Last year, Austin Dillon’s victory at Richmond looked like redemption. After a two-year winless stretch, he pulled off a dramatic last-lap pass that shoved Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin out of the way and sent his No. 3 Chevrolet to victory lane. For a moment, it looked like the type of comeback win NASCAR fans eat up, hard-nosed, aggressive, and clutch. But it didn’t take long for NASCAR to hit the brakes on the celebration. Two days later, NASCAR ruled that Dillon crossed the line. He wasn’t just aggressive, he was dirty. The sanctioning body said he committed “actions detrimental to stock car auto racing.”
They stripped him of his playoff eligibility and docked him 25 points. His spotter, Brandon Benesch, got suspended for telling him to “wreck him!” on the radio. Logano and Hamlin didn’t hold back either. “Unbelievable. I get bumps and runs. I do that, and I would expect it. But from four car lengths back, he was never going to make the corner,” Logano said. Hamlin called it ridiculous and said the win would be credited but not respected. However, Dillon stood his ground: “I’ve seen Denny and Joey make moves that have been running people up the track to win. This was the first opportunity in two years for me to be able to get a win.”
Now, months later, another playoff controversy is making rounds on social media, but this time it wasn’t sparked by a wreck. Shane van Gisbergen (SVG) won the inaugural Mexico City race, despite sitting 33rd in points. His road course dominance stunned many, but his automatic playoff berth stunned even more. As backlash erupted, longtime broadcaster Leigh Diffey stepped in to defend the system with an odd golf analogy, and fans were not having it.
Shane van Gisbergen’s win sparks playoff firestorm
Shane van Gisbergen came into Mexico City buried deep in the standings, 33rd overall, with just one top-10 finish in 15 races. No one expected much. But SVG flipped the script. He started on the pole, led most of the laps, and crossed the finish line over 16 seconds ahead of Christopher Bell. It was the largest Cup Series win margin in nearly 16 years. A stunning drive, no doubt. But it reignited debate over NASCAR’s playoff format, a system where one race win, even from 33rd place, can lock in a postseason spot.
To NASCAR’s rules, SVG’s win was golden. He competes full-time, and with a win, he gets in. But to fans, it felt wrong. A driver struggling all year shouldn’t knock out someone with consistency but no victory. NASCAR insider Leigh Diffey tried to defend the move. On X, he posted: “So if a golfer is 33rd ranked in the official world rankings and wins a PGA Tour Tournament, they shouldn’t be allowed to play in the Masters?” That’s when the floodgates opened.
So if a golfer is 33rd ranked in the official world rankings and wins a PGA Tour Tournament they shouldn’t be allowed to play in the Masters? https://t.co/BWltFESoTD
— Leigh Diffey (@leighdiffey) June 16, 2025
One fan fired back, “A golfer in 33rd out of a field of hundreds is way higher up than a racecar driver in 33rd out of a field of 36. Leigh, SVG has had a dreadful year, and he is going to likely displace someone running much better.” The point stuck. Kyle Busch last year missed out despite consistent results. Harrison Burton got in with one win, finishing 34th in points. Now it might happen again. Notably, SVG’s win didn’t just earn a trophy. It shook up the playoff picture.
Ten spots are now claimed, leaving just six with ten races left. Drivers like Chris Buescher, Ryan Preece, and Michael McDowell suddenly find themselves pushed down the ladder, not because of poor results, but because of a single race run by a road curse ringer. Fans are asking real questions. If Chase Elliott is fourth in the season standings but sits outside the playoff cutline just because he hasn’t won, how is that fair?
Buescher lost 19 points to the bubble overnight. Preece is now 19 points outside the playoffs. Bowman’s margin shrank to 22 points. One result shifted the entire playoff equation. However, SVG didn’t win on raw luck, either. He prepared. He got help from a familiar name, Max Verstappen. The Formula 1 champ gave him tips on racing at Autódromo Hermanos Rodríguez, especially on wet conditions. SVG said, “Normally, on a wet circuit, the tarmac has grip and the white lines are slipperier. It was the opposite. It was like ice.”
He used that intel, owned the track, and walked away with a win. Verstappen may not know stock cars, but SVG made sure to squeeze every bit of help possible out of the F1 ace. Still, his playoff spot isn’t completely locked. If seven more drivers win in the next ten races, he could still be knocked out. But for now, he’s in. His performance gave Trackhouse a reason to celebrate, but for many fans, it just made them angrier.
Fan backlash erupts over broadcaster’s analogy!
The anger didn’t stop at Shane van Gisbergen’s win. When Leigh Diffey compared NASCAR’s playoff qualification to golf’s major tournaments, fans exploded. “Horrible comparison and we need to stop comparing Motorsports to stick and ball sports,” one user wrote. The analogy, meant to justify SVG’s playoff slot, only poured fuel on the fire. Fans didn’t like how Diffey compared motorsports with something totally different. NASCAR drivers fight for consistent finishes, if not wins, with the hopes of making it to the postseason. But the current system rewards shock winners, taking out the best drivers from the championship race.
Another slammed the entire logic behind the playoff system: “Can somebody please defend the playoffs on their own merits within the concept of NASCAR/motor racing? Why are playoffs fair for motorsports?” It was a serious question. NASCAR fans have never fully embraced the “win and you’re in” system, especially when it rewards a season’s worst performers over consistent drivers. Someone else dropped the mic with: “Winning 1 game doesn’t make you eligible to play for a Super Bowl.”
That hit home. In the NFL, consistency still matters. One off night doesn’t end a season. But in NASCAR, one lucky Sunday, even if you’ve been bad all year, can punch a postseason ticket. And the original shot at Diffey’s analogy might be the hardest hitting of all: “A golfer in 33rd out of a field of hundreds is way higher up than a racecar driver in 33rd out of 36.” That comment echoed across fan circles. It wasn’t anti-SVG. It was anti-system.
Imagine the likes of Tyler Reddick, Bubba Wallace, and Alex Bowman missing out on the playoffs. That is a possibility with more road courses like Sonoma, Chicago Street Race, and Watkins Glen, we might see A. J. Allmendinger, Ty Dillon or Noah Gragson clinch those spots. Is the system fair to these drivers who are consistently running up front? And we saw how far Burton and Chase Briscoe went in the playoffs. “Not at the expense of guys 20 ranks ahead of him,” concluded a race fan.
What is your take on the SVG’s entry into the playoffs, and is it time NASCAR should restructure the format for the championship?
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