2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase grid and seedings after regular season

Ryan Preece’s dramatic first NASCAR Cup Series victory in the Coke Zero Sugar 400 at Daytona finalized the 2026 Chase picture, as Denny Hamlin enters the 10-race postseason as the No. 1 seed.

Preece’s overtime win delivered the last available postseason berth, knocking Shane van Gisbergen below the cutline by 17 points and bringing an unpredictable 26-race regular season to a fittingly chaotic close.

Hamlin now begins The Chase with 2,100 points, a 25-point advantage over Ryan Blaney, who opens second at 2,075. The reset replaces Hamlin’s much larger regular-season advantage with a compact seeding structure with all 16 drivers eligible for the championship separated by just 100 points.

Daniel Suárez jumps to eleventh with 2,025 points, having gained two positions in the final standings thanks to a runner-up finish at Daytona that netted him crucial bonus points heading into The Chase.

Complete 2026 NASCAR Cup points standings after Daytona regular season finale

Preece seals first NASCAR Cup win, makes the Chase after Daytona overtime chaos

Full 2026 NASCAR Cup Series Chase grid and seedings after Daytona