Motorsports

Inside NASCAR’s playoff committee: A desire for change, but likely not in 2026

Published

5 months ago

July 31, 2025

Following a controversial 2024 Cup Series playoffs, in which Joey Logano won the Cup Series title with the worst average finish for a champion in NASCAR’s Modern Era, the league formed a committee to assist in coming up with a format that would crown the most “deserving” champion and deliver enough entertainment to increase television ratings while running head-to-head with the NFL on fall Sundays.

The group — meant to serve as a feedback forum for various proposals, not to determine the final format — consists of current drivers, former drivers, team owners, track officials, manufacturer representatives, NASCAR representatives and media members (both broadcast and print).

Like practically everyone who knows anything about NASCAR, they all had ideas in mind, but the proposals for reaching the finish line are as different as the cars’ paint schemes on the racetrack each week.

After this writer has penned much commentary over the years about the need for change in a flawed system, NASCAR invited The Athletic to participate in the panel. We agreed to join with the understanding that the general discussion and process could eventually be reported on, as long as the identities of specific committee members and their specific comments remained off the record. (This writer’s contributions to the discussion are noted throughout the piece.)

After two meetings — one before the Daytona 500 in February and another before the Coca-Cola 600 in May — and two email surveys, it seemed like a near certainty the playoff format would be revamped for next season.

But earlier this month, the discussions stalled out. It’s now far less likely that anything drastic will change in time for 2026.

Here’s what you need to know about how NASCAR got to this point, what has happened with the committee, and where the process stands now.

What’s the debate?

Under NASCAR’s current, 12-year-old playoff format, 16 drivers make the playoffs and try to stay alive through a trio of three-race rounds, with four eliminated after each. In the end, the final four drivers left standing compete in a one-race championship battle. Though they take to the track with all the non-playoff and eliminated drivers, whoever finishes highest among those four title-eligible drivers is named series champion.

While this format certainly has its cheerleaders, many (me included) feel it does not regularly reward the “best” driver of the season, as determined by various metrics or the eye test. And that, in the eyes of critics, has eroded the credibility of what it means to win a championship that until 2003 was decided by whoever had the most points from all races in the entire season.

Matt Kenseth’s 2003 title — which he won with 25 top-10 finishes but only one win — sparked NASCAR to implement a playoff to bring drama to the championship. (Dilip Vishwanat / Sporting News via Getty Images)

At that initial playoff committee meeting in Daytona Beach, an informal poll in the room showed a split between those who thought a change was desirable (again, including this writer) and those who felt the status quo was fine. But over 90 minutes of discussions, a consistent theme emerged: The current format, created to draw more eyeballs in a crowded sports landscape, is not working as intended.

That’s not measured purely in viewership numbers, because those can be misleading. The committee was told, though, that it doesn’t appear that using the elimination playoff format versus previous formats has made any material impact. The average viewership for the final 10 races of seasons in this era was within a half percentage point of the same races in the previous “Chase” era — also a 10-race playoff format, but without elimination rounds.

NASCAR has other factors likely contributing to this, such as a lack of star power, rapidly changing viewership habits in the digital age, and continued competition from other sports. But if this format doesn’t impact viewership and is also viewed to be less legitimate, why not make it more credible?

That logic seemed to shift the outlook for some on the committee who may not have felt any changes were necessary at the start of the process, an encouraging sign for those, like myself, who hoped the room would be open-minded.

What was the prevailing opinion in the room?

The current and former drivers on the committee did not reach a consensus solution or opinion on a fix. Some committee members, including at least one driver, appear perfectly fine with retaining the current format.

But the majority of drivers expressed concern over the elimination format’s legitimacy, saying it was hard to sell the fans on being excited about a one-race championship when they themselves did not buy into the concept.

It’s less clear how to fix it.

NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin has publicly revealed he was on the committee in an attempt to stump for a return to a season-long playoff format. To prove his point, Martin conducted a poll on X and asked fans to pick their favorite between four options: Traditional season-long points, the current format, the 10-race Chase or another form of playoffs. In response, Martin’s followers voted 60 percent in favor of full-season points, 23 percent for the 10-race Chase, less than 10 percent for another form of playoffs and only 7.5 percent for the current format.

What point system do you think @NASCAR should use.
I’m curious.

— Mark Martin (@markmartin) May 23, 2025

The Athletic then did a similar poll and got numbers in the same ballpark. Each poll received more than 20,000 votes.

But while Martin feels both polls represent a convincing majority, it’s not as clear when adding up the totals who voted for some form of playoffs (ranging between 40-47 percent in the two polls) versus a full-season championship (53-60 percent). And of course, X does not represent a true cross-section of all NASCAR fans. In reality, when factoring in the world outside of social media, the existing fan base may be split down the middle.

