The debate around NASCAR’s playoff format has flared up once again, especially after Joey Logano slipped into the Round of 8, not by outdriving the field, but by capitalizing on Ross Chastain’s last-lap crash. Amid the renewed chatter, NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell has issued a word of caution regarding upcoming playoff format changes.
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Speaking on The Dale Jr. Download, O’Donnell elucidated that no announcement would come before the 2025 season wraps up. He explained that he doesn’t want to overshadow whoever claims the current championship, insisting that when the dust settles, he intends to fully stand behind that winner and their team as the 2025 NASCAR champion.
O’Donnell revealed that Christopher Bell has played a key role in shaping his thoughts about the playoff system. Bell, he said, takes the time to discuss the matter behind closed doors instead of airing it out publicly. Bell essentially offered him a candid insight that O’Donnell admitted struck a chord.
According to O’Donnell, Bell made him see the bigger picture. “‘If I (Bell) roll off 10 wins uh in a year right and I go to one race and couple other guys get into me or whatever, and I’m not the champion okay four years in a row that happens.’ I don’t want the next Christopher Bell, who’s 10 years old right now, thinking about NASCAR, wanting to go to NASCAR, wanting to be a champion, say, ‘Huh, this is a little bit more of a chance on a one race, right?'”
And in a way, it might have prompted the officials to make the Championship 4 a full round instead of one single race.
O’Donnell acknowledged that the sport has evolved and that while some of that unpredictability should remain, balance is key.
“Just looking at future stars, drivers coming in, having a multitude of races potentially that you got to put a body of work together. So, I think about all those things. I’m not giving away where I’m at, but I completely recognize where we’re at today.”
With that, O’Donnell stated that any future playoff overhaul will aim to strike the right balance, one that keeps the competition fair for today’s contenders while paving a level playing field for the next generation of drivers coming up through the ranks.
