NASCAR has confirmed there will be a review of the Cup Series Playoffs format following criticism from fans and some insiders. The announcement comes amidst heightened discussions around the format’s fairness in determining champions.
The current format, which intensifies through four playoff rounds – from the Round of 16 to the Championship 4 – has been instrumental in determining the eventual winner since it was adopted in 2017. This method, however, has recently faced scrutiny, particularly following Joey Logano’s 2024 championship run. Despite being a champion under the playoff format, Logano’s performance, if solely measured by full-season points, would have placed him 12th, sparking a debate about the suitability of the existing system, which prioritizes postseason victories over consistent seasonal performance.
Elton Sawyer, NASCAR’s Senior Vice President of Competition, defended the current format and the excitement that it creates, stating to SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, as quoted by TobyChristie.com: “We look at it this way – you look at our format, it has delivered some great, exciting moments over time. “Joey [Logano] won five races this year if you count. the All-Star Race. He has shown year-in and year-out, time and time again, that once he gets into the Playoffs – and they just barely got in this year […]. Joey and Team Penske, they win races at the right time of year, and our format has delivered. “You don’t have those moments without our format.” Despite the support for the existing system, NASCAR plans to engage with fans, drivers, and industry stakeholders during the off-season.
Sawyer added: “We’re going to have Playoffs, we’re going to have a Playoff format, but what we will do, is we will take input from our fans, our competitors, and our industry stakeholders this off-season, and if there is a way to tweak it, make it better, we will do that. “I think as we take a deeper dive and look at this and look at how you get in the Playoffs, and how you get from round to round.
Is that equitable? Is that the best way to do it? I think you take all that input – and we have some really smart people in our industry, with our teams and drivers, and being able to get feedback – maybe what we have is the best model, but if it’s not, we’re open, we’re all ears on it.” Logano has also addressed the recent backlash, stating, as previously reported by Newsweek Sports: “I’ve got a pretty sweet trophy right now. I’ll be laughing all the way to the bank.
“The only reason why they don’t say this about other sports is because they didn’t change the playoff system. “It might help you. It’s the same way in NASCAR, the way we have the rules now, is that you set yourself up much better.”
