NASCAR participation at the Chili Bowl is nothing new, but now many of the sports top stars are taking on ownership roles at the Midget car event.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- NASCAR's nearly two-year study into an overhaul of its championship-deciding format concluded Monday with the reveal that in 2026 the stock car series will return to a 10-race version closely resembling the very first iteration introduced 22 years ago.

For Kyle Larson, the No. 5 HendrickCars.com Chevrolet team and Hendrick Motorsports in general, that would be an accurate statement entering the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season. Larson enters the year as the defending champion after capping off his second career title at Phoenix Raceway in November.

NASCAR officials said the changes are designed to balance the importance of winning with consistency while preserving the intensity of postseason racing.

The governing body of the largest motorsport in America announced the return of “The Chase” as its national series championship format beginning in 2026. “The Chase” was the postseason configuration NASCAR had in place from 2004-13 in the Cup Series — the first postseason of any kind in NASCAR history.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps on Tuesday announced his resignation after more than 20 years with the top racing series in the United States and a nasty federal trial in which inflammatory texts he sent during contentious revenue-sharing negotiations were revealed.

NASCAR's move back to the Chase playoff format should satisfy most (though not all) fans and restore credibility to the championship.

Steve Phelps, the commissioner of closed-cockpit NASCAR series, said Tuesday he will resign from the post and leave the company where he has worked for 20 years by the end