It is Friday, January 16, 2026. If you just fired up the TV looking for the roar of engines at Daytona or Talladega, you’re probably a few weeks early for the big show. Honestly, the biggest misconception about who is leading the NASCAR race today is that there even is a "NASCAR race" in the traditional sense happening this afternoon.
The Cup Series is currently in its final weeks of hibernation before the official 2026 season kicks off. But that doesn’t mean the drivers are sitting on their couches. Far from it. Right now, the racing world is hyper-focused on a tiny dirt track in Oklahoma and a paved bullring in Arizona.
The Real Leaderboard: Christopher Bell and the Chili Bowl Dominance
If we’re talking about who is winning right now—as in, literally this morning and late last night—the name you need to know is Christopher Bell.
While the NASCAR Cup Series season doesn't start until February, the Chili Bowl Nationals in Tulsa, Oklahoma, is where the stars are currently hanging out. This isn't just a local hobby; it’s basically the Super Bowl of midget racing, and Christopher Bell has been a human wrecking ball this week.
Yesterday, Thursday, Jan. 15, Bell was virtually untouchable. He went undefeated throughout the entire preliminary night. He won his heat race. He won his qualifier. Then, he topped it off by winning the 30-lap preliminary feature race.
📖 Related: Shedeur Sanders Draft Room: What Really Happened Behind the Scenes
- Driver: Christopher Bell
- Event: Chili Bowl Nationals Preliminary Night
- Result: 1st place (Locked into Saturday's Championship)
- Key Competition: Kyle Larson (also a 3-time winner) is already locked into the Saturday finale after his win earlier this week.
Basically, Bell and Kyle Larson are on a collision course for Saturday night, Jan. 17. They’ve both won the Chili Bowl three times. They are both NASCAR Cup Series heavyweights. If you want to know who is "leading" the narrative today, it’s these two guys proving that dirt-track skills are the secret sauce for modern NASCAR success.
The "Madhouse" is Looming
While Tulsa is the focus today, the official NASCAR calendar is staring down February 1, 2026. That is when the Cook Out Clash returns to Bowman Gray Stadium.
If you aren't familiar with Bowman Gray, they call it "The Madhouse" for a reason. It's a quarter-mile flat oval in Winston-Salem, NC. It’s tight. It’s mean. It’s where tempers flare before the first points-paying race even happens. Because it's an exhibition race, there isn't a "leader" in the standings yet, but the 2025 champion (Kyle Larson) enters the 2026 season with the biggest target on his back.
Standings and The New "Chase" Format for 2026
Since the 2026 season hasn't officially started, the standings are technically all at zero. However, NASCAR made a massive announcement earlier this week (Jan. 12) that changes how we’ll look at who is leading for the rest of the year.
👉 See also: Seattle Seahawks Offense Rank: Why the Top-Three Scoring Unit Still Changed Everything
NASCAR has officially shifted back to a "Chase" championship format for 2026.
This is huge. For the last few years, we’ve been used to the elimination-style playoffs. Now, they are tweaking it again. Race winners will now collect 55 points, which is a 15-point jump from the old system. They are also ditching bankable playoff points. Instead, they are rewarding the regular-season champion with a 25-point premium.
What does this mean for you? It means consistency is king again. You can't just win one race in March and coast. You have to be "leading" the points the old-fashioned way to have a real shot when the final stretch starts in September.
Other Races Happening Today (Jan 16)
If you are a hardcore fan looking for live lap times today, you should check out the Chilly Willy 2026 at Tucson Speedway.
✨ Don't miss: Seahawks Standing in the NFL: Why Seattle is Stuck in the Playoff Purgatory Middle
Registration and pit gates opened at 8 a.m. today. They’ve got Super Late Models and Pro Late Models hitting the track for practice between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Qualifying starts around 4 p.m. local time. While it's not a "Cup Series" race, you’ll often find regional NASCAR talent and upcoming prospects trying to make a name for themselves here.
Why the 2026 Schedule Matters Right Now
The schedule for the 2026 season was released recently, and it’s fueling all the garage talk.
- The Championship Move: The season finale is moving back to Homestead-Miami Speedway on November 8. This is a massive win for fans who felt Phoenix was getting a bit stale for the title race.
- The San Diego Debut: On June 21, the Cup Series will race on a street course at Naval Base Coronado in San Diego. This is a wild addition that has drivers nervous.
- The Return of Chicagoland: After a long hiatus, Chicagoland Speedway is back on July 5.
Actionable Next Steps for Fans
If you came here looking for who is leading the NASCAR race today, you're actually in the perfect spot to get ahead of the 2026 season curve. The "Silly Season" is mostly over, and the car-chief pairings are set.
- Watch the Chili Bowl: Saturday night (Jan 17) is the big finale. You can stream it on FloRacing. Watch Bell and Larson trade paint; it’s the best racing you’ll see until February.
- Mark February 1st: Set your calendar for the Clash at Bowman Gray. It’s on FOX at 8 p.m. ET.
- Check the Team Previews: NASCAR is currently releasing team-by-team previews. Today (Jan 16), they are focusing on Hyak Motorsports, and yesterday was Richard Childress Racing. Keeping up with these will tell you who actually has the speed heading into Daytona.
The 2026 season is going to be a wild ride with the return of the Chase format and the shift back to Homestead. While nobody is leading the points today, the psychological battle between Bell and Larson in the Oklahoma dirt is setting the stage for everything that's to come in February.
Stay tuned to the practice speeds from Bowman Gray in two weeks—that’s when the real leaderboards start to matter.
***