“I don’t like people talking that way because if the rules were the old way, we would play it out differently, wouldn’t we?” This was Logano’s rebuttal to the demands by the NASCAR community to change the format. Multiple theories and ideas have been floating on social media platforms that could change the sport for good. Joey Logano and Team Penske got the better of their rivals by clinching the third NASCAR Cup Series title in a row. But not everyone is pleased to see Logano being crowned as the champion. Many argued that the Penske star made the most of the current format and his title win wasn’t justified, especially after his run in the regular season. An average finish of 17.1 is the worst of any champion in NASCAR’s history, but Logano isn’t concerned about the criticism.

Well, speaking of opinions and controversial changes, Denny Hamlin joined the conversation with a solution he feels would make more sense going forward.

Denny Hamlin wants NASCAR to reward the consistent drivers from the regular season

Had the likes of Kyle Larson or Christopher Bell made the Championship 4 race, we probably wouldn’t be having this conversation. Larson’s example was the one that stood out the most, as he looked to be the driver who would be fighting for his second title in Phoenix. But that was not the case, as the HMS star was unable to clear the hurdle in the Round of 8.

For context, during the regular season, Larson had four wins to his name and narrowly lost the regular season title to Tyler Reddick. Meanwhile, Joey Logano crawled his way into the playoffs in a chaotic race at Nashville. That race ended with five overtime restarts, and most of the contenders either wrecked out or ran out of fuel. However, when the knockouts came, the #22 team switched gears and racked up wins. It was as if things fell in their favor, and they certainly made the most of the system.

Suggestions like going back to the old chase format and doing away with the knock-out format are something people are talking about. But Denny Hamlin feels the new format should emphasize rewarding the consistent drivers through the first 26 races. “So my message to NASCAR would be, make the regular season worth more, not just the championship and the points you get, because right now, the last three years, you would say, the champion didn’t have to do much in the regular season, and that’s not good,” Hamlin was quoted saying this on Sportsnaut.

Right now, NASCAR adds 15 bonus points to the regular season champion. Meanwhile, a driver who wins the race gets 10 playoff points along with a one-point bonus for the stage win. Despite 12 stage wins and the number of race victories under his belt, Larson fell short of crossing the final hurdle. So you see, Denny Hamlin wants NASCAR to revamp its system so that the best drivers are battling for the biggest prize in the sport.

Now, NASCAR isn’t the sport it once used to be with multiple superstars and steady viewership on TV. And this elimination-style format keeps the fans on the edge of their seats, providing finishes like Tyler Reddick at Homestead and Ryan Blaney’s clutch win at Martinsville. This is the style of format that is somewhat similar to NFL and MLB, but Brad Keselowski wants NASCAR to be itself and not follow other major stick-ball sports.

Keselowski debunks Logano’s defense of the playoff format with a comparison to other sports

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Harrison Burton and Chase Briscoe were the two drivers who had just one win throughout their season but were able to punch their tickets to the playoffs. Austin Dillon would’ve been on a similar path without NASCAR’s intervention. So, the current playoff format by no means is perfect, and this is why there has been an outcry for tweaks and changes.

However, Logano isn’t sold on the idea; rather. He argued, “The only reason why they don’t say this about other sports is because they didn’t change the playoff system. But the playoff system in other sports is not much different than what this is. Well, NASCAR might try and adopt the format that has worked out for other sports.” Meanwhile, Keselowski who’s seen it all wasn’t receptive of this idea and wanted NASCAR to stand apart from other sports in the country.

“You know what, we’re not the NFL. I don’t know why we keep getting caught up in comparisons to other sports. We’re in a lot of ways better because we have all of our competitors compete against each other every week. We have incredible fan access and great partners. I want to be us, and if we can be the best us we can be, I think people will like that.”

Despite the backlash, NASCAR has announced that they are going to continue with the playoff format. However, they are willing to look into the complaints and are open to tweaking the current system. Only time will tell if NASCAR makes any meaningful changes or continues with its controversial system.