Nearly everybody has an opinion today about how NASCAR should change the current playoff system. The elimination-style format has fallen out of favor, particularly with the traditional fanbase, and is being called out every single day. Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Dillon has suggested a rather extreme makeover to the format at this juncture.
Advertisement
Speaking on the Stacking Pennies podcast, he noted how playoff drivers ought to be pitted directly against each other on a head-to-head basis by removing points for the drivers who are not in the playoffs.
He said, “You’re just racing those guys for the 10 races that you got straight up head-to-head. So, you have that bad day, it doesn’t take that guy out right away from those three races, or say, ‘Hey, you got to go win the next one to transfer.'”
Isolating the drivers in the playoffs would be a more direct way to decide who ultimately gets to compete for the championship. Several suggestions have been heard on this matter thus far. But Austin’s is a new one and could be worth looking into.
The podcast hosts Corey LaJoie and Skip Flores acknowledged the same, lauding his thought process. The No. 3 driver is at the gates of the Cup Series playoffs after securing victory at Richmond Raceway last Saturday. Following a big disappointment in 2024, when he couldn’t secure a playoff berth despite winning a race, he has redeemed himself this season.
Why Dillon thought he could win a Cup Series championship
Dillon was crowned the Xfinity Series champion in 2013 without winning a single race. His consistency throughout the season is what got him to the end goal. This led him to believe that he could do the same in the Cup Series someday. But the introduction of the current elimination-style format foiled those hopes.
Dillon addressed how the game has changed and said, “I always thought I could win a Cup Series championship by being consistent one day. I thought that’s who I was as a driver. I’m a consistent driver. I might not be the fastest everywhere, but I’m pretty good everywhere… But the game changed, and it’s about winning. So, there’s only x amount of opportunities to get a win.”
Fortunately, now, he has done a good enough job and is in the playoffs with a win. Consistency in the postseason will only get him so far. What he needs is more visits to Victory Lane. There’s only one way to find if he can get them.
