It appears that the debate over the current NASCAR playoffs format isn’t likely to die down anytime soon. Following Joey Logano’s championship triumph last year, many fans and drivers expressed dissatisfaction, arguing that the Playoffs system doesn’t reward season-long consistency.
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Instead, it hinges on peaking during the final 10 races to clinch the championship. The conversation reignited recently following a post by Jeff Gluck highlighting the point leaders in the standings after Homestead-Miami.
According to the sports journalist from The Athletic, the top eight spots in the standings are dominated by drivers from Hendrick Motorsports, 23XI Racing, and Joe Gibbs Racing. HMS drivers claim the top three positions with William Byron leading the pack, Kyle Larson in second, and Alex Bowman holding third place. Tyler Reddick and Christopher Bell complete the top five.
Chase Elliott, also from Rick Hendrick’s team, is the only driver from the team outside the top five, sitting in sixth place. Bubba Wallace from 23XI Racing follows in seventh after a strong third-place finish at Homestead. Denny Hamlin from Joe Gibbs Racing rounded out the top eight.
Fans sarcastically contended that these positions might be moot, as the real test comes in the season’s final stretch — the playoff races. One fan expressed their skepticism about the current championship format, noting, “And yet it means nothing with the way they crown a champion, which will probably be a Penske driver.”
Another had a suggestion, asserting, “switch to a season-long points system and I will never quit hating on the playoffs until they get rid of them.”
I still stand on the fact that nascar needs to get rid of the playoffs and switch to a season long points system and I will never quit hating on the playoffs until they get rid of them
— Aaron (@Ace_Freeman72) March 23, 2025
Fans highlighted that despite the dominance of teams like HMS and JGR in the standings, their achievements seem to hold little weight as Team Penske has emerged as the frontrunner in the playoffs for the past three seasons.
That’s why one observer remarked, “And none of them have won a championship with the Gen 7 while dominating the Gen 7 era,” highlighting the disparity between regular-season performance and playoff success.
Another succinctly summed up the prevailing sentiment with a jab, “It doesn’t matter until September.” Last season, Kyle Larson won six races, led 1,699 laps, and finished 15 races in the top 5, all while maintaining an average starting position of 8.8, despite missing one race — the Coca-Cola 600 — due to his Indy 500 attempt.
Yet, even with one of the best season averages, Larson’s performance throughout the regular and playoff seasons was insufficient to propel him into the Championship 4, ultimately landing him in sixth place overall.
While Larson has not been vocally harsh in his critique of the playoff system, he expressed concerns during a January interview before the NASCAR Cup season started. He mentioned that the current format somewhat undermines the value of a championship, especially in the Next Gen era. “I just think the format, in a way, devalues a championship. Especially in the Next-Gen era,” he said.
With the formation of a new playoff committee and ongoing discussions about potential modifications, it will be intriguing to see what adjustments NASCAR might implement to its format in the upcoming 2026 season.
