Brian France spoke to the media for the first time since January on Sunday. (Getty)

HOMESTEAD, Fla. — Are changes coming to the 2017 Chase format?

NASCAR chairman and CEO Brian France said Sunday the sanctioning body would be considering adding a points bonus or other Chase award for the driver who accumulates the most points in the first 26 races of the season before the Chase begins.

“We’re going to think about that,” France said when asked about a reward. “I think that’s a fair thing for us to consider, to make sure that the regular season is as important as it is. So I don’t know exactly how we’ll do that, but we’ll look at that.”

Drivers are given three points for every regular-season victory at the start of the Chase. But those bonus points are immediately wiped away at the conclusion of the first round. If a driver won 10 races in the first 26, he’s got a great head start in the first round. But if he makes it to the second round, his success is immediately immaterial. Maybe the regular season champion should receive a bye to the second round of the Chase?

Aside from additional bonus point for every win, the Chase format makes the regular season almost irrelevant for the champion of the Daytona 500. All the winning driver and team has to do is stay in the top 30 in the points standings; an easy accomplishment for a top team.

Any changes to the Chase wouldn’t be unexpected. NASCAR has typically made alterations to the format — whether it’s by adding drivers, changing the points system or overhauling the format entirely — every three years. And 2016 is the third year of the current Chase format in the Cup Series. Don’t be surprised if changes occur.

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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!

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