NASCAR’s Search for a New Playoff: What You Need to Know (So Far)
What’s Happening? NASCAR is publicly seeking a new Playoff or even Championship Points system for the future. This story will unfold…
Gifts for NASCAR Fans
Amid the online discussion about NASCAR potentially returning to a full-season points system, NASCAR legend Michael Waltrip momentarily found himself the center of attention for his take on the playoff system vs full-season points.
What’s Happening? NASCAR is publicly seeking a new Playoff or even Championship Points system for the future. This story will unfold…
While NASCAR is still unlikely to revert to a traditional full-season points system for the 2026 season, even the idea of such a dramatic shift has fans chomping at the bit.
Though there are many outspoken supporters of a full-season points system, there are many supporters of a playoff/postseason system as well. Among the fans that support the system, several industry members, such as two-time Daytona 500 Champion and FOX Sports analyst Michael Waltrip, are adamant about their support for a playoff.
Following reports from members of NASCAR’s Playoff Committee that there is now more support to return to the system than ever, fans took to social media to celebrate this news.
In response, the former driver posted on X, “Every sport has a playoff. Seems like a good idea. @NASCAR.”
While this is far from a hot take, one often cited by drivers and fans, and did not endorse a specific playoff system, Waltrip, as a well-known industry member, saw some pushback. In these responses, fans and even well-known influencers fought back against this idea, for example, well-known user Justin Champagne posted:
“How can you come from the golden era of NASCAR and advocate this bullshit when the playoffs have hurt the sport tremendously and the champions don’t feel special anymore. Stop trying to hurt NASCAR.” — @ChampagneRacin
Other users, like @RomanMalo3309405h, went a more comedic route with their response, posting footage of Clint Bowyer’s infamous in-race radio comment stating, “Michael Waltrip is the worst driver in NASCAR, period,” from 2008.
As of press time, this post has 262k impressions, 625 responses, and just 505 likes. To add to this stark ratio of views to likes, the post also received a Community Note, stating, “The first statement is incorrect. Most motorsports sanctioning bodies, such as F1, IndyCar, and IMSA, utilize a full-season points format with no playoff.”
What’s Happening? NASCAR Insider Jeff Gluck, a member of NASCAR’s Playoff Committee, revealed some key details from the latest NASCAR Playoff…
As much as supporters of either system would like to portray it as a black and white issue, there is more to this debate under the surface.
For example, there are those who support a 10-race playoff but not necessarily the one currently used by NASCAR, which was introduced in 2014. Furthermore, while a full-season points system would crown a champion more akin to those like Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt, there are industry reasons, such as track attendance, that support the continued use of a playoff.
Nonetheless, the support to return to a full-season points system grows, with fans citing the consistency, and full-season storytelling that comes with such a system. Furthermore, fans have also pointed to it as a method to build stars in a sport that lacks the star power it once had.
As of press time, NASCAR has yet to announce a new playoff or points system for 2026. If they do so, it likely will not be a full-season points system and would not be announced until after the season final at Phoenix Raceway in November.
What’s Happening? Following the latest NASCAR Playoff Committee meeting, NASCAR Cup Series driver and owner Denny Hamlin thinks that the sport…
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