The Cup Series playoffs have drawn a lot of heat recently. NASCAR veterans like Mark Martin and Denny Hamlin have long criticised the system, and now some are calling for a return to the old points-based format. While there were few complaints about the Xfinity Series playoffs, Austin Hill, however, believes the playoff system should be eliminated in the NASCAR second tier as well.

What Did Austin Hill Have To Say on the Xfinity Series Playoffs?

Hill, quickly climbing the ranks of the NASCAR Xfinity Series, now faces a tricky path in the 2025 playoffs. Tensions boiled over at Indianapolis earlier this season, where he intentionally took out veteran Aric Almirola. NASCAR swiftly took action against Hill after the incident. The Richard Childress Racing driver was banned for one race, and the 21 playoff points he had collected were taken away.

It was a harsh setback for Austin Hill’s championship dreams. Still, his three wins, 12 top-ten finishes, and five top-fives this season give him the ammunition to push forward. He was also declared ineligible to earn playoff points for the remainder of the regular season.

Hill did not have an ideal start to the postseason, as he could only manage a P19 at Bristol. Now he must deliver a strong result at Kansas to keep his championship hopes alive.

Recovering the deficit and chasing the title might have been easier for Hill under the old points system. While that may not have influenced his decision, the RCR No.21 said he prefers the traditional points-based championship over the current format.

As part of CW’s Xfinity Series playoffs promotion, the network asked drivers what one change they would implement in the current Xfinity Series format if they had the authority.

While Connor Zilisch suggested making the final round a three-race affair and Sheldon Creed proposed a three-round Final Four, Hill said he would scrap the system altogether.

“I’m extremely old school, so you know, I’d just do away with the playoff format and let’s just race like old school points sytem throughout the year,” Hill said.

He was not the only one who wanted to make such a drastic change. Taylor Gray also suggested that if it were up to him, he would have eliminated the playoffs as well.

“A lot of things, honestly,” Gray replied when asked what he would change in the playoffs. “Probably scrap all of it.”

While no one else called for the immediate cancellation of the playoffs, there was a common call to place greater emphasis on season-long performance. “I love the ‘win and you’re in’ kind of thing, but maybe if you had a cutoff line that you still had to make it in on points,” Brandon Jones said.

Harrison Burton also echoed a similar sentiment.

“Maybe incentivize season-long points a little bit more,” the AM Racing driver said.

NASCAR might make changes to the playoff system soon, but it’s unlikely that the postseason format will go away for good. Despite the criticism, the organization believes it makes the title race more competitive and exciting.