Chase Elliott has been competing in the NASCAR Cup Series since 2016 and has seen the points system change over the years
23:31 ET, 26 Jul 2025Updated 23:31 ET, 26 Jul 2025
Chase Elliott shared how he would like the NASCAR championship be determined(Image: Getty)
Chase Elliott confessed he’d prefer to see changes in how the NASCAR Cup Series champion gets decided, sticking with his traditional view that there is nothing wrong with an old-fashioned season-long points format.
The Hendrick Motorsports driver is aiming to capture another championship to bolster his already stellar career. Yet he’ll need to outrace other top competitors in the playoffs to achieve this goal, prompting his remarks about an alternative method for crowning a champion.
Plenty have slammed the controversial playoff rules which currently exist, with Elliott becoming the most recent critic. Specifically, the 29-year-old wants to witness it reverted to its former format. It comes after one of his big championship rivals, Denny Hamlin, dropped a retirement hint after deciding his Joe GIbbs Racing future while legendary former Hendrick driver Dale Earnhardt Jr. raised a theory over Elliott’s current teammate Kyle Larson.
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“If you just take that as your sample set over the first 26 weeks, it looks pretty solid to me. The system would be just fine if you just had a full season. And if somebody runs away with it, so what?”.
Elliott declared he wouldn’t attempt to alter it and maintains that’s how the Cup Series title should get settled. Prior to the current playoff format being introduced in 2004, drivers accumulating the highest points totals claimed the Cup Series championship.
“Let’s celebrate the fact that somebody ran away with it, that somebody was just that good. Motorsports does not have to be like everybody else to be successful. And I’ll stand by that til I get done,” he wrapped up. Worth noting, Elliott currently tops NASCAR in points with 702, while William Byron sits second with 686.
While Elliott advocates for a change in the championship awarding system, fellow NASCAR star Ryan Blaney stands by the current format. He particularly took issue with those who criticize the existing system, praising it for the opportunities it provides to playoff drivers.
“What kind of bugs me a little bit is the people that are so diehard on like if you’ve won a championship in this format, that we have now, like, ‘Oh, it’s a Mickey Mouse championship, and it doesn’t matter. It doesn’t count,'” he expressed during his stint on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.
Chase Elliott currently is the points leader in NASCAR so far this season(Image: Getty)
“It’s like, man, everyone has the same opportunity as the guy who won it. This isn’t the full season points. Everyone always talks about, ‘Oh, you know this guy’s, you would have won the full season points.’ Well, that’s great, but we haven’t used that format in 20 years.
“I mean, everyone can have their opinion. It gets under my skin a little bit when they’re like, ‘You guys don’t didn’t deserve that championship.’ It’s like, what are you talking about, man? Like we went through the grinder, everyone digs in, and you know, we were resilient when it mattered.”
Despite the backlash, it’s still uncertain whether NASCAR will alter its current format. When asked if the Cup Series would revert to a points-only system, NASCAR icon Dale Earnhardt Jr. succinctly responded on X: “It’s unlikely there would ever be a full season points championship.”