Denny Hamlin gets real on NASCAR Playoff Committee's plan to fix "entertainment over sport" balance

NASCAR Cup Series driver Denny Hamlin gave this thoughts on the newly-formed Playoff Committee that will take a look at how to construct the proper playoff format. The committee plans to have no "agenda" and find the right balance between sport and entertainment.

Kyle Dalton, a NASCAR writer at Athlon Sports, posted a compilation of comments from drivers on the new NASCAR Playoff Committee via X, writing:

"Multiple drivers, including @dennyhamlin and @CBellRacing shared their thoughts on the newly formed NASCAR Playoff Committee and the potential format changes they hope come out of it in the future."

In an effort to get the best champion every season but also provide the highest level of entertainment, Hamlin believes NASCAR has shifted too far into the entertainment realm in recent memory.

However, the driver of the #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota believes the new playoff committee will help find a better balance, adding:

"I think they're looking to strike a balance between entertainment and sport. Obviously, I think that the pendulum kind of swung inside of entertainment probably a little bit too far over the years with how the playoff format plays out. They're just going to try to get it back to rewarding guys that perform well all season long," Denny Hamlin said. (0:48 onwards)

NASCAR implemented the playoff format back in 2004 after formally being under the "Winston" points format since the beginning of the sport. Since 2004, the playoff format has changed drastically with its most recent change being the 16-driver elimination-style format.

While it's provided entertainment, the playoff format hasn't necessarily always delivered the rightful champion at season's end. Last year, Joey Logano captured his third Cup Series title. While he utilized the playoff format to perfection, Logano's average finish of 17.1 was the worst by a champion in history.

Kyle Larson, meanwhile, won a season-high six races last year but didn't get to compete for the championship as he was eliminated in the Round of 8. In a similar occurrence, Kevin Harvick posted a season-high nine victories in 2020 but was also eliminated in the Round of 8.

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Denny Hamlin seeking elusive first championship in 2025

With changes to the playoff format pending with the new NASCAR playoff committee, Denny Hamlin is still gunning for his first Cup Series championship. Amid his 20th full-time season in NASCAR, the Chesterfield, Virginