NASCAR points standings: Updated driver rankings from every 2026 Cup Series race originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.The NASCAR season is in full swing, which means drivers are competing for seeds in the season-long standings.After over a decade using an elimination-style points system, NASCAR made the decision to drastically change its competition format for the 2026 season, bringing The Chase back into play. That will impact both how drivers collect points over the course of the season and how drivers will qualify for the Cup Series race.Last year, Kyle Larson won his second Cup Series title, using overtime to defeat Denny Hamlin in the final race. However, a new year means every driver begins the season with the belief that they can top the field in the end.Here's a look at the updated NASCAR standings for 2026.NASCAR standings 2026Updated as of May 10.RankDriverPointsWins1Tyler Reddick62052Denny Hamlin49823Ryan Blaney44614Ty Gibbs42515Chase Elliott42316Kyle Larson38607Chris Buescher38508Christopher Bell36119Carson Hocevar356110Daniel Suarez350111Brad Keselowski343012William Byron337013Bubba Wallace328014Shane van Gisbergen316115Chase Briscoe304016Ryan Preece303017Austin Cindric288018Joey Logano274019AJ Allmendinger254020Michael McDowell248021Zane Smith244022Erik Jones244023Ross Chastain238024Austin Dillon225025Todd Gilliland223026Ricky Stenhouse Jr.222027Kyle Busch217028Riley Herbst202029John Hunter Nemechek200030Noah Gragson181031Josh Berry168032Ty Dillon152033Alex Bowman147034Connor Zilisch146035Cole Custer134036Cody Ware1020How does the NASCAR points system work?NASCAR changed its point system for the 2026 season, eliminating the elimination-style system after over a decade and returning to The Chase.The new system instead is similar to the Cup Series system that NASCAR used from 2004 to 2013, with some notable changes. The top 16 drivers by points in the Cup Series will qualify for The Chase, doing away with automatic playoff berths and regular-season winners.The point system works as follows: race winners will earn 55 points, up 15 from the last system, while the rest of the finishers' points remain unchanged. This year, drivers can't earn bankable playoff points like they could in the past.Every Cup Series Chase field will feature 25 points awarded to the regular-season champion, and the top seed will begin The Chase with 2,100 points while each seed following has a decreased number of points from there.Simply, the driver who ends the series with the most points will be declared a champion.NASCAR race schedule 2026DateRaceTrackWinner2/4Cook Out Clash at Bowman GrayBowman Gray StadiumRyan Preece2/12America 250 Florida Duel at DaytonaDaytona International SpeedwayJoey Lagano2/12America 250 Florida Duel at DaytonaDayton International SpeedwayChase Elliott2/15Daytona 500Dayton International SpeedwayTyler Reddick2/22Autotrader 400Echopark SpeedwayTyler Reddick3/1DuraMax Texas Grand PrixCircuit of the AmericasTyler Reddick3/8Straight Talk Wireless 500Phoenix RacewayRyan Blaney3/15Penzoil 400Las Vegas Motor SpeedwayDenny Hamlin3/22Goodyear 400Darlington RacewayTyler Reddick3/29Cook Out 400Martinsville SpeedwayChase Elliott4/12Food City 500Bristol Motor SpeedwayTy Gibbs4/19AdventHealth 400Kansas SpeedwayTyler Reddick4/26Jack Link's 500Talladega SuperspeedwayCarson Hocevar5/3Wurth 400Texas Motor SpeedwayChase Elliott5/10Go Bowling at the GlenWatkins Glen InternationalShane van Gisbergen5/17NASCAR All-Star RaceDover Motor Speedway5/24Coca-Cola 600Charlotte Motor Speedway5/31Cracker Barrel 400Nashville Superspeedway6/7FireKeepers Casino 400Michigan International Speedway6/14Great Ameican Getaway 400Pocono Raceway6/21Andruil 250Naval Base Coronado6/28Toyota/Save Mart 350Sonoma Raceway7/5NASCAR Cup Series Race ar ChicagolandChicagoland Speedway7/12Quaker State 400 Available at WalmartEchopark Speedway7/19Window World 450North Wilkesboro Speedway7/26Brickyard 400Indianapolis Motor Speedway8/9Iowa Corn 350 Powered by EthanolIowa Speedway8/15Cook Out 400Richmond Raceway8/23NASCAR Cup Series Race at New HampshireNew Hampshire Motor Speedway8/29Coke Zero Sugar 400Daytona International Speedway9/6Cook Out Southern 500Darlington Raceway9/13Enjoy Illinois 300World Wide Technology Raceway9/19Bass Pro Shops Night RaceBristol Motor Speedway9/27Hollywood Casino 400Kansas Speedway10/4South Point 400Las Vegas Motor Speedway10/11Bank of America 400Charlotte Motor Speedway10/18Freeway Insurance 500Phoenix Raceway10/25Yellawood 500Talladega Superspeedway11/1Xfinity 500Martinsville Speedway11/8NASCAR Cup Series Championship RaceHomestead-Miami Speedway