Is one race enough to decide a championship winner? Should the conclusion of a difficult 36-race season be decided by the result at Phoenix Raceway? These are some important questions that were raised at Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast when the NASCAR legend was in conversation with Mamba Smith and Kaitlyn Vincie. With just one race remaining of the regular season at Darlington, discussions were centered around important topics such as playoff eligibility and structure.

Harvick, who won the 2014 Cup Series championship, shared his views about the current playoff structure, claiming that while the format is entertaining, it is controversial for a variety of reasons.

Kevin Harvick wants NASCAR to reward consistency

It’s been a decade since the knock-out style playoff format was introduced in NASCAR, and Kevin Harvick was the first driver to take advantage of the new structure to win the Cup Series title. A total of 16 drivers are eligible to make it into the playoffs, either through victories or from points accumulated after 26 races in the regular season. According to the current structure, each round in the postseason eliminates four drivers who have the lowest points, until only four drivers remain who will compete for the trophy at Phoenix Raceway. The finale has a ‘winner-takes-all’ format, with the driver who crosses the checkered flag first securing the championship.

According to Harvick, he believes that the current playoff structure rewards drivers who perform well on the day, rather than those who have been more consistent. Speaking on Kevin Harvick’s Happy Hour podcast, the Fox Sports analyst said, “We’re going to have the same conversation about the champion, right? I still believe that it shouldn’t come down to one race. I still believe that two or three races should determine the championship. I look at the whole points system and structure. It’s super exciting, but it’s also very open for controversy.”

The former Stewart-Haas Racing driver may have a point. While four drivers going wheel-to-wheel in the season-finale race at Phoenix Raceway might be more exciting for fans, it might not be the best way to determine the winner of a championship. For a sport as dependent on the finest of margins as NASCAR, consistency should be placed at a higher value than factors such as luck and form to determine a winner. Several factors can influence the result of a single race, which might not necessarily mean the most deserving driver gets their due reward.

By deciding the championship winner based on the outcome of two or three races, NASCAR can ensure that races are cleaner and less controversial. Drivers will be under less pressure to perform at a single event and luck will play a smaller role in the end result. However, that wasn’t the only controversial view that Kevin Harvick shared on his podcast, as the 48-year-old also expressed his views about the criteria that are followed for playoff eligibility and whether the current format is the best way to determine who gets to compete for the title.

Harvick shares his playoff views after Harrison Burton’s victory

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Harrison Burton’s victory at Daytona International Speedway took everybody by surprise. After all, Wood Brothers Racing hadn’t won a race since Pocono Raceway in 2017, while Burton was winless in the Cup Series. Despite the 23-year-old currently ranked 34th in the driver standings, he is eligible for the playoffs after finishing first at the Coke Zero Sugar 400. The same can be said for Daniel Suarez and Austin Cindric, who have secured wins in the Cup Series despite having lackluster seasons and will make it to the playoffs starting at Atlanta Motor Speedway.

With the trio unlikely to make a run for the championship, Kevin Harvick wondered if playoff spots are being wasted because NASCAR is rewarding race wins instead of consistency. Speaking on his podcast, Harvick said, “Do we want our best 16 cars? Or do we want it to be exciting? I agree with everything that’s going on and this is not anything against Harrison Burton or Daniel Suárez, but are those our best 16 cars that we are going to have racing for the championship? Or does it matter?” He went on to say, “I’m a traditional racer that wants the best 16 guys to race for that championship.”

With the likes of Bubba Wallace and Kyle Busch potentially missing out on the playoffs depending on the outcome at Darlington Raceway, it’s unsurprising for Kevin Harvick to raise such concerns. However, there needs to be an incentive for teams with limited resources and their drivers to compete in NASCAR, which means rewarding them for race wins with a spot in the playoffs might be necessary. Not only will it help drivers secure seats at bigger teams through their performances in the playoffs, but smaller teams will get better sponsorship opportunities by competing against the very best. The following factors, combined with the entertainment value, make it a win-win situation for everyone involved.

What are your thoughts about the playoff format? Let us know in the comments!