It is no secret that many veteran NASCAR fans are not thrilled with the current playoff format. The uproar from the 2024 season, when Joey Logano was crowned champion, was all the proof needed. The Team Penske driver was not the most consistent performer throughout the season, but he leveraged the system’s perks, like the contentious ‘win and you’re in’ rule. By winning the final race at Phoenix, he became the champion with the lowest average finish, 17.1, in NASCAR’s history.

This result was enough for NASCAR to take notice and address the matter seriously. While a committee was formed with Christopher Bell as its public face, no fruitful changes have emerged yet. However, according to a recent report, 2026 could bring significant changes to the playoff structure.

What Is NASCAR’s Stance on Changing the Playoff Format?

The core problem with the current playoff format is that it does not reward a driver’s consistency over the entire season. The regular season, which is typically 25 or 26 races long, reduces the field to the top 16 drivers. Under the current rules, a single win is often enough to become eligible for the postseason, which sometimes allows drivers who have not had strong seasons to make the list.

Recently, Adam Stern of the Sports Business Journal reported that NASCAR met with team presidents. As per the report, some attendees left the meeting with the impression that NASCAR is likely to change its playoff format for the 2026 season.

Stern’s report also mentioned that some insiders cautioned against that interpretation, saying the matter was still under deliberation. So, it is tough to draw a firm conclusion about NASCAR’s official position just yet.

Whatever the case, it is clear that something is brewing behind the scenes. Mike Forde, the Managing Director of Racing Communications, addressed this during a recent episode of the “Hauler Talk” podcast.

Forde said, “I think the plan for that meeting is to discuss the short list of potential formats and get the playoff committee’s opinion on that. We’ll go through that process and then hopefully make a determination of an even shorter list, whittle it down to one final format…We may see something as soon as 2026.”

In the 2024 season, Harrison Burton was outside the top 30 in the points standings for the entire regular season. However, a victory in a chaotic race at Daytona secured his spot in the playoffs. Similarly, Logano only had one win and four top-five finishes but still qualified.

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Using the same ‘win and you’re in’ rule and a bit of luck, he advanced to Phoenix. Ultimately, one race determined the champion, rendering the season-long efforts of other drivers meaningless.

If consistency had been the deciding factor, the deserving champion might have been Christopher Bell, who had three wins, 15 top-fives, and 23 top-10s, or Kyle Larson, with six wins, 15 top-fives, and 18 top-10s. However, neither driver was part of the championship four. This outcome raised major questions about the format’s legitimacy in crowning a true champion.

Whether a change is coming or not, the answer will be revealed in due time.