Our experts are split across the board on who will win the NASCAR Cup Series Championship heading into the Chase.

Chase Briscoe made a run to the NASCAR Cup Series championship race last year, but the Joe Gibbs Racing driver feels this time is actually his best chance yet to win the title.

Denny Hamlin enters the 2026 NASCAR playoffs as the No. 1 seed, but the Joe Gibbs Racing driver does not believe his long Chase history will give him a major edge. Hamlin starts the 10-race Chase with 2,

Legacy Motor Club confirmed a piece of its driver lineup for the 2027 Cup season, bringing in Herbst to drive its third car next season.

Here are the 16 drivers who will compete for a championship over the final 10 races of the season.

Will Shane van Gisbergen hold onto the last playoff spot? Who has the best shot at winning the final regular-season race?

NASCAR wants fans to have a bleeping good time during "The Chase" for the 2026 Cup Series championship. This season, NASCAR will be putting $5 in the pot every time a driver swears on the radio, and fans who correctly predict how many total swears there will be—or come closest—can win the entire pot as part of a new promotion:

The new format — which was last used in 2013 — is designed to reward performance throughout the entire season and provide a larger sample size to determine a champion.