Plus, the point of implementing a playoff in the first place was to attract new, less-hardcore fans, who are less likely to vote in such a poll and might be more enticed to tune in by the drama of a playoff system.

There’s a certain romanticism to the 36-race playoff format because it is connected to NASCAR’s glory days, and the current Cup Series vehicle — a spec car known as the “Next Gen” car — has promoted parity, which keeps the standings close. After the first 22 races of this season, the top four drivers are separated by only 20 points.

But while that sounds good in theory, there’s trepidation among some committee members about it all going wrong. If someone runs away with the title or even a two-driver battle is not viewed as compelling enough, the impact on TV ratings and racetrack ticket sales is feared to be significant.

Some stakeholders even expressed concern that a multi-race championship round with four drivers might not have an exciting enough finale, though The Athletic noted in the meeting that the champion from the 10-race Chase format was never decided prior to the finale.

What’s the most likely solution?

The committee meetings have trended toward a compromise: A modified playoff system with a longer championship round of some kind. This writer, seeing that as the most realistic path to generating a move away from the one-race championship format, is also in that camp.

A three-race championship round among the final four drivers, promoted by committee member Denny Hamlin on his podcast, has been one of the more-mentioned possibilities. But others in the room have felt that it doesn’t go far enough in restoring lost credibility from the one-race championship. In addition, this writer asked panel members to consider if fans would tire of hearing about the same four drivers for three straight weeks.

That has even prompted suggestions of a five-race championship round (with more than four drivers) or a return to the 10-race Chase. From this view, the preferred format would be either one of those. If not a full 10-race playoff, then perhaps a compromise would be having a five-race opening round, one elimination to cut the field in half and then a five-race mini-Chase to determine the champion.

Overall, committee members seemed to largely agree that the goal is to make the championship feel earned, meaningful and worthy of celebration. At the same time, they also recognized the need to keep the excitement of the playoffs while rewarding the consistency of the best drivers.

Joey Logano barely made the playoffs at all last year, then appeared eliminated before another driver’s DQ reinstated him, then won the NASCAR title. (Sean Gardner / Getty Images)

What else is being discussed?

Even after the second committee meeting in May, there has yet to be any talk of fully-formed playoff systems. Rather, there have been loosely floating elements and concepts that people in the room seem to like — but it’s unclear how they could be integrated.

Some of the discussion has included:

• A desire to reward winning further. The committee members would like to see more points given to a race winner, which could help the best drivers of the season bolster their hopes of reaching the championship round and boost legitimacy for the winner.

• Reducing the playoff field. If there were only 12 drivers in the field instead of 16, one regular-season victory would not be enough to clinch a playoff berth. That would lessen the chances of a scenario such as Daytona last summer, in which 34th-place Harrison Burton won his way into the playoffs with a superspeedway victory.

• Carrying points through the playoff rounds. Right now, drivers who advance through the elimination format have their points reset at the start of each round (they only have the “playoff points” they earned from the regular season). Some on the committee would like to see drivers who are having an excellent playoffs be rewarded by retaining the points they have earned so far when the next round begins.

• Keep it simple. The committee’s consensus is the current playoff system is far too complex and a barrier to new fans trying to learn about NASCAR. Any changes made to the format need to make the playoffs easier to understand.

• Figuring out a way to make every race matter again. Once a driver has already locked into the playoffs, teams and manufacturers revealed they shift their best equipment (cars and engines) to other drivers who have not won a race yet. That means an early-season victory can actually result in a driver being penalized until all of his teammates win, since the goal for organizations is to qualify as many drivers into the playoff field as possible. In turn, that erodes weekly competition by making some of the midseason races feel like filler events and hurts NASCAR’s ability to sell fans on the importance of every race.

What’s the holdup for 2026?

Given all of that conversation, it felt like the current one-race format was on life support by the end of the May meeting.

On July 8, though, the committee was informed that discussions would be tabled for at least six weeks. Although NASCAR still planned to seek feedback on some potential formats, executives first wanted to have a private meeting with NBC Sports — one of four Cup Series television partners, and the one that happens to broadcast the playoffs.

And because NASCAR said it could not meet with NBC until August, any changes for 2026 would now be in jeopardy because the Cup Series schedule had to be finalized — or very close to it — sooner rather than later.

The schedule piece matters because if NASCAR ultimately opts for a three-race or five-race championship round, it would want to curate the tracks that decide the champion. This season, Talladega Superspeedway is the third-to-last race — which means if the schedule remains the same, then Talladega (a chaos grenade of a race) would be in the championship round of a three-race playoff.

