A lot has been said about NASCAR’s playoff format and how it unnaturally creates drama in the sport. As opposed to pure racing action which decides the winner based on their performance during the complete season of racing, the playoffs have managed to boil that down to a ‘win and you’re in’ mentality towards winning the ultimate prize.
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The same was evident in full force as Tyler Reddick punched his Final 4 ticket last Sunday with a win at Homestead-Miami Raceway. Whereas Kyle Larson, who came into the event above the elimination line, now leaves with a seven-point deficit to the same.
Larson’s day unraveled after he brushed the wall due to a flat tire during the 2024 Straight Talk Wireless 400. After recovering from the same, his pace seemed to drop off due to damage to his car’s underbody.
There's problems on the No. 5! #NASCARPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/B2l56vEmiy
— NASCAR (@NASCAR) October 27, 2024
Trying to push through the same saw him make crucial mistakes on track which ultimately relegated him to a P13 finish.
Fans reacted to Larson‘s playoff position after the event and made their feelings clear. “This playoff format makes zero sense,” opined one fan, adding to the complex nature of NASCAR’s rulebook. “This is ridiculous both the scoring system and the G7 car.. I can’t believe Larson is at -7 ridiculous. with an excellent season,” rued another, adding the Next Gen cars troubles to the mix.
Another fan questioned the integrity of the sport as a whole and said, “This shows how much of a flaw the system is. 2 guys with mediocre seasons with one having an awful season is able to race for a championship while 2 guys Denny and Larson who had great seasons are likely to not.. what happened to this sports integrity?”
This shows how much of a flaw the system is. 2 guys with mediocre seasons with one having an awful season is able to race for a championship while 2 guys Denny and Larson who had great seasons are likely to not.. what happened to this sports integrity?
— Noah Wilson (@LWNoah_Wilson) October 28, 2024
“Why care when the points system is bad. Championships are meaningless with this format,” added another fan, giving a similarly damning opinion. As is with debates surrounding the sport, drivers are seemingly unbothered by the same and would be looking forward to the final race of the Round of 8 this season.
The upcoming event will decide which four drivers get to challenge for the ultimate prize this year. With only two events to go during the 2024 season of racing, it remains to be seen which driver can ace this peculiar playoff format of racing.
