If you were looking for a high-speed Cup Series showdown on the pavement this past Sunday, January 11, 2026, you might have been a little confused when you flipped on the TV. Honestly, the "official" Cup season hasn't even taken the green flag yet. That doesn't mean the racing world was quiet, though. Far from it. While the big heavy stock cars are still tucked away in the shops in Charlotte, the stars of the show were getting absolutely filthy on the dirt.
Basically, the biggest story in racing right now isn't a single race result, but a massive shift in how a champion will be crowned this year.
The Wild West and the Tulsa Dirt
While the NASCAR Cup Series schedule officially kicks off with the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on February 1, this past Sunday was all about the prelude to the Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa.
If you aren't familiar, the Chili Bowl is like the Super Bowl of Midget racing. It’s held inside the SageNet Center on a tiny 1/5-mile clay oval. This past Sunday served as the calm before the storm, where the best in the business—guys like Kyle Larson and Christopher Bell—were prepping their rigs.
Kyle Larson, our reigning Cup Series champion, actually spent the early part of this week proving why he's the man to beat. He grabbed a victory in the Monday preliminary feature right after the Sunday festivities wrapped up. But Sunday itself was the "load-in" and final prep day that set the stage for one of the most chaotic weeks in dirt history.
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Down in Arizona, the Wild West Shootout was also crowning winners. Hudson O'Neal took the checkers on Sunday night at Central Arizona Raceway, fending off Mike Marlar and Bobby Pierce in a 40-lap Late Model main event. It’s funny, because while these aren't "NASCAR results" in the traditional sense, these are the tracks where the Cup guys spend their "off-time" sharpening their skills.
NASCAR Results From Sunday's Race: The "Chase" Bombshell
The biggest news that broke around the time of Sunday's activities wasn't a box score. It was the total destruction of the playoff format we've known for a decade.
NASCAR officially confirmed that they are bringing back "The Chase" for 2026.
Kinda wild, right? We’re going back to the future. The elimination-style playoffs—the "winner take all" at Phoenix—is dead. Instead, we’re looking at a 10-race postseason starting at Darlington on September 6.
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Here is the breakdown of what actually matters for the 2026 season:
- 16 Drivers still make the postseason.
- One Points Reset happens at the start of the 10-race stretch.
- No Eliminations. If you’re in, you’re in for all 10 races.
- Consistency is King. The driver with the most points at the end of the final race at Homestead-Miami wins the cup.
Chase Elliott hasn't been shy about his feelings on this. He mentioned earlier this week that he "likes his odds now" because the format rewards a full season of excellence rather than just surviving a "dive bomb" in a single late-race restart.
Why Sunday's Results Feel Different This Year
The 2026 season feels like a pivot point. When people search for nascar results from sunday's race, they are usually looking for a winner at Daytona or Talladega. But in this bridge period of January, the results are found in the dirt of Tulsa and the press releases from Concord.
There's a lot of talk about the "integrity" of the sport. Ryan Blaney and William Byron have both voiced that the move back to a Chase-style format will "clean up" the racing. No more "win-and-you’re-in" desperation moves that wreck half the field. Now, a win gets you 55 points instead of 40, but it doesn't guarantee you a spot in the postseason if you're 30th in the standings.
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What Really Happened with the Schedule
If you’re trying to plan your Sundays for the rest of the month, here’s the reality. The Cup cars are silent until February.
- Feb 1: Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray (The first time we'll see the 2026 liveries in anger).
- Feb 12: The Bluegreen Vacations Duels at Daytona.
- Feb 15: The 68th Running of the Daytona 500.
Last Sunday was a "working Sunday" for the teams. While the results from Sunday's race at the Wild West Shootout gave Hudson O'Neal a big trophy and a $11,000 check, the NASCAR world was busy crunching numbers on the new points system.
Honestly, the most interesting "result" from Sunday was the realization that the "Game 7" moment is gone. NASCAR President Steve O'Donnell basically admitted that the fans wanted a return to tradition. They wanted a champion who performed over a stretch of time, not just someone who had the freshest tires in a two-lap overtime sprint at the season finale.
Actionable Insights for the 2026 Season
If you're a bettor or a fantasy player, Sunday's news (and the lack of a Cup race) means you need to change your strategy immediately.
- Value Consistency over Volatility: Under the new Chase format, drivers like William Byron and Christopher Bell, who consistently finish in the top 10, are much more valuable than "checkers or wreckers" drivers.
- Watch the Dirt: Keep an eye on how Kyle Larson and Corey Day finish the Chili Bowl this week. Momentum in January often carries over to the high-grip tracks in February.
- Ignore the "Win-and-in" Mentality: In your fantasy drafts, stop prioritizing drivers who might steal a win at a road course but struggle elsewhere. Those wins don't carry the same weight they did in 2025.
The road to the 2026 Championship at Homestead-Miami is going to be a long, grueling points haul. Sunday wasn't about a trophy in the Cup Series, but it was the day the rules of the game changed forever. Keep your eyes on the Daytona 500 preparations; the Next Gen cars are hitting the wind tunnels as we speak.