The next time we see a NASCAR Cup Series race, it’ll be with a different playoff format. The current playoff system, introduced in 2014, has produced some questionable champions in the last handful of years. 

Last year’s champion, Joey Logano, had the worst average finish by a champion in NASCAR history, with an average of around 17th place. This year’s champ, Kyle Larson, has not won a race since May. It was the earliest in a season that a champion had won for the final time since Matt Kenseth in 2003 when he won for the only time three weeks into the season.

After 2003, NASCAR changed the points system, and coincidentally enough, they’re doing it again this time around. Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic claims that NASCAR is down to three options: the return of a 36-race championship, the return of a 10-race playoff with no elimination rounds, or a new 3-3-4 format with a three-race elimination round, then another three-race elimination round, and last a four-race championship.

36-race championship 

Kenseth’s 2003 championship was won under a 36-race championship, meaning there were no playoffs. Current driver Brad Keselowski, a former champion of the sport, has endorsed bringing back this format, according to an on3.com article. This is one of three options that NASCAR is potentially pivoting to. 

The reason that NASCAR got rid of that format is because the champion was getting decided before the championship race. Kenseth had the championship wrapped up in the penultimate week of the season. Jeff Gordon did the same thing as Kenseth in 2001. Neither made for an interesting season finale, putting NASCAR’s ratings in danger for those races. 

10-race playoff 

The solution, at least temporarily from 2004-2013, was called “The Chase for the Cup,” which NASCAR is also pondering bringing back. This format was a 10-race playoff, which initially brought the top 10 drivers, later expanded to the top 12 drivers, after 26 regular season races into a battle for the championship.

In 2011, Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards were tied in points by the time the checkered flag had waved at the championship race. The tiebreaker, which more race wins that season, went to Stewart. 

A battle as close as that has been impossible ever since 2014 with the one-race championship format. Instead, the format has rewarded drivers that haven’t had nearly as good of seasons as their peers. Connor Zilisch won double-digit races this season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series, but he had zero advantage heading into the championship like what drivers had up until 2014, thus creating a fluke champion.

3-3-4 format

NASCAR’s third and final proposal for the new playoff system is a new one– a four-race championship round. The current format of 3-3-3-1 would be changed to 3-3-4. Specifics have not been revealed yet, but I’m curious to see if the ‘win and you’re in’ rule applies to the four-race championship round if a driver is in a mathematical must-win situation.

Hendrick Motorsports driver Chase Elliott previously won a championship in the current format and thinks that the 3-3-4 format would be an upgrade. 

“I think it would be better than what we have,” Elliott said in an interview with Frontstretch. 

My preference

It seems like NASCAR wants more drama, and they certainly got that with the one-race championship format. However, the fans should feel like they’ve been heard, with NASCAR set to change the playoff system heading into 2026. I don’t think NASCAR could go wrong with any of these three formats, as they all would be more rewarding to the top teams.

I would prefer to see the 10-race playoff come back, because there were many battles that came down to the wire, and the cars in contention for the championship did not need to finish higher than one another in the final race. It was more rewarding towards all 10 playoff races instead.