NASCAR’s New Era Begins: Chase Format, Charter Settlement, and Major Personnel Moves

Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour presented by NASCAR on FOX

Fox Sports

Leisure, Sports, Automotive

4.8 • 523 Ratings

🗓️ 30 January 2026

⏱️ 53 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

NASCAR is entering a new era, and Kevin Harvick, Kaitlyn Vincie, and Mamba Smith break down everything you need to know from a massive offseason on this episode of Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour. The crew reacts to NASCAR reaching a settlement with 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports, the introduction of evergreen-style charters, and what the agreement means for the future of team ownership. They also dive into the stunning return of the Chase format beginning in 2026, explaining how the new postseason structure works, why the elimination era is over, and how the points system will determine a champion once again. Plus, the show covers the resignation of NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps, what it means for the sport’s leadership moving forward, and the latest crew chief and competition personnel changes across the garage. From major governance shifts to on-track implications, this episode breaks down one of the most consequential offseasons in modern NASCAR history. 0:00 - Intro2:41 - Offseason Catch-Up9:29 - NASCAR Reaches Settlement With 23XI & FRM14:13 - NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps Resigns21-51 - New Chase Format40:45 - Personnel Changes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	Be very careful about what you wish for.
0:01.6	Don't bitch about the drivers gathering those points.
0:04.0	It's a thing that the kid's called war.
0:05.5	He's got it.
0:06.0	This is our theme for the year.
0:07.0	What's old is new again?
0:08.0	I might just make a comeback.
0:09.2	Why not?
0:10.0	You know, California's Kevin Harvick does it.
0:16.0	Welcome to Kevin Harvick's Happy Hour, presented by NASCAR and Fox.
0:24.1	I'm Kevin Harvick.
0:24.8	She's Caitlin Vinci.
0:26.3	And this is an unidentified flying object.
0:28.6	He does look like an insect.
0:30.3	What in the world is happening?
0:31.6	Listen, Bowman Gray's this weekend.
0:34.0	I just wanted everybody to know what they should dress like for the snow. Oh, this is a PSA. Bring your goggles. Yeah, bring your goggles. Get your winter hat, a nice jacket. So let me ask you this. Do we think that going to a NASCAR race when it's possibly have snowed the day before? Now, we've been at NASCAR races where it has snowed and has been snowed out, I've been to Atlanta. Yeah. We've been to several places where it's been snowy. We had a snowball fight at Bristol one year. That's cool. On the back straightaway. So this is not abnormal. Not preferred by any means. Definitely not preferred. Definitely not preferred. Is it different to go sit at a NASCAR race in the cold compared to a football game in the cold?
1:14.2	Do you see it any different?
1:15.5	I think so.
1:17.0	Why?
1:17.6	I think so because at the NASCAR race, like, we're so locked into, like, watching the race and the things going on.
1:24.7	I think at the football games, unless it's, like, when there's a caution a caution, that's like the same as, you know, a big tackle or like a
	...

Please login to see the full transcript.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Fox Sports, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Fox Sports and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.