NASCAR Insider Backs Their Stubborn Stance Amidst “Cinderella” Winner

NASCAR will maintain the status quo in 2025. Despite the controversy surrounding the playoffs, particularly after Joey Logano’s championship triumph last year, speculation was rife that the sanctioning body may look to make changes to the format. However, such rumors have been dismissed as officials have confirmed that the postseason structure will remain the same for the upcoming campaign, while changes could be considered for 2026. The decision will inevitably anger some sections of the motorsports community, who were eager to see an overhaul of the ‘win and in’ format.

However, a prominent NASCAR insider has backed the sanctioning body’s patient approach. He praised the organization for not “rushing into a decision” despite the controversy surrounding Joey Logano’s championship win at Phoenix Raceway last year.

NASCAR chooses not to be reactionary despite playoff criticism

After weeks of deliberation and evaluation, NASCAR has decided to keep its playoff system unchanged for 2025. The decision would always split the fanbase, as many believe that the existing postseason structure is ‘broken’, and the ‘win and in’ format doesn’t reward consistency. Kyle Larson won six races during the 2024 Cup Series season but failed to make the Championship 4 after narrowly falling short. The same can be said about Christopher Bell, who secured good results every week, only to miss out on a spot at Phoenix Raceway under controversial circumstances. In comparison, Joey Logano had a lackluster campaign but lifted his third Bill France trophy in seven years.

Despite calls for changes, The Athletic’s reporter Jordan Bianchi has backed NASCAR’s approach to keeping the existing playoff format. The motorsports journalist said on The Teardown podcast, “I don’t think it’s a good idea to make a decision at that moment. You need to step back with a cooler head and a better perspective and say, ‘Is this working?’ You look at the playoff format, most years, you have a ‘deserving champion.’ This is the first time we have had a ‘Cinderella’ type champion and so, just because you didn’t like the champion or how Martinsville played out, you’re gonna say, ‘We need to blow this all up’. I don’t think that’s the right approach.”

This is a pretty good perspective of looking at things. The existing knockout system with a ‘one-race finale’ has been in place since 2014. But, the format was tweaked slightly with the introduction of stage racing and playoff points in 2017. In that timeframe, Joey Logano had made it to the Championship 4 six times, becoming the first driver to remain in contention at Phoenix Raceway despite finishing 15th or worse in the regular season last year. Nonetheless, the Team Penske driver has found a way to excel in the ‘win and in’ postseason structure, solidifying the ‘broken’ narrative already circulating among certain sections of the fanbase. We have previously seen Bianchi sympathizing with Christopher Bell who got flagged for illegal wall-riding in 2024. But, changing the formats and procedures just because something seems unfair might be over the top.

Changing the playoff format is a big decision, one that NASCAR needs to make after consulting all the relevant stakeholders involved. The sport is currently in transition as well, having signed a $7.7 billion media rights deal with NBC, Fox, Amazon, and Warner Bros Discovery until 2031. Under the circumstances, changing how the business end of the season plays out requires consultation with stakeholders. It’s not only the drivers, team owners, and manufacturers, but also their new media rights partners. And, a few months is not enough for a decision this crucial. It will change the dynamics of the sport, and a rolling stone gathers no moss. By not changing the playoff format, NASCAR has steered away from a temporary ‘fix’ to the existing postseason structure, despite the decision attracting criticism.

John Probst reassures fans about exploring playoff solutions

NASCAR is looking at the big picture. The sanctioning body has been evaluating the existing playoff format but felt that the off-season was not enough time to consult the relevant stakeholders and alter the postseason structure. Despite the criticism, there was plenty of action and drama in the remaining 10 races of the Cup Series season, providing entertainment to fans when the stakes were higher than ever. Another exciting season is underway with the Cook Out Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium on the horizon. And, learnings from the 2025 campaign may influence changes being made in 2026 and beyond.

During a competition briefing, NASCAR’s executive Vice President and Chief Racing Development Officer John Probst said, “I don’t think we want to get in the habit of making small little tweaks every season to the playoffs. Where we landed was for 2025 not making any changes to the playoffs. Throughout the course of this year, we will get a working group together with some media folks, OEMs, Goodyear, drivers.” He concluded by saying, “We just didn’t get to a point where we felt like we have to do it, but we hear the fans loud and clear and are looking at it actively.”

It will be interesting to see if NASCAR decides to make changes to the playoff format starting with the Truck and Xfinity Series. The lower-tier competitions will help the sanctioning body understand the potential limitations of a new structure and refine it accordingly to eliminate the problems before implementing it in the Cup Series. While many, including Joey Logano, don’t believe a change is necessary, the sanctioning body will want to weigh in every option at their disposal and make a decision accordingly.