Two races remain before the NASCAR Cup Playoffs, and a surprise winner at Richmond or Daytona could shake up the cutoff.

Bowman Gray and Daytona kick off the season, and they will lead into other familiar races. RACER understands that the first five races of the 2026 season will be the same five that began the ’25 season. Those races would be Daytona, Atlanta, Circuit of The Americas, Phoenix and Las Vegas.

Corey Heim dominates the standings, but surprises abound as veterans Ben Rhodes and Matt Crafton miss the playoffs.