The call to change the Cup Series playoff format has grown louder than ever before since Joey Logano won the 2024 championship. Drivers, fans, and insiders have been coming up with different formats that they think will be the best possible way to resolve the issues of the current one. Dale Earnhardt Jr. pitched a solution of his own on a recent episode of Dale Jr. Download.
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The popular icon wants 30-something races in a 36-race season to shortlist four drivers based on points secured. These four drivers will get to race for the championship through a round of three or four races.
He said, “The fans will feel that intensity and urgency from the moment we drop the green flag in Daytona. Every week, we talk about how every spot matters, every lap matters.”
“It truly will bring all of that back because you’ll be watching knowing that your guy needs a good day today. All of that’s going to add up and produce this opportunity for him to race for the championship or not.”
He went on to explain that there would be no question about whether a driver deserves to race for the championship if this method were adopted.
Junior did not stop there. He criticised the current playoff format for numbing and dumbing down the importance of the regular season. He lashed severely at the idea that all that matters is winning a race to get into the playoffs and stated that it is not a recipe for success.
He also stressed that he can’t see a way by which a driver can fluke into racing for the championship if his suggestion were implemented.
Where does Junior want the championship-round races?
He was asked by his co-host, TJ Majors, where he would want the final races of his format to be held. He detailed that he wants those four shortlisted drivers to go through all the variables there are.
That means, “You’ll have a road course in there. You’ll have a Daytona or a Talladega in there. You’ll have a mile and a half, a short track, some intermediate, or a one-mile racetrack.”
He believes that choosing this mixture is the easiest part of it all. NASCAR promised at the end of last season that it would look into altering the playoff format to eliminate the possibility of undeserved drivers winning the title. How it is going to do that remains a mystery. However, promising updates have come on the matter of the venue for the finale.
Hopefully, Junior’s recommendation will reach the right ears at Daytona, and an official word will be released in the coming days.
