The debate over the NASCAR playoff format has been simmering among fans and insiders since last year. Following scrutiny of the existing system, officials had indicated changes would be implemented from the 2025 season onward. However, before the official season started, they confirmed that the current format would remain unchanged for this year, with revisions anticipated in 2026.
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To facilitate this, NASCAR has established a committee composed of respected former drivers, Hall of Famers, and active participants like Christopher Bell of Joe Gibbs Racing.
Although the committee has convened only once so far, it has already sparked considerable interest. While Bell offered a rather measured response regarding the committee’s ambitious plans to overhaul the NASCAR championship format, his team owner, Joe Gibbs, displayed a preference for the status quo, asserting that it effectively rewards the top-performing teams.
Gibbs disclosed that he has not discussed the playoff committee with his driver, Bell, or any other committee members. Yet, he supports the scrutiny of the current format, emphasizing:
“What we want to do is try and make sure that we are rewarding the best team for that year, so it’s really important that everybody kind of go through that. So I feel good about what everybody is going to come up with.”
However, he contended, “I haven’t been in it. I do think that since we went to this format, if you kind of look back, we have rewarded real good teams every year, but I think it’s something to study for sure.”
His perspective appears to be at somewhat odds with those of his team’s drivers — Denny Hamlin and Christopher Bell.
Hamlin and Bell’s thoughts on the current NASCAR playoff format
For the past two years, Hamlin has openly criticized the playoff format, arguing that it disproportionately relies on luck in a single race rather than rewarding consistent performance throughout the season.
In April 2024, the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing driver clarified his position, explaining, “I don’t love it… The reason I don’t love it coming down to one race is that racing inherently involves luck.”
Similarly, Bell, who had previously not made any harsh comments about the playoff format — even after being eliminated last season at Martinsville despite a strong year — recently voiced his concerns when asked about the committee’s goals.
His response subtly challenged the authenticity of the NASCAR playoff Championship in recent years. He noted that the committee’s aim is to enhance the championship’s legitimacy.
Expanding on this, Bell remarked, “I think everybody has believed that the champions of the new age are held to – it feels different than like what Jimmie (Johnson) did and the guys back in the day.”
The committee’s future actions remain uncertain, whether they will introduce big modifications to the format or simply adjust minor aspects.
![The RCR team had a challenging day during the third race of the Cup season. Although Kyle Busch crossed the finish line in 5th place and had been a frontrunner, having led for 43 laps, the disappointing 35th-place finish of Austin Dillon only compounded the team's frustrating results. While Busch maintained his composure, Dillon was visibly upset with the on-track incident involving Denny Hamlin. During the race at Circuit of the Americas, on lap 78, Austin Dillon and Denny Hamlin were vying for the P20 position when Hamlin, after locking his #11 Toyota's tires, unexpectedly collided with the driver's side of Dillon's #3 car, hurtling it into the gravel and triggering a caution. Television replays captured a trail of dust from the Joe Gibbs Racing car just moments before it seemingly lost braking power and instigated the crash. However, the situation escalated when NASCAR shared the video of the incident with the caption, "The Nos. 3 and 11 make contact and the yellow flag flies." Unable to contain his frustration, Dillon responded sharply, "Correction. The No. 11 made contact with the No. 3." The sentiment among fans largely favored Dillon's perspective. One spectator commented, "And then his teammate wins. They knew what they were doing!" while another lamented, "Sadly if this didn't happen there a good chance @KyleBusch could have won today." Yet another chimed in, "Yep! Always cover Gibbs/Toyota/Hamlin. It’s all headline semantics. He drove into your side, video supports no attempt to steer away." Due to the caution, Bell was able to have fresher tires, which helped him pass Busch with five laps remaining. Otherwise, the old tires would have most likely slowed down the #20 car. That's why the fans blamed Hamlin for instigating a deliberate wreck that helped Bell to outpace the #8 RCR driver. However, one fan referenced a past incident to needle Dillon, recalling when he maneuvered the #11 driver into the wall at Richmond last year to secure his playoff position [which ultimately did not pan out due to NASCAR's decision], remarking, "Remember when you right rear hooked the 11 into the wall to win?" Nevertheless, the replay footage seemed to clearly show it was Hamlin who initiated the collision with the #3 driver. Dillon's frustration was quite visible during his post-race interview as well, where he expressed, "Our car handled well, and we were just trying to be patient until the end. With 18 laps to go, we were running inside the top 20, and the #11 locked up his front tires and wiped us out." "My team did a great job trying to make the repairs, but the damage in the rear was too much to fix, and we had to go to the garage." He voiced disappointment on behalf of his RCR team, lamenting that they had a car capable of finishing in the top 15, and it was unfortunate they couldn't demonstrate the same at COTA. Nevertheless, Dillon appeared optimistic about the upcoming race in Phoenix, hinting at a rebound from the setback.](https://cdn-wp.thesportsrush.com/2025/03/d8fc8a02-austin-dillon.png?format=auto&w=384&q=75)
