NASCAR Championship Race

About this event

The NASCAR Championship Race is the final round of the Cup Series season and the race that settles the drivers' title. Since 2014 the season has ended under the Championship 4 format: four drivers survive the play-off rounds and arrive with their points reset level, so whichever of the four finishes highest in the closing race takes the championship, regardless of who wins the race itself. That structure makes the finale unusually legible for casual viewers — the title is decided by track position between four cars, not by an accumulated points table — and it can put a driver with a single strong run ahead of one who dominated the regular season. The race weekend also crowns the Xfinity and Truck Series champions, so three national titles are settled across consecutive days at the same circuit. The championship round is scheduled for 8 November 2026.