THE CHASE IS ON AT WORLD WIDE TECHNOLOGY RACEWAY
Last Updated on February 26, 2026 by WWTR
MADISON, Ill. (Jan. 12, 2026) – NASCAR officials announced the revised 2026 NASCAR championship format, which includes World Wide Technology Raceway as the second race in The Chase for both the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
“The entire team at World Wide Technology Raceway appreciates the effort NASCAR put into developing this revised championship format,” said WWT Raceway Owner and CEO Curtis Francois. “This format was designed based on extensive research from the industry and race fans. To be the 2026 champion, a driver will need to be both lightning fast and extremely consistent. These two elements combined will produce the most exciting NASCAR action ever contested at WWT Raceway.”
“We are also excited that our track will play host to the second race in both the NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series Chase. Fans will get a full weekend of championship action on Saturday, Sept. 12 and Sunday, Sept. 13. The best stock car racers in the world will be trying to firmly establish themselves as contenders on one of the most exciting and challenging tracks on the schedule.”
The revised NASCAR Cup Series Chase format brings the top 16 drivers in the regular season to the postseason where they will compete in 10 races for the most points. The new format will not include eliminations, and seeding for the postseason will be based on regular-season points, not wins.
The top driver at the end of the regular season will be awarded a 25-point bonus in the postseason seeding. The field sizes for both series will remain the same as the previous format: 16 drivers for NASCAR Cup Series and 12 drivers for NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series.
The 5th annual Enjoy Illinois 300 serves as the second race in the NASCAR Cup Series Chase on Sept. 13 and will feature a boost of 750 horsepower, following NASCAR’s 2026 guidelines for ovals and road courses less than 1.5 miles. With the revised championship format and increased horsepower, the 2026 Enjoy Illinois 300 will provide fans with an upgraded experience.
Tickets to the WWT Raceway NASCAR Cup Series and NASCAR O’Reilly Series Chase weekend are available at wwtraceway.com or by calling the ticket office at (618) 215-8888 ext. 1.
MEDIA CONTACT: Payton Buschhorn | WWTR Public Relations & Media Manager | 314.517.5125 | pbuschhorn@wwtraceway.com
