It is seemingly unlikely that NASCAR’s much-maligned playoff format will be going away anytime soon, with numerous stars such as Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott having spoken out about the system in the past. 

Currently, the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs are split into multiple rounds, with drivers who win races or have the highest point total advancing to the final race in Phoenix. After each round, a driver’s playoff points are reset, making it difficult to have one driver dominate throughout the postseason. 

That said, there have been discussions on potetially changing the format recently. However, The Athletic’s Jeff Gluck believes that no change would be coming to the playoff format anytime soon. 

In his roundup after New Hampshire, Gluck wrote how having a 36-race format would the best course of action for the sport’s “long-term health.” He noted that NASCAR is not “likely” to switch away from the current playoff format, stating the financial aspect that comes with the playoff branding. 

It remains to be seen if NASCAR will change the current structure. One thing is clear — the current playoff format has been a divisive topic for drivers. 

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On a recent episode of his ‘Actions Detrimental’ podcast, Hamlin stated that fans should not get their “hopes up” on a 36-race format, despite there being “a lot of arguments for it.” Should NASCAR switch, they would be one of the few sports without a playoff.

Still, the star hopes to see some change to make it easier for those who perform well in the regular season to be rewarded in the playoffs. “[I] just hope is that it does get simplified,” he said. “I want those that perform well over the first two-thirds of the season to be rewarded more than five points. 

“I just want the guys that show excellence every week to be rewarded for that and not have to fight every three weeks with a reset to take away their advantage that they have built. So surely there’s a format out there that can give a little bit to everyone and I think it’s possible.

“From what I’ve seen, what I’ve seen proposed, we’re on the right track. We’re on the right track and it’s certainly going to be better than what we have.”

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In recent months, NASCAR has proposed a potential “3-3-4” series playoff format, which would see more consistent action and performance from drivers. Speaking to reporters in mid-September, Elliott explained how the new system would be beneficial moving forward. 

“I think it would be better than what we have,” he said. “Because you just have a larger number of races in a round to decide. Seemingly would give an opportunity to have something that’s totally out of somebody’s hands, not completely derail their championship.

“So is it perfect? Probably not, but I would say that sounds better.”