Christopher Bell is a happy driver heading toward the 2026 Cup Series season. He will now race under a format that he prefers over the previous elimination era.
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Bell, the driver of the No. 20 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, has made his feelings about the old format clear multiple times in recent seasons. He specifically said during last season's championship weekend at Phoenix Raceway that there have been times when the elimination format did not reward "the most true champion."
This is no longer the case for Bell, as he made clear during a media session leading up to this weekend's Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium.
"I think this format will take any sort of doubts or ill feelings toward our champion (away), and I think it's a great move in the right direction," Bell said.
"I think we could potentially see the same few guys running for the championship year in and year out, and that's the way it should be. We want the best drivers to be able to be the champion."
The playoffs ran from 2014-2025 and featured 16 drivers vying for the championship. This number grew smaller every three races as eliminations knocked four drivers at a time out of the playoffs until only four remained for the one-race championship battle.
The Chase, which returns with some tweaks this season, will still feature 16 drivers. However, they will just start the playoffs with the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway on Sept. 6. They will then race for 10 weeks. The driver with the most points at the end of this run will be the champion.
Bell competed in the playoffs for five seasons of the elimination era (2021-2025). He won 13 races and finished no worse than fifth in four of those seasons. He reached the Championship 4 twice but fell short of the title both times.
The Joe Gibbs Racing driver has extensive experience racing under the old format, which he likely relied on while serving on the playoff committee featuring current and former drivers, media members, TV partners, and other stakeholders in NASCAR.
He made his opinion known, as did many others involved in this process. He asked NASCAR President Steve O'Donnell and other executives to look at the format. Ultimately, NASCAR listened and chose to bring back a format rewarding sustained consistency.
"I think where they landed is a really, really good spot," Bell said. "I was pro 36 races and having a full-season championship, but where they ended up is pretty much that. I'm super happy with the format.
