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LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – OCTOBER 11: Brad Keselowski, driver of the #6 Nexlizet Ford, looks on during practice for the NASCAR Cup Series South Point 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway on October 11, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
Former NASCAR Cup Series champion and RFK Racing co-owner Brad Keselowski is calling for a return to the sport’s roots, a full-season, 36-race championship format. During a media session at Talladega Superspeedway, Keselowski voiced his frustration with the current playoff system.
He argues that it has diluted the prestige of NASCAR’s biggest races and created what he described as a “negative feedback loop” within the sport.
NASCAR’s “Negative Feedback Loop” and Why Keselowski Wants Change
“The sport is really interesting with how it perceives itself,” Keselowski said. “It’s one of the sports that has the most noticeable negative feedback loops. That said, it’s also a squeaky-wheel-gets-the-grease sport where if somebody’s not squeaking, things don’t ever change.”
Ever since NASCAR implemented its modern playoff format, there have been debates as to whether the system favors short-term drama over consistency throughout the season. In the existing model, drivers have to fight against each other in elimination rounds up to a final championship race, where they all compete in one race only.
Keselowski, who earned his 2012 championship under the old points-based system, is of the opinion that the structure placed more emphasis on every race and kept the fans entertained all year round.
The Push for a Season-Long Championship Format
“The 36 format has had such a loud drum beat as of late because I think most of the industry is realizing it’s probably the best for the sport,” Keselowski said. “There are some reasons for that, but also because the sport has kind of revealed itself to be heavily influenced by its own spin, so to speak. So I suspect that drum beat will get just louder from more and more voices.”
Keselowski’s comments echo growing sentiments among fans and legends of the sport, including Richard Petty, who have expressed concern that NASCAR’s current structure sacrifices tradition and continuity for TV-friendly drama.
The RFK Racing co-owner emphasized that while he respects NASCAR’s leadership, led by the France family, he hopes decision-makers take a broader view of the sport’s long-term identity.
“Ultimately, I do think that the 36-race season format is what’s best for the sport,” he said. “It’s not my decision. It’ll come down to the France family making that decision, and I respect that. They own the sport, and they have every right to make that decision.”
Restoring the Big-Event Feel in NASCAR
Keselowski explained that NASCAR has drifted away from its foundational concept, where races are built toward a season-long championship, into a format where the championship dictates how races are viewed.
“But if you look at this sport holistically, NASCAR was built on the concept of races connected with a championship, and it has shifted to a sport that is now a championship connected by races,” he said. “Inherently, that removes some of the big-event feel that I think made NASCAR so special in decades past.”
To Keselowski, the fix is simple: make every race matter again.
“We need 38 big events,” he said. “That’s what this sport needs to endure for generations to come, and the best opportunity for that is in a season-long format that is a series of races connected by a championship, rather than a championship connected by a series of races.”
Dogli Wilberforce is a sports writer who covers NASCAR, Formula 1 and IndyCar Series for Heavy Sports. With bylines at Total Apex Sports and Last Word on Sports, Wilberforce has built a reputation for delivering timely, engaging coverage that blends sharp analysis with accessible storytelling. Wilberforce has covered everything from major football transfers to fight-night drama, bringing readers the insight and context behind the headlines. More about Dogli Wilberforce
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