NASCAR’s Playoff Format Continues to Encourage Wrecks, Not Racing
Jared Bokanoski | TobyChristie.com
On the final lap of Sunday’s Bank of America Roval 400, the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs delivered yet another chaotic highlight, and it was another embarrassing reminder of what the sport of NASCAR has become thanks to the elimination-style Playoff format.
Ross Chastain, fighting for his postseason life, was a single point behind Joey Logano in the closing moments of the race. With time running out and his advancement in the Playoffs very much in doubt, Chastain, in a last-ditch effort to keep his championship hopes alive, drove into Denny Hamlin’s car in the final corner, crashed both of them, threw his car in reverse, and crossed the finish line backwards. It was the kind of moment that, had it worked, would’ve gone viral throughout the sport’s world.
But it didn’t work, wasn’t Kosher, but nobody seems to care because, as a sport, NASCAR has traded legitimacy for viral “Game 7 moments”.
Last-Ditch Effort Not Enough for Chastain to Avoid Playoff Devastation
Casey Calhoun, Racing America
For Ross Chastain, the battle to advance into the semi-final round of the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs were intense, and came down to the final lap of Sunday’s Bank of America ROVAL 400 at the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL.
Chastain, driving the No. 1 Busch Light Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing, spent the entirety of the 59-lap final stage looking to position himself to topple Joey Logano, a three-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, on the way to the next round of the post-season.
As Logano was brought to pit road by crew chief Paul Wolfe, to be on offense against Chastain, the Trackhouse Racing driver was left on the racetrack to play defense for the final 23 laps, needing to be four spots ahead of the bright yellow No. 22 Ford Mustang to move on.
With much older tires, Chastain began to fade, but Logano also didn’t make a ton of progress on newer tires (even losing some spots to the drivers around him who also decided to pit). When the white flag was displayed, though, the gap remained at just one point, with Denny Hamlin hounding the rear bumper of the No. 1 Chevrolet.