The NASCAR playoff system that has been in effect for 20 years is falling under more criticism now than seemingly at any other point in their existence. But Fox announcer Kevin Harvick has an idea to fix it.
The NASCAR playoffs were implemented in 2004 to try to help make the season more in alignment with the other major American sports and guarantee an exciting all-or-nothing season ending race. And although the format has been tweaked multiple times over the years, it’s largely succeeded in making every race matter, especially since 2014 and the move to automatic bids for race winners and an elimination format.
However, given the do or die format, controversy has increased over the years, culminating in last Sunday’s race at Martinsville that saw shenanigans and attempted race manipulation all over the place. Defending champion Ryan Blaney won the race to advance to the Championship 4 with with other Round of 8 winners Joey Logano and Tyler Reddick. William Byron was awarded the final spot after a penalty to Christopher Bell for riding the wall (à la Ross Chastain) in an unsafe manner. But that followed Chevrolets (Chastain and Austin Dillon) and Toyotas (Bubba Wallace) seemingly trying to manipulate the outcome for their manufacturer colleagues.
It’s all a giant mess. And to make matters more sour, complaints are rising that the best drivers aren’t fighting for a championship. Under the old NASCAR format, the drivers fighting for a championship would be ranked third, fourth, seventh, and fourteenth.
While a perfect solution may not be possible, Kevin Harvick proposed a compromise that could satisfy at least most of the NASCAR population. Give the regular season champion a berth in the Championship 4, second a berth in the Round of 8, third a berth in the Round of 12, and so on.
“This format is exciting. We do not have the best four cars in the Championship 4.” @KevinHarvick has a suggestion for the #NASCARPlayoffs. pic.twitter.com/lcTBAsiztG
— HarvickHappyHour (@HarvickHappyPod) November 5, 2024
Let’s face it, NASCAR is likely never going back to the days when a season-long points total decided the champion. There’s too much money invested in the playoffs and once football season starts, a points race only featuring two or three drivers at most is not going to hold the attention of casual fans the way the playoffs currently do.
NASCAR wants the drama of the cutoff races, the rivalries, feuds, and excitement. It’s why the playoff system was implemented in the first place! But Harvick’s idea at least gives a bit more of a reward to the spirit of the sport’s top racing series and the driver that proves themselves to be the best over the course of the season facing a couple unlucky breaks in the playoffs.
Harvick’s idea got something of an endorsement from driver/podcast host/NASCAR ombudsman Denny Hamlin.
Not terrible
— Denny Hamlin (@dennyhamlin) November 5, 2024
Not terrible! We can work with that!
In spite of all the controversy that has happened last week and throughout the year as a whole, NASCAR is probably celebrating because all of the intrigue creates headlines and drama for the sport. It may not result in the “best driver” winning the championship and it may create various headaches, but it’s the best the sport can do at the moment to try to stay relevant in an increasingly fragmented and challenging sports landscape.
