If you’re a regular visitor to the NASCAR corner of the social media world, there is a common theme you may be hearing in 2026 — that NASCAR is cooking the books for the Toyota camp, and Denny Hamlin in particular, to become champions this year.

And while I can understand a little bit why that thought springs to mind for some people — as Toyota have won 10 of the first 16 races between Tyler Reddick (5), Hamlin (4) and Ty Gibbs (1); and even lesser Toyota teams like Legacy Motor Club are starting to show speed and run up front — the reality is far more boring that the conspiracy would have you believe.

Hamlin is just that good this year. As he’s said in the past, he’s beating your favorite driver, week in and week out, and achieving new career milestones week after week. He recent entered the ultra-rare 50 win/50 pole club, and has now passed the late Kyle Busch with his 64th career win (and sits 12 wins behind 8th-place Dale Earnhardt).

To be doing this at age 45 is nothing short of incredible in a sport where youth often prevails.

With Daytona behind us and a full year of racing ahead, it’s inevitable that some things will be changing this year.

Some drivers will fall off from their 2025 performances, others will step up big time and reach the next level of success. And some new faces will make waves.

Read on for my picks of 5 Cup drivers who I believe will make a big splash in 2026 at the top level of NASCAR.

Connor Zilisch

This young man will be the breakout star of the year in Cup, I can say with confidence. He is a generational talent – and he has more accolades as a teenager than most people get in their careers. Sky’s the limit, and Trackhouse has themselves a gem

Between Zilisch and Shane Van Gisbergen, Trackhouse should take all the road course wins this year, plus some of the ovals as well. Zilisch needs to get better in pressure situations in Cup, but once he does, the rest of the field can get used to the feeling of waving goodbye as he drives off in the distance. I predict at least one checkered flag for the rookie, and possibly several victories.

Ford's presence in NASCAR's O'Reilly Auto Parts Series in 2026 will be bolstered by a new entry, with the announcement that Hettinger Racing will compete full-time in the series in 2026. 

Second-generation racer Chris Hettinger is the owner and will field the No. 5 Ford Mustang Dark Horse and receive technical support from Ford Racing. Roush Yates Engines will serve as the team’s engine supplier. 

Driver and partnership plans for 2026 will be announced ahead of the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series open test — set for Jan. 27-28 at Rockingham.

“This is about putting our race team in the right place at the right time,” Hettinger said. “The NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series has incredible momentum. It features great racing and the series gets significant exposure thanks to coverage from The CW. Combining that platform with the support of Ford Racing and Roush Yates Engines gives us the opportunity to grow our program into one that competes at a national level.”

Hettinger raced in Late Models and open-wheel Midgets before becoming a team owner. The native of Dryden, Michigan, has been a fixture in Late Models, fielding multiple entries on the zMAX CARS Tour for up-and-coming racers.

After years of justifiable grumbling from fans about the playoff system as it has existed in recent years, with multiple resets and cutoff rounds, and cries that the champions crowned in recent years weren’t truly deserving due to the one-race finale, change has come to NASCAR in a big way.

Starting with the 2026 season set to launch in a few weeks, the sport is returning to its (recent) past. No, we’re not getting a full season championship with no points resets, like we had from 1975 through 2003, but we got as close we were ever going to get — a return to a (slightly altered) version of the 10-race Chase that launched back in 2004 (and similar setups in the O’Reilly and Truck series as well).

In the Cup Series, 16 drivers will qualify for a 10-race Chase based on the points scored during the 26-race regular season. For the O’Reilly series, 12 drivers will qualify for a 9-race Chase; and in Trucks, 10 drivers will qualify for a 7-race Chase.

Each series points leader will start the Chase with a 25-point lead over 2nd place, and 35 points more than the 3rd place driver; while the final Chase driver in Cup will be 100 points back. From that point, it’s a battle between the 16 drivers with no further resets. Most points at the end wins.

Read on for my thoughts on the 6 biggest upsides of this new era for NASCAR, which alongside the recent 23XI/Front Row court settlement brings much-needed healing to the sport after a tumultuous 2025.

NASCAR and its fans have been on a collision course with uncertainty.

As we neared the end of the trial based on the lawsuit filed by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports after refusing to sign the charter agreement, it was entirely possible that the future of how NASCAR was operated would be in the hands of a judge — and those running the sport weren’t going to like it one bit.

Jim France’s testimony was the harbinger of doom that seemingly lit a fire under both parties to get together and talk, and try to figure out a way to make concessions that made both sides happy enough to move forward with an agreement and end the court case.

And then, in just a couple hours on Thursday morning, lightning struck, and the teams and NASCAR came to an agreement. Judge Bell happily announced the settlement, hinting that it should have happened a long time ago, and the jurors were dismissed much to their delight.

After all the vitriol, the “redneck” jab from NASCAR brass, strong comments about Jim France from the 23XI camp, and a year-plus of turmoil, the teams ultimately got what they wanted — including evergreen charters and better overall terms — and the sport is better off for it long-term.

“Standing up isn’t easy, but progress never comes from staying silent. The reward is in knowing you changed something,” Denny Hamlin posted on social media after the settlement.

“From the beginning, this lawsuit was about progress. It was about making sure our sport evolves in a way that supports everyone: teams, drivers, partners, employees, and fans,” 23XI co-owner Michael Jordan said. “With a foundation to build equity and invest in the future and a stronger voice in the decisions ahead, we now have the chance to grow together and make the sport even better for generations to come. I’m excited to watch our teams get back on the track and compete hard in 2026.”