That is not what NASCAR is looking for if the new format is meant to introduce more legitimacy to the championship.

Though it’s unclear what NBC wants, going away from playoffs and eliminations is likely not on the list. Eliminations give something for TV to promote, and flashing the live points in the final laps of an elimination race is a powerful draw to retain viewers.

Certainly, an argument can be made that NBC has too much power in this conversation, and that the broadcast partner shouldn’t be dictating how a sport’s championship is decided. Then again, NASCAR’s four Cup Series TV partners are paying a combined $1.1 billion per year over the next seven years, and executives don’t feel comfortable changing the very thing NBC signed up to televise without giving the network a chance to weigh in.

So despite a process that has stretched more than six months and was filled with optimism through the early summer, the committee now finds itself in a similar position as everyone else who cares about NASCAR as much as its members do: Playing a game of wait-and-see to learn what TV executives believe are realistic changes that can be made, and even then, perhaps not until 2027.

(Top illustration: Demetrius Robinson / The Athletic; Jeff Robinson / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

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Motorsports

Ricky Thornton Jr. Racing For Adam Family At Wild West Shootout

Published

2 hours ago

January 2, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Adam Family Motorsports announced today it will field a Longhorn Chassis for Ricky Thornton Jr. of Chandler, Ariz., during Jan. 10-18’s Wild West Shootout at Central Arizona Raceway in Casa Grande, Ariz., which brings the miniseries to Thornton’s home state for the first time since 2021.

Daniel Adam, the son of team owner Joe Adam, will pilot the team’s Rocket XR1.2 Chassis alongside Thornton throughout the Southwest miniseries. The connection with Thornton and Adam Family Motorsports likely came together after the team recently announced the addition of sponsor Hoker Trucking, a long-time supporter of Thornton throughout his racing career.

Adam’s team also cited a longstanding friendship with Bobby Koehler of Koehler Motorsports, Thornton’s usual team owner who gave the temporary partnership his blessing, allowing Thornton’s Anthony Burroughs-led Koehler Motorsports team to focus on preparing for Georgia-Florida Speedweeks.

Thornton, 35, will begin his stint as Daniel Adam’s teammate in the Wild West Shootout’s $25,000-to-win opener on Sat., Jan. 10. Thornton is also entered in Jan. 12-17’s Chili Bowl Nationals, an indoor midget event at the Tulsa (Okla.) Expo Center where he will compete in at least one midweek qualifying night preliminary program and could end up missing Jan. 17’s Wild West Shootout show if he’s in position to make the same day’s Chili Bowl finale.

The six-race Wild West Shootout includes $10,000-to-win programs on Jan. 11,, Jan. 14, Jan. 16 and Jan. 17 before concluding with a second $25,000-to-win event on Jan. 18.

Both the Wild West Shootout and Chili Bowl Nationals will be live-streamed on FloRacing.

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Motorsports

NASCAR legend set strict rule before daughter’s Tulsa Shootout debut – Motorsport – Sports

Published

3 hours ago

January 2, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Legendary NASCAR driver Ryan Newman will see his 14-year-old daughter race at the Tulsa Shootout this weekend – an event at which many have looked to make a name for themselves.

The largest event for micro sprint racing in the world, the Tulsa Shootout begins this week with Brooklyn Newman set to be competing. Newman is not the only driver to see his kids race in the event this weekend, with Kyle Larson’s son and daugher both set to be behind the wheel.

A hectic and unforgiving race, a 13-year-old had a helmet thrown at him by a fellow driver this week after an ugly incident on the track.

Newman is all too knowing of the risks that come with the sport, but has trust in his daughter and allowed her to race in the event after making a deal with her.

The former Daytona 500 winner had spoken on why he’s allowing her to compete, stating that at the start of last year, she asked him: “Dad, I want to go Tulsa”.

Newman responded to his daughter: “We have a good year. I’ll take you to Tulsa, so here we are in Tulsa and it’s the end of the year. So we’ll see how we finish up.”

The 14-year-old is seen as an exciting prospect in motorsports, competing across multiple events including at the Winged Micro, Outlaw Dirt Intermediate and 602 Modified classes.

She impressed her father enough to enter her in the Tulsa Shootout this week, where she’ll be in Race 67 of the Outlaw micro sprint class.

Ahead of the race, she said: “We had a pretty fast car. I’m excited.”

Meanwhile, NASCAR Cup Series Championship winner Larson will see his son and daughter enter the same event this weekend.

