Michael Waltrip Declares NASCAR ‘Got the Championship Format Right’ with 2026 Announcement

The NASCAR community has got the perfect compromise they have been demanding for years. It was announced that the sport will go back a 16-racer version of the iconic Chase format, from 2026 and beyond. This ends the win and you are in system for good, as new championship format will be rewarding consistency more than ever.

The whole racing community is excited about the change, and two times Daytona 500 winner Michael Waltrip is one of them. In a video shared on X, the legendary racer pointed out that he has been closely following the format discussions and asserted that they got everything right, with points system being updated to reward wins as well as front-row finishes.

I’ve been following along, watching closely, and listening to what people have to say and think about the possibility of what the new NASCAR playoff format might look like. And I want to tell you—they got it right. I love it. It’s a great balance between consistency, winning, DNFs matter, everything matters. They got it all right.

Michael Waltrip said via a video shared on X.

Further talking about the point, the whole racing community will be thrilled about the change and asserted that admitted that he is really excited about how all national series is going to change after adopting the new system. The veteran asserted that he has never been a fan of a small sample size deciding the champion.

I think we should be, as NASCAR fans, thrilled that we’re going to be able to see how the 2026 championships across all three series play out. I was not a huge fan of the single-race, one-race championship, and now we have ten races to decide, and that’s exactly what’s going to happen.

Michael Waltrip added.

Michael Waltrip credits NASCAR legends for the new format

In the same conversation, the veteran listed Hall of Famers Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr. as the personalities that deserves credit for the change. He also highlighted how the current NASCAR grid was beyond excited about the change.

So, thank you, NASCAR. Thank you to the former drivers—Mark, Dale—for pitching in, and all the people that gave their opinion, and the current drivers that said, “Heck yeah, we’re going to go race for a championship in 2026.” It’s going to be great.

Michael Waltrip said.

He then shifted his focus to the 2026 NASCAR schedule and shared his excitement about the season opener, the 2025 Daytona 500. He promised fans a great show as one of the broadcasters for the Fox TV crew.

We’re going to kick things off at Bowman Gray, then we’re going to go to Daytona—my favorite race of the year, my favorite day of the year. February 15th, 2026. Tune in to NASCAR on Fox. We will have you covered.

Michael Waltrip added.

The comments from the four times Cup race winner are on point regarding the excitement about the new format and who to credit for the change. It would be interesting to see how everything is going to playout for the garage from the start of 2026.

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