What’s Happening?

Amid an ongoing discussion about NASCAR’s points system and declining ratings, NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. asked on The Dale Jr Download if a return to full-season points is the “Hail Mary” NASCAR needs to get back on track.

Last week, the NASCAR community learned that during the latest meeting of NASCAR’s Playoff Committee, a larger number of members lobbied for their support of a return to a full-season point system than had done so previously. 

It seems unlikely that NASCAR will return to such a system. Still, this conversation about a return to full-season points sandwiched the news that NASCAR had seen yet another significant year-over-year drop in viewership for a playoff race.

Following this news of yet another disappointing week of viewership, this discussion quickly evolved into fans and others inquiring whether the disappointing viewership for NASCAR’s playoffs could lead to a return to a full-season point system.

One Playoff Committee member who supports a return to a full-season point system is NASCAR Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr., who, during the latest episode of his podcast, The Dale Jr. Download, asked a similar question.

“We Have Nothing to Lose”

The two-time Daytona 500 champion explained that at the beginning of the playoff committee meetings, he thought that a return to a full-season point system was unlikely.

But, amid growing support for the system and a drop in viewership, Earnhardt’s beginning to ask if such a dramatic shift in the sport’s year-long presentation could be the “Hail Mary” NASCAR is looking for.

“Is it possible that the decline in ratings has been something that’s convinced NASCAR that maybe that Hail Mary is worth it?” — Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Earnhardt explained that his initial worries were partially due to the “risky” nature of returning to a 36-race points season after 22 seasons utilizing a playoff format, even though he supported a full-season point system. 

But now the 49-year-old industry veteran, while comparing the low viewership for the NASCAR Cup Series Playoff race at New Hampshire to “Xfinity numbers,” asks, “What are we risking now?”

“It’s a risky, risky big shift,” Earnhardt said. “But what are we risking now? We have nothing to lose. What are we risking? A couple of weeks ago in New Hampshire, we had nearly Xfinity numbers in terms of viewership.”

Football Season in NASCAR

It’s common for NASCAR’s viewership to decline this time of year as the MLB Playoffs, College Football, and NFL season are in full swing. However, the low ratings seen this season have sparked concern among the fan base and industry members.

Of course, removing or even slightly tweaking the playoff system, should it work, might only be a small percentage of what is affecting NASCAR viewership. Other factors, such as the addition of more races on cable, the on-track product at specific tracks, and the aforementioned rival programming, are often cited as similar issues.

For example, earlier this week, Joe Gibbs Racing driver Denny Hamlin suggested that NASCAR move its standard race day to Fridays to avoid conflicts with football. Once again, this would be met with other issues, such as similar counter programming and yet another shift in time and place for NASCAR viewers.

Nonetheless, when NASCAR introduces a new point system, whether that involves a tweak to the current playoff format or a return to full-season points, this debate will likely continue to rage on.

Let us know your thoughts on this! Join the discussion on Discord or X, and remember to follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for more updates.