Larson said on his children competing: “That’s what I’m most excited about is just getting to see the kids participate in a big event, have fun and, hopefully, do a good job.

“Audrey, she’s getting to run her first Shootout in the junior sprint—and she takes it very seriously. We’ve watched every lap of the 2024 Shootout, every lap of the Junior Sprint. So she’s been studying. Hopefully, she can do good.

“And then Owen, he has been doing a good job this year, but he’s going to be in a lot of tough divisions, so I don’t know what to expect there. Obviously, it takes a little bit of luck along the way.”

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Motorsports

Watkins Glen International Statement on the Passing of Michael Printup – Speedway Digest

Published

3 hours ago

January 2, 2026

Your Sports Nation

“Watkins Glen International is saddened by the passing of former President Michael Printup, who led the facility for 15 years.

During his tenure, Michael played a key role in the continued growth and success of Watkins Glen International, helping to strengthen its operations, partnerships, and standing within the motorsports industry while honoring the venue’s storied history.

Michael was a respected leader who left a lasting impact on the organization and those who worked alongside him. We extend our sincere condolences to his family, friends, and colleagues.”

WGI PR

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Motorsports

NASCAR predicted to have paid big to end antitrust lawsuit – Motorsport – Sports

Published

5 hours ago

January 2, 2026

Your Sports Nation

The long-running feud between NASCAR and two of its teams — 23XI Racing, Front Row Motorsports — finally came to an end on Dec. 11 when it was announced that the two teams had reached a settlement agreement in the antitrust lawsuit filed against the organization. And according to one litigator, NASCAR likely had to pay up big to bring the damaging suit to an end.

The lawsuit alleging “monopolistic” behaviour had been filed in October 2024, the month after they were the only teams to refuse to sign NASCAR’s new charter agreement, which was meant to align with the new seven-year $7.7 billion TV broadcasting rights deal.

Ultimately, the trial in Charlotte, North Carolina, lasted just eight days before a settlement was reached. During the course of the trial, both sides revealed less-than-flattering messages exchanged privately from their counterparts.

A prime example came from 23XI co-owner Michael Jordan calling Joe Gibbs Racing “f——” and the teams that signed the agreement “p——.”

As for NASCAR, it arguably emerged far worse off than its opponents, thanks in no small part to commissioner Steve Phelps, who was revealed to have called Hall of Fame team owner Richard Childress “an idiot” and a “stupid redneck” who he said should be “taken out back and flogged.”

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NASCAR CEO Jim France also didn’t fare well, having supposedly responded to Joe Gibbs’ plea for further negotiations by simply saying, “If I wake up and I have 20 charters, I have 20. If I have 30, I have 30.”

Thankfully, the sides were able to come to an amicable agreement in the end, halting the need for further embarrassment.

“This resolution reflects our shared commitment to maintaining a fair and equitable framework for long-term participation in America’s premier motorsport, one that supports teams, partners and stakeholders while ensuring fans enjoy uninterrupted access to the best racing in the world,” a joint statement said.

“The agreement allows all parties to move forward with a unified focus on advancing stock car racing and delivering exceptional competition for our fans.

“With this matter now resolved, all parties look forward to working together, alongside all chartered race teams, to deliver world-class events, dynamic sponsorship and partner activation opportunities, and continued growth for generations to come.”

While the terms of the agreement were not made public, barring the implementation of “evergreen” charters, antitrust litigator Meegan Hollywood told the Sports Business Journal, NASCAR may well have forked up around 10-25 percent of the $365 million in damages the teams were seeking, meaning anywhere from $36.5 to $91.25 million.

However, another antitrust lawyer, who opted to remain anonymous, believed the payment could have been at least 50 percent, or $182.5 million.

The trial was a costly one for all involved, with the combined attorney fees suspected by Hollywood to be in the region of $50 million, with the second lawyer suggesting this estimation could only be half of the true amount.

“I suspect also that this particular settlement allowed them to have a little bit more control in the changes that they made to the charter system,” Hollywood suggested, adding, “Because in addition to the sort of financial risk, NASCAR did run the risk of having court-mandated changes and then they sort of would have had to do that not on their own terms. This probably allowed them to make certain changes on their own terms and have some more internal control.”

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Motorsports

Joey Logano sends touching message to Denny Hamlin after NASCAR tragedy – Motorsport – Sports

Published

6 hours ago

January 2, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Joey Logano sent his thoughts and prayers to Denny Hamlin and his family in the aftermath of a devastating housefire.

On Sunday, the home where Denny Hamlin’s parents, Dennis and Mary Lou Hamlin, lived in North Carolina was destroyed in a massive blaze. On Monday, Dennis Hamlin, who already had been seriously ill, was confirmed to have died while Mary Lou Hamlin continued to recover from her injuries.

