Updated Monday, August 31, 2026.
Sixteen drivers are racing for the 2026 Cup Series championship. The points have been reset, everyone starts from a 2,000-point base plus whatever playoff points they banked over 26 regular-season races, and from here it is elimination.
Denny Hamlin heads the field with 100 playoff points. Ryan Preece enters with none.
| Seed | Driver | Points | Playoff pts | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denny Hamlin | 2,100 | 100 | 4 |
| 2 | Ryan Blaney | 2,075 | 75 | 3 |
| 3 | Tyler Reddick | 2,065 | 65 | 5 |
| 4 | Ty Gibbs | 2,060 | 60 | 2 |
| 5 | Chase Briscoe | 2,055 | 55 | 1 |
| 6 | Christopher Bell | 2,050 | 50 | 0 |
| 7 | Kyle Larson | 2,045 | 45 | 0 |
| 8 | Chase Elliott | 2,040 | 40 | 2 |
| 9 | Joey Logano | 2,035 | 35 | 2 |
| 10 | Chris Buescher | 2,030 | 30 | 0 |
| 11 | Daniel Suárez | 2,025 | 25 | 1 |
| 12 | Carson Hocevar | 2,020 | 20 | 1 |
| 13 | William Byron | 2,015 | 15 | 0 |
| 14 | Bubba Wallace | 2,010 | 10 | 0 |
| 15 | Austin Cindric | 2,005 | 5 | 0 |
| 16 | Ryan Preece | 2,000 | 0 | 1 |
Playoff points are earned during the regular season: five for a race win, one for a stage win, plus a sliding scale for the final regular-season standings. They carry through every round until the finale.
How the Elimination Format Works
| Round | Races | Field |
|---|---|---|
| Round of 16 | 3 | 16 drivers, four eliminated |
| Round of 12 | 3 | 12 drivers, four eliminated |
| Round of 8 | 3 | 8 drivers, four eliminated |
| Championship | 1 | 4 drivers, best finisher wins the title |
Points reset again at the start of each round, so a driver’s playoff points are the only thing that carries forward. That is why Hamlin’s 100-point buffer matters — it is a cushion he keeps re-applying, not one he spends.
The other route through is simpler: win a race in the round and you advance automatically, regardless of points. That is what makes the format volatile, and why a driver on the cut line is never truly dead.
Who Is Most Exposed
Ryan Preece enters on exactly 2,000 points with zero playoff points, despite having won a race this season. He has no cushion at all — a bad opening round and he is out.
Austin Cindric and Bubba Wallace are barely better off on five and ten. Christopher Bell, Kyle Larson and Chris Buescher are in the interesting middle: all three have solid playoff-point buffers built on consistency, and none has won a race this year. They made the field on accumulation rather than victory, which historically is a harder profile to convert into a championship.
The Reddick Anomaly
Tyler Reddick has five wins, more than any driver in the Cup Series, and starts third. Denny Hamlin has four and starts first.
The difference is stage points and the regular-season standings bonus, which reward drivers who run near the front consistently rather than converting occasional strong days into victories. It is the same tension that runs through the whole format: winning matters most in the moment, consistency matters most in aggregate.
Who Missed Out
The most conspicuous absentee is Shane van Gisbergen, who won twice this season and finished 17th in points — more victories than nine of the drivers who made the field, but not enough consistency to join them. Brad Keselowski, Ross Chastain and Michael McDowell also missed.
For the full season table including non-playoff drivers, see our NASCAR Cup Series standings.
The Bottom Line
Denny Hamlin is the top seed on 2,100 points with 100 playoff points banked. Tyler Reddick has the most wins with five and starts third. Ryan Preece is on the cut line with no playoff points at all. Four drivers are eliminated after each three-race round until four remain for a winner-take-all finale.