Dale Earnhardt Jr. opened up about some big playoff changes coming to NASCAR in 2026. He mentioned it on the Dale Jr. Download, casually dropping that the updates won’t just hit the Cup Series but will reach Xfinity and Trucks, too.
According to him, NASCAR is ready to basically “move the furniture around” and shake up the entire system. He also mentioned that his JR Motorsports group wants to have four drivers fighting for a title.
Dale Jr. shared all this while recalling a talk with NASCAR executive Steve O’Donnell during championship night in Phoenix. The single-race championship format has been used for years. Dale Jr. said change is coming, and his chat with O’Donnell confirmed it.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. explains why he expects changes
On the podcast, Dale Earnhardt Jr. said he is ready for next year. “I’m excited about next year.” He added, “We got a lot of things, we’re going to kind of move the furniture around in the room and change some of the pieces on the chessboard, so to speak, to try to be in a better spot and get everybody happy.”
He also stated a specific goal. He said, “Through some things that we’re going to do, we’re going to have four drivers, hopefully, driving for a championship next year.”
JR Motorsports has drivers who run well each season in the Xfinity Series. Dale Jr. believes his team will have four drivers racing for a title in 2026. He did not break down the details about the exact system. He spoke only about the target and the plan to adjust the format.
Conversation with NASCAR’s Steve O’Donnell
Dale Jr. revealed the key moment when he received confirmation of playoff changes. He described leaving the garage on championship night in Phoenix. Earnhardt walked out with NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell.
“I had an opportunity just by chance to exit the race track Saturday night with [Steve] O’Donnell, walking through the Cup garage as the 2 team was celebrating their championship.”
Dale Jr. asked about format changes.
“I said, ‘Hey, Steve, a lot of people talking about the Cup stuff, we know that’s probably coming in terms of a change to the format, but nobody ever says a thing about the Xfinity or Truck, and I guess we’re all just assuming that whatever happens to Cup, something similar will happen,’”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. said. O’Donnell replied with a short answer. “Yeah, something similar will happen.”
This confirmed that the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs are not the only format under review. The same direction applies to Xfinity and Trucks.
Dale Jr. stopped short of sharing any exact structure. “We’ll have to see what the format is Dale Jr said.”
The current system uses elimination rounds and ends with one race for the title. Dale Jr.’s comments show that the final race style is under review across all three national series.
Drivers, teams, and fans wait for NASCAR to share the new format. Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s confirmation shows that decisions are already in progress. NASCAR has given no date for an official announcement. The next update will come from NASCAR leadership.
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