NASCAR veterans like Mark Martin and Denny Hamlin, alongside several insiders, have long called for a return to the traditional full-season points format over the modern playoff system. Fans too have joined in, with the discussion recently taking a new turn as cracks have been spotted in both setups.
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As it stands under the current playoff structure, Hamlin leads the field, Kyle Larson trails by 35 points in second, Christopher Bell and Chase Briscoe round out the top four, while William Byron, Chase Elliott, Joey Logano, and Ryan Blaney occupy the bottom half of the Round of 8 standings.
However, fresh statistics shared by TobyChristie.com Editor-in-Chief Joseph Srigley reignited the traditional vs. modern conversation.
“In a full-season format, William Byron and Kyle Larson are TIED for the points lead, with the top-6 within 58 points (less than a full race) heading into Talladega and Martinsville. Don’t let anybody tell you that a full-season format wouldn’t create good storylines,” Srigley wrote on his official X handle.
In a full-season format, William Byron and Kyle Larson are TIED for the points lead, with the top-6 within 58 points (less than a full race) heading into Talladega and Martinsville.
Don’t let anybody tell you that a full-season format wouldn’t create good storylines.#NASCAR https://t.co/VZ228op4K4
— Joseph Srigley (@joe_srigley) October 13, 2025
According to those numbers, both Byron and Larson would be deadlocked at 1,076 points apiece, with Bell close behind at 1,054. With three races still remaining, the fight for the title would have been wide open under a full-season format, setting up a thrilling finish between two of Hendrick Motorsports’ brightest stars.
Still, many fans aren’t entirely sold on ditching the playoff drama for the old-school grind. One argued, “there’s no way to tell who would win based on the current results! Drivers race to the current system! Pit strategies and race setups would be completely different if the points system was different!”
Another fan countered that such parity wouldn’t last. “The problem isn’t what you would have had this year. That’s great, but for every year like this, you probably have 2 or 3 years where there is no meaningful battle by the 3/4 point of the season.”
Others echoed similar skepticism, pointing out that the full-season numbers may paint a misleading picture. “I’d say it’s kinda skewed though. Everyone knows the format is win and in and changes their week to week strategy once they get that W. IMO, If the format was season long I doubt it would be anywhere near that close,” a die-hard fan commented.
Another added, “That’s this year. Just one year of data is not research. It’s cherry picking.”
Siding with these fans, Logano and Kenny Wallace have remained staunch defenders of the playoff system, insisting that it keeps the sport unpredictable. To them, the chase format has kept fans on the edge of their seats, ensuring every race counts. And for Logano, in particular, luck and timing have turned that very unpredictability into multiple deep playoff runs, and championships, to remember.
