The playoff format has long sparked debate in NASCAR circles, with critics pointing to the disconnect between season-long consistency and championship eligibility. While the format hands a golden ticket to race winners, even if their overall performance lacks sheen, it often leaves consistent contenders holding the short end of the stick.
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That imbalance has prompted several high-profile drivers, including Denny Hamlin and Kyle Larson, to call for a rework. Last year, when Christopher Bell missed out on the Championship 4 despite a strong campaign, he was tapped to join a committee aimed at revamping the structure. But not everyone’s on board with change. Michael McDowell, for one, seems perfectly content riding the tide of the current format.
With Shane van Gisbergen lighting up the scoreboard with three road course wins this year while sitting 26th in the standings, the debate has flared up again. The “win and you’re in” rule continues to reward big moments over season-long grind, creating a playoff picture that, while thrilling, can be skewed.
Speaking on the Door Bumper Clear podcast, McDowell weighed in, saying, “If you’re a driver, you like the purest part of racing, where, like Tommy (Baldwin) is talking about how you run all season long and stacking top-10s and not making mistakes, should pay something.
“As a fan, and knowing that this sport is about fans and entertaining, like what we have is super entertaining. And I’ve been on the positive side of it, right? Get a win and you’re in.”
He continued, “So, all those years except for one, I wouldn’t have pointed my way in, but a win got me in. So I like the format because it works out for a guy like myself, that maybe isn’t scoring so many stage points, that you have this big buffer. But for the fans, like as you’re watching the playoffs, like last year, it was incredible.”
Case in point, McDowell finds himself in a similar boat. With two top-five finishes and three top-10s, he currently sits 19th in the standings and in a much better position than Shane van Gisbergen in 26th.
Yet, SVG, who has delivered three wins but only one additional top-10, looks ready to leapfrog McDowell (zero wins) into postseason contention. The optics might be lopsided, but under the current rules, SVG holds the upper hand.
