Last year, Denny Hamlin asked the press to name one driver who would say that the NASCAR Cup Series championships carry the same value as they did 10 years ago. No one gave him an answer back then, and none can even now. Denny was talking about the issues with the current playoff format. And Kyle Larson has now revealed his thoughts on the matter to further strengthen the contention made by Hamlin.
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“If anything, I just think the [playoff] format, in a way, devalues a championship. Especially in the Next-Gen era,” the Hendrick Motorsports driver told his team media.
The playoff format is what took away Larson’s chances of winning the 2024 championship even though he was the most dominant driver throughout the season. He secured six victory lane visits and several other top finishes only to get knocked out in the Round of 8.
“I really wasn’t that upset during the week of Phoenix because I knew no matter the result, we were going to end the season with the most wins. And to me, these days, that’s as important as winning a championship,” added Larson.
Valuing wins equally or even more than a championship is something Hamlin also spoke about in Dover last year.
“I absolutely would take 60-some wins and no championship over 20 and one. It’s just not even close,” Hamlin had said.
Such opinions from star drivers reiterate the need for a format revision. If veterans like Hamlin and Larson don’t care about winning championships any longer, the interest in following action throughout the year-long season will also wane.
Joey Logano’s third championship is, of course, the reason why both Hamlin and Larson are on the same page on this matter.
How Logano bridged the opinions of Hamlin and Larson
Logano was a huge under-performer in 2024, struggling to find pace in his #22 Ford Mustang. However, he made it to the playoffs despite just one win in the season, at Nashville. Logano kept his hopes alive through good performances when they mattered the most. Luck ended up favoring him in crucial junctures as well.
Following Alex Bowman’s Round of 12 disqualification in the Charlotte Roval, Logano got his seat to the next round. He used the opportunity to his advantage and ended up reaching the Championship 4, before sealing the title.
He was one of the most inconsistent drivers all year and still got ahead of the likes of Larson and Bowman. A majority of the racing community believe Logano’s title illustrates the issue with the current system.
Meanwhile, NASCAR’s continues to be reluctant to change the format.
