropped yet, the "standings" are basically the 2025 final tally and the entry list for the Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 1.
Looking back at how we ended 2025, here is how the heavy hitters stacked up:
- Kyle Larson: 5,034 points (2025 Champion)
- Denny Hamlin: 5,031 points (So close, yet again)
- Chase Briscoe: 5,019 points (The breakout star of late 2025)
- William Byron: 5,004 points (The regular-season king)
It’s kind of wild to think that Denny Hamlin finished just three points shy of that elusive title. In the 2026 format, those heartbreaks might look a bit different. There won't be a "Championship 4" winner-take-all race at the end. Instead, the final 10 races will be a cumulative points battle among the 16 qualifiers. The person at the top of the standings after the season finale at Homestead-Miami on November 8 is the champ. No resets for the final race.
New Faces and Team Changes to Watch
The 2026 grid has some massive shifts that will affect the standings early on. Rick Ware Racing has moved to Chevrolet and formed an alliance with RCR. That’s a move that could actually put their cars in the top 20 consistently.
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Then you have the kids. Connor Zilisch is making his debut in the No. 88 for Trackhouse, and Shane van Gisbergen (SVG) is now a full-time threat in the No. 97. If you're checking the standings after COTA in March, don't be surprised if SVG is leading the whole thing. The guy is a wizard on road courses, and with the new 55-point win bonus, he could rocket up the leaderboard early.
The 2026 Schedule Highlights
- The Clash: Feb 1 at Bowman Gray Stadium (Exhibition)
- Daytona 500: Feb 15 (The first real points update)
- San Diego Street Course: June 21 (A brand new venue at Naval Base Coronado)
- The Chase Opener: Sept 6 at Darlington
Why You Should Care About Consistency Again
In the old "elimination" format, a driver could have a terrible regular season, luck into a win at a place like Talladega, and suddenly they're in the top 16. That’s dead.
The 2026 NASCAR Cup standings today represent a clean slate where every single stage point is going to feel like gold. Since there are no "playoff points" to carry over and save you from a bad week, the guys who finish 5th every week are going to be much higher in the standings than the "checkers or wreckers" crowd.
Honestly, it’s a bit of a throwback. It rewards the teams that don't make mistakes. If Kyle Larson wants to defend his title, he can't just rely on high-ceiling speed; he’s going to have to avoid the DNFs that plagued him at times last year.
How to Track the Standings Moving Forward
Once the season kicks off in February, the leaderboard will update in real-time. You'll want to watch the gap between the 16th and 17th spots starting around June. Since wins don't lock you in, that "bubble" is going to be incredibly violent.
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You’ve basically got two months of "silly season" and testing left before these numbers start to mean something. For now, the "standings" are just a list of hungry drivers waiting for Daytona.
Keep an eye on the 23XI Racing camp, too. With Tyler Reddick and Bubba Wallace coming off strong 2025 campaigns, and the addition of Riley Herbst in a third car, they are positioned to be a points powerhouse in this new "consistency-first" era.
If you want to stay ahead of the curve, start looking at average finish stats from last year. That’s the best predictor of who will thrive under the 2026 points system. Forget the wins for a second—look at who stayed on the lead lap. Those are your 2026 frontrunners.
The best way to prepare for the first points update is to memorize the new 55-point win rule. It’s going to make the post-race math a lot more interesting when the 68th Daytona 500 finally gets underway.