“I’m just spitballing”: NASCAR insider floats an thought of a 4-race championship format amid change in 2026 playoff debate

The format that decides the NASCAR Cup Series’s largest prize is again beneath the highlight. This week on Door Bumper Clear, Team Penske’s Austin Cindric joined The Athletic’s Jordan Bianchi and Bubba Wallace’s spotter, Freddie Kraft, to debate the query that by no means appears to settle: what’s one of the best ways to crown a champion?

At the guts of the NASCAR playoff debate is the distinction between followers wanting excessive drama and drivers wanting extra stability. Cindric and Bianchi mentioned the opportunity of extending the finale to a four-race sequence, an thought that may be a significant departure from the present “winner-takes-all” race at Phoenix.

Cindric didn’t shrink back from the query and mentioned (through Door Bumper Clear):

“What’s fair for the drivers and competitors is never going to be what’s best for the fans.” (48:32 onwards)

Bianchi countered by declaring the center floor:

“The drivers want more of a longer runway for points. The fans, I think, or some fans… want shorter. At least the TV networks do, too. But four races, again, hypothetically, would you be okay with that?”

“I don’t even think it needs to be four. We have three race formats. Why does it need to be four?” Cindric pushed again.

That’s when Bianchi floated his personal compromise:

“Well, you could have like a format, I’m just spitballing here… let’s say 3-3-4.”

The thought is to maintain the early elimination rounds intact however stretch the championship battle throughout 4 races. Over an extended span, the higher crew/driver can be extra prone to prevail whereas nonetheless leaving room for strikes that gasoline fan curiosity.

Since 2014, NASCAR has used a three-round elimination system to achieve its Championship 4. The playoff begins with 16 drivers over three races, whittles all the way down to 12 for the subsequent three, then to eight for an additional three. The finale at Phoenix options 4 drivers, with the best finisher claiming the title, no matter how the remainder of the season unfolded.

The system has produced drama but in addition controversy. Joey Logano entered the 2024 finale with simply two wins. Ryan Blaney’s 2023 title got here with three wins in the whole marketing campaign. Meanwhile, Kevin Harvick didn’t even make the Championship 4 in 2020 with 9 wins – a reminder of how simply the format can go away dominant drivers empty-handed. Critics argue that one race is just too small a pattern to resolve a full season.

Austin Cindric in contrast it to the NBA mannequin, the place a number of matches decide the winner. That comparability cuts to the guts of the controversy: ought to NASCAR crown a champion within the purest sporting sense, or ship a finale with most leisure worth?

The push and pull between sport and present is hardly distinctive to NASCAR. Bianchi pointed to the NFL, which shifted guidelines to make the league extra offense-friendly for tv audiences.

For drivers, one race at Phoenix can really feel too random. For TV and followers, it’s the form of drama that ensures consideration. NASCAR’s personal evolution towards a playoff format lies someplace in between.

Bristol Night Race set to resolve first playoff eliminations within the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series

While the long-term debate rolls on, the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs face their first reduce this weekend. Saturday’s Bass Pro Shops Night Race at Bristol Motor Speedway (September 13, 7:30 p.m. ET) will trim the sphere from 16 to 12 drivers after 500 laps beneath the lights in Tennessee.

Teams will use the identical left-side tire from April’s spring race, paired with a brand new, softer right-side compound making its debut. It provides to the unpredictability of a brief observe the place chaos is rarely far-off. The 4 drivers at the moment beneath the cutline are: Austin Dillon (-11), Shane van Gisbergen (-15), Alex Bowman (-35), and Josh Berry (-45), with Austin Cindric solely +11 above the bubble.

Freddie Kraft warned how simply issues can flip.

“This place, I think more so than any other, is very easy to get caught up in somebody else’s mess… Joey (Logano) in 2023 was in a pretty good point spot and just got collected. That was the end of his playoff.” (54:56 onwards)

Josh Berry’s tire administration may develop into a bonus, as Jordan Bianchi famous, his crew has little to lose by taking dangers. Cindric agreed the struggle is large open.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if Josh goes out and has a good weekend, especially if tire wear comes into play. I could easily see Alex Bowman going out and performing well… and honestly Austin Dillon, it’s not a huge gap for those guys to make up for us if we don’t have a great day.” (57:46 onwards)

Bowman has but to win at Bristol regardless of two straight poles and three profession top-five finishes. SVG’s lone begin resulted in thirty seventh. Berry is on his rookie playoff run. Dillon owns a median end of 17.8 throughout 20 Bristol races. On Saturday evening, all 4 will likely be combating to maintain their seasons alive.