Remember when NASCAR first introduced “The Chase” in 2004 and later rebranded it as “The Playoffs” in 2014? Since then, the championship format has faced ongoing criticism. The current system allows 16 drivers into the playoffs, with eliminations narrowing the field until four compete for the title in the final race.
Despite several tweaks over the years, many fans and insiders believe the format fails to properly reward season-long excellence, with Joey Logano’s 2024 championship victory despite an average finish of 17th becoming a prime example of the system’s flaws.
After the Jack Link’s 500 at Talladega, Dale Earnhardt Jr. joined numerous critics on the Dale Jr. Download. Junior moved away from his Next-Gen car analysis and racing discussions to start his discussion involving a playoff format modification. “We can all sit here and kind of debate on what we think the best format might be. And there are people who want to go back to the original format where there are no playoffs. It’s not off the table entirely. It has a very tiny chance of happening,” he said.
It’s what a lot of people had been demanding, especially after the way things ended last year. Joey Logano, a driver who was out of the playoffs at one point and didn’t have consistent performances, won the Cup Series because of the format. A lot of people weren’t happy.
Dale Earnhardt Jr
“What if we got rid of the regular season, and starting in Daytona, the playoffs began? The playoffs are the whole season ending with a final one-round championship round,” Earnhardt suggested. Under this approach, 30-32 races out of 36 races would establish three or four championship contenders through points to fight for victory in a weekend-long championship round. According to the NASCAR Hall of Famer, his method intends to bring elevated competitive spirit back to the races because current rules allow drivers to overlook bad races because one victory grants them Playoff access.
Junior criticised the current system for numbing and dumbing down the regular season, saying: “We have bad races, and guys get out, they don’t give a f—. They’re going to come back next week with a chance to make the playoffs.” And it’s not just this aspect. This is how things were done in the past. Drivers like Richard Petty left their mark on the sport with dominant seasons, making them the outright champions. Last year, when Kyle Larson won the most races, some couldn’t help but feel even he deserved a title.
That’s why Dale rounded out the conversation with, “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 f—— good day today. All of that’s going to add up and produce this opportunity for him to race for the championship or not.”
Let’s see what fans have to say about it.
NASCAR Fans Echo Junior’s Call for Championship Legitimacy
Many longtime fans agree with Junior’s focus on season-long performance. One fan explained: “I want the champion to be the best driver over the course of the season. If they don’t have the most wins, fine. If there’s a few less holy shit moments, fine. But I don’t like the debates created by champions who were scored on an entirely different rubric than their predecessors.” This highlights how champions like Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Sr. earned their titles through consistent excellence all year, not just in playoff races.
Racing fans propose considering different racing series as a potential solution. “Personally, I’m a big fan of the IndyCar format,” wrote another fan, favourably mentioning the IndyCar format, which grants winners 50 points, followed by second-place drivers receiving 40 points for clear point scoring. Junior expressed his concern regarding the system because it permits drivers to excuse their disappointing races. As Earnhardt bluntly put it: “We have bad races, and guys get out, they don’t give a f—. They’re going to come back next week with a chance to make the playoffs.”
The issue of truly deserving champions comes up repeatedly in fan comments, particularly regarding unusual statistics like Joey Logano’s 2024 championship despite an average finish of 17th. “No offense to Joey Logano but having your champion have an average finish of 17th is such a complete and utter joke,” one fan wrote. This shows NASCAR’s problem with credibility, where great seasons, like Kevin Harvick’s impressive 2020 campaign, can be wiped out by one bad playoff race.
Perhaps most interesting is the idea that a full-season format would actually make each race more exciting. One fan noted, “We spend so much time now worrying about either surprise winners or the people sitting at 16th in points, to the point that a standard race with repeat winner barely holds any significance.” This supports Junior’s belief that the current format has made the sport less intense. His solution would bring back the importance of every position in every race, from the first green flag at Daytona to the season’s end.
The leadership of NASCAR will likely evaluate these increasing demands for modification according to the influence Dale Jr. carries within the sport. Fans who seek NASCAR’s core value of lap importance can get hope from his comment about changing formats for the championship race.
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