By SEMA News Editors
NASCAR Announces Return of 'The Chase' Championship Format
NASCAR is bringing back "The Chase" as its national series championship format beginning in 2026, marking a return of NASCAR's original postseason format that was in place from 2004-2013 in the NASCAR Cup Series.
The changes come after an extensive review that included collaboration between owners, drivers, OEMs, tracks, broadcast partners and fans.
"As NASCAR transitions to a revised championship model, the focus is on rewarding driver and team performance each and every race," said NASCAR President Steve O'Donnell. "At the same time, we want to honor NASCAR's storied history and the traditions that have made the sport so special. Our fans are at the heart of everything we do, and this format is designed to honor their passion every single race weekend."
The format follows an exhaustive Playoff Committee and fan-feedback review that put forward three key recommendations:
- A larger sample size for a championship
- Bolster the importance of each race
- Rewarding consistency while maintaining the importance of winning
NASCAR has implemented each of those pieces of feedback by making the following changes for 2026 and beyond:
- The Chase is back. The driver with the most points after the postseason slate will be crowned the NASCAR Cup Series, NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series champion. The Chase will consist of the final 10 races for the NASCAR Cup Series; the final nine races for the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series; and the final seven races for the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series.
- 'Win and you're in' is gone. A race win will no longer guarantee automatic entry into The Chase, increasing the importance of every event on the schedule. Winning is still valuable, but drivers must continue to perform at a high level throughout the regular season.
- Race-winning drivers earn more points. A win will now earn the race-winning driver 55 points. Previously, a win paid 40 points. The goal is to reward drivers who go for wins, not just strong points days, and ensure aggressive racing and strong team performance remain central to each weekend. Points for all other positions, including stage points, remain the same.
- The Chase will feature the top drivers in regular-season points. Returning to a points-based qualification system, The Chase in the NASCAR Cup Series will feature 16 drivers; the NASCAR O'Reilly Auto Parts Series field will be set at 12 drivers, with the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series field at 10.
- The points leader after the regular season will receive a meaningful advantage. The top driver at the end of the regular season will earn a 25-point cushion over the second seed.
For more information, visit nascar.com.
Image courtesy of NASCAR
Melling Engine Parts Celebrates 80 Years in 2026
Melling Engine Parts is celebrating 80 years in the automotive industry in 2026, the company announced.
Founded in 1946 by George Melling Sr. and his son Ben Melling, the company began selling precision oil pumps for older vehicles and has since grown into a global brand offering thousands of aftermarket and performance engine parts across 27 product lines.
"We are beyond grateful to welcome in 2026 and the 80th year of Melling Engine Parts," said Mark Melling, president and CEO. "Eighty years of family-owned business is not just a testament to current Melling employees, but [also to] those that have gone before. I am extremely proud of the work our team has done to get us to 80 years of service, and we are looking forward to celebrating many more anniversaries to come. We are a family business, and with the fifth generation joining the business this year, we plan to continue the legacy for decades to come. Thank you to our vendors and customers [who] have made it possible for us to achieve such a meaningful milestone."
For more information, visit melling.com.
CJ Olivares Appointed Group CEO of RACER Media & Marketing
Racer Media & Marketing, Inc. (RACER), the North American media company focused on motorsports and car culture, has announced the appointment of CJ Olivares as Group CEO. Olivares, who currently serves as president of RACER Network LLC (RACER Network), will expand his leadership to include strategic and day-to-day oversight of the operations of RACER. He succeeds RACER founder Paul Pfanner, who departs the CEO role after three decades.
A decorated 35-year media executive, Olivares brings a distinguished record of building and scaling high-growth digital, linear, FAST and streaming businesses. He is widely recognized for founding Fox Sports' FUEL TV, where he successfully transformed niche action sports into a dominant cultural force. In the last year, Olivares has spearheaded the integration and rebranding of the RACER Network (formerly MAVTV), driving significant gains in distribution and 50% year-over-year viewership growth through a commitment to diversified racing and automotive programming, as well as narratively driven storytelling that humanizes the stars of the sport.
"CJ's strategic expertise and operational depth make him the ideal leader to guide our unified and multifaceted RACER-branded platforms into the next era," said Chris Dyson, who serves as the chairman of the board of both RACER and the RACER Network. "His ability to marry the brand's outstanding reporting and unique storytelling with modern broadcast and digital delivery ensures that RACER will continue to lead the motorsports media landscape."
This step represents material progress in a multi-year effort to leverage the RACER companies' historically distinct media assets to create an integrated content and services powerhouse designed for the modern media era, and sets the stage for the more closely aligned RACER-branded properties to build on the 1.5 billion impressions delivered in 2025.
Olivares leads a RACER group platform encompassing a comprehensive suite of media and service offerings: the RACER Network (television and streaming), RACER Digital (web and app), RACER Podcasts, the RACER Creator Network, the authoritative and collectible RACER Magazine and the creative agency RACER Studio. This streamlined offering is designed to provide a seamless experience for fans and a 360-degree solution for commercial partners.
"The media and marketing landscapes are evolving at a breakneck pace, and the RACER platform is now uniquely positioned to lead that charge in the motorsports and car culture space," said Olivares. "Our focus moving forward is twofold: diversify our content offering to engage the transformative influx of new racing fans and automotive enthusiasts and energize our revenue streams through innovative brand partnerships and aggressive subscription growth. We are building the definitive 'campfire' for motorsports and car culture."
Olivares' strategy emphasizes human-centric storytelling and digital-first accessibility. By leveraging the RACER Creator Network and the high-end production capabilities of RACER Studio, he aims to expand engagement across all platforms, from traditional broadcast to social media, ensuring the brand's continued dominance in both the motorsports and automotive space, according to the company.
For more information, visit racer.com.
