Following Joey Logano’s controversial Cup Series title win in 2024, NASCAR promised that it would be looking at making changes to the current playoff format. As a first step towards that intent, it held a playoff committee meeting at Daytona earlier this month. Some of the key points that were discussed indicate that massive changes could be coming up.
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Mike Forde, NASCAR’s Managing Director of Racing Communications, spoke about the discussion on NASCAR.com’s Hauler Talk recently.
While he did not reveal who the members of the committee were, he said that a particular retired Hall of Famer suggested that the playoff system be eliminated. Others suggested keeping the playoffs but changing the format.
One of the ideas that popped around was a seven-race lead-in that would end with a three-race championship. It did have many supporters and was kicked off the table.
They’d also considered reducing the size of the playoff field. Ben Kennedy was the chairman of the 25-member committee. Christopher Bell’s name has also been confirmed as a member.
From this week’s Hauler Talk: The first meeting of NASCAR’s playoff committee to decide on a new format for 2026 was held in Daytona. @mforde talked a bit about the committee and what was discussed.
– Among those on the ~25 person committee include current and former drivers.… pic.twitter.com/Pc5EIikcI3
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) February 27, 2025
Tim Clark, the Executive Vice President and Chief Brand Officer, stressed during the discussion that the goal was to create a system in which the most deserving driver would be crowned as champion. But it was also equally important for that system to drive fan engagement on the track and digital platforms. Forde revealed that they’d also discussed the future of stage racing.
He said, “I think there were a lot of good discussions with that. Like I said, you had everything from eliminate the playoffs altogether to keeping the playoffs and changing the way the elimination rounds are. We also talked a little bit about stage racing, stages, and stage points. So, it’s not just a playoff discussion either.”
Why was Christopher Bell brought into the playoff committee
Being asked to be a part of a panel with such a big decision on its hands is not an honor to be slighted. Christopher Bell is not a Cup Series champion yet and is just a 30-year-old with 10 victories on his resume. So, why was he given a seat at the table? Forde revealed that NASCAR views him as a leader in the garage.
He detailed, “I think how he handled the disappointment of Martinsville (missing the championship round after his last-lap move was deemed illegal), we took notice of that. He was vocal and super candid, and I think a lot of people would probably assume that we didn’t care for that, but it’s the opposite.”
The character Bell displayed led the promotion to ask for his views about the playoffs and invite him to the committee. He ended up sharing a few really strong points during the meeting.
For instance, the rotation of the championship venue was a pressing issue that he spoke about. More such panel meetings would be on the cards for him throughout this year.