Now, Logano is the latest NASCAR star to reach out to the grieving Hamlin family amid their tragedy. The 35-year-old’s social media post comes just hours before Denny Hamlin broke his silence on the death of his father while simultaneously giving an update on his mother.

“My thoughts and prayers go out to @dennyhamlin,” the three-time Cup Series champion posted on X. “Such a horrific situation. The Logano family will continue to think of and pray for everyone impacted, and we’ll pray for Mary Lou and hope the best for her full recovery.”

It wasn’t just Logano that sent his thoughts and prayers to Hamlin and his family; A large majority of the NASCAR community sent their condolences to the 45-year-old. 23XI Racing, the team he co-owns with Michael Jordan, posted a statement on social media regarding the tragedy.

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“Everyone at 23XI Racing is deeply saddened by the tragic news concerning the Hamlin family. We extend our deepest condolences to Denny and the entire Hamlin family during this difficult time. Our thoughts and prayers remain with the family and his mom,” the statement read.

Kyle Larson, who defeated Hamlin at Phoenix to win his second Cup Series championship, also sent his thoughts and prayers to the star, as did Kaden Honeycutt and Rodney Childers, a crew chief for JR Motorsports. NASCAR also released a statement on social media, offering its condolences to the Hamlin family after it was confirmed that Dennis Hamlin had died.

“NASCAR extends its deepest condolences to Denny Hamlin and the entire Hamlin family,” the statement began.

“Dennis Hamlin instilled a love of racing in his son, and sacrificed greatly to develop Denny into a world-class talent in the sport. We also continue to offer our thoughts and prayers to Denny’s mother, Mary Lou, and hope for her full recovery.”

On Wednesday, Denny Hamlin broke his silence and took to social media to express his gratitude for the outpouring of support he’s received in the days following the fire and his father’s death.

The NASCAR star wrote: “Thank you to everyone who has reached out with condolences on my father’s passing. My mother continues to improve, and our family truly appreciates the outpouring of support and the respect for our privacy during this time.”

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Kenny Wallace sends plea to NASCAR boss over growing issue – Motorsport – Sports

Published

7 hours ago

January 2, 2026

Your Sports Nation

Former NASCAR driver Kenny Wallace joined in on the ongoing debate regarding the value fans receive for the price of their tickets to attend races.

Speaking on his ‘Coffee with Kenny’ segment on X, Wallace detailed his frustrations with NASCAR’s ticketing strategy in recent years, which has prevented fans from enjoying a full and affordable experience at the racetrack and caused a decline in attendance.

Through the introduction of the one-ticket-for-everything bundle, which prohibits fans from buying a ticket to just the race or practice, many fans’ interest in attending live races has deteriorated, Wallace claimed.

“People say that the price of the ticket is relatively cheap when you consider inflation, people aren’t complaining about the price to get in the race track,” Wallace said, detailing a phone call he had with a NASCAR track owner.

“Here’s what they’re complaining about… what I’m hearing through a NASCAR track owner is that the fans are upset there’s nothing going on at the racetrack.”

Entry level tickets at low-end races fall within the $40 to $60 range, but most tracks have increased general admission and basic grandstand seats closer to $100. Single tickets to higher profile events, such as the Daytona 500, can cost $350 or more.

But that is just the base level. Camping, VIP passes, infield access and other experiences add to those costs significantly, sometimes exceeding four figures for one individual, much less a family.

Most fans’ gripes, Wallace said, come from the lack of action around the grounds for what a multi-day ticket costs. Track owners want to pack the campgrounds and encourage fans to come on Thursday night and stay through Sunday’s race, but there just isn’t enough exposure to Cup Series action throughout the weekend.

In recent seasons, the Cup Series moved most practice and qualifying activity into tight windows on Saturday afternoon, giving fans eager to see the stars of the sport little reason to show up as early as Thursday night.

“Back in the day, say, I don’t know, 15 years ago, when you went to the racetrack you had a reason to get there on Thursday night,” Wallace said.

“My track owner says that’s why the camping grounds are not packed anymore because Cup practice is at 4:30 on Saturday night right now. And the times change for everything, nothing is consistent. Nobody knows what the f— is going on.”

Wallace then sent a plea to NASCAR president Steve O’Donnell to enact change.

“Steve O’Donnell, my dear friend, if you’re listening to this, ‘You are the president of NASCAR. Let’s get some practice in on Friday and Saturday. Let’s do some things. Let’s give, let’s give these, these fans a reason to get to the racetrack early.”

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