Did we simply get some breaking information from NASCAR?
Clearly there’s been lots of chatter these days about whether or not NASCAR ought to get rid of their playoffs and return to a full 36-race factors system.
NASCAR first adopted a postseason factors format again in 2004 when it unveiled the “Chase for the Nextel Cup.” Beforehand, the sequence had merely awarded factors primarily based on ending place and whoever had probably the most factors on the finish of the season was a championship. Easy sufficient, proper?
However again in 2003, NASCAR Cup Collection champion Matt Kenseth stunk up the present. He dominated the factors standings regardless of solely profitable one race the complete season, and was to this point forward earlier than the ultimate race of the season that he had already locked up the championship – making the season finale basically meaningless.
In an try to spice up rankings on the finish of the season when NASCAR was competing with the NFL for viewers, they’ve since gone to some form of a playoff system, although the format has modified through the years.
Below the present system, which was largely applied in 2014, a driver can lock themselves into the playoffs with a win through the first 26 races, no matter the place they’re within the factors standings. The thought was that it will incentivize drivers to race laborious to compete for a win every week, however there’s one apparent downside: If a driver who was properly beneath the minimize line in some way manages to sneak out a win, they take a spot within the playoffs away from a driver and group who carried out higher all through the season.
The present system additionally ends in lots of “manufactured drama” slightly than merely rewarding the very best ending drivers, like final weekend on the Charlotte Roval when all the eye was on Joey Logano and Ross Chastain battling for the ultimate spot within the spherical of 8…whereas racing for twentieth place on the observe.
Final 12 months’s champion, Logano, heard loads of criticism over his championship run throughout what was, general, a fairly lackluster season. There’s no actual arguing that his season was fairly common, however a win at Nashville locked him into the playoffs and he managed to win on the proper occasions through the remaining 10 races to safe the championship.
All the controversy has led to renewed requires NASCAR to get rid of the playoff format altogether and return to easily crowning a championship primarily based on who has probably the most factors on the finish of the season. It not solely rewards consistency, however it locations a better worth on working properly all through the season and doesn’t danger a driver profitable a championship primarily based on what critics name “arbitrary” guidelines.
However over the previous few years, the standard knowledge has been that the tv networks have been in opposition to eliminating the playoffs, wanting the drama they created to spice up viewership throughout a tricky time for the game. However while you take a look at the rankings for the previous couple of races, they’ve been…properly, fairly abysmal.
NASCAR has been open about exploring modifications to the playoffs for the 2026 season, with one proposal floating round that will take the 10-race playoffs to a few rounds as a substitute of 4, with a remaining spherical of three races as a substitute of only a single race to determine the champion.
And it was lately reported that NBC, the community that broadcasts the whole lot of the Cup Collection playoffs, had taken themselves out of discussions in regards to the format and was leaving the choice completely in NASCAR’s palms.
So what’s NASCAR going to do? Effectively, we might have simply gotten an enormous trace…
Mike Forde, NASCAR’s Managing Director for Racing Communications, appeared on the Door Bumper Clear podcast the place he appeared to inadvertently reveal what the playoffs are going to appear like subsequent 12 months.
Throughout a dialogue with DBC hosts Freddie Kraft and Tommy Baldwin over whether or not the playoffs harm drivers’ star energy, Baldwin talked about a “hypothetical” factors system through which the Cup Collection had a 32-race common season and a 4-race “playoff,” and as a substitute of the factors utterly resetting to place all the playoff drivers again even with one another, the drivers being seeded and given playoff factors primarily based on how they completed within the common season:
“I believe the largest factor that folks complain about is the man that dominates the 12 months. If it’s a 32-race championship and that’s 4 races playoff, no matter, that man, whoever wins, ought to begin with probably the most factors, proper? There shouldn’t be again to zero and, okay, thanks for us speaking about you all 12 months lengthy.”
And Forde appeared to verify that was what NASCAR was taking a look at for 2026:
“I believe that’s in all probability going to occur.”
Now, whether or not Forde was referring to Baldwin’s thought of a 32-race common season and 4-race playoff, or resetting the factors to reward common season efficiency, or each, is but to be seen. And naturally there’s additionally the chance that NASCAR may change their minds earlier than any modifications are introduced.
However I’ve to say, I don’t hate the thought of a 32-race common season and 4-race playoff. Is it nearly as good as a full-season factors system? No. But it surely’s approach higher than what now we have now, which places an excessive amount of emphasis on profitable a race and never sufficient on efficiency in races the place drivers DON’T win.
It’s a good compromise, and if it’s the very best we’re going to get from NASCAR, I wouldn’t be mad at it.
I suppose we’ll simply have to attend and see if Forde by accident revealed NASCAR’s plans, or if we find yourself with one thing totally different completely.
@dirtymomedia_ Is that the sound of breaking information we hear? 😁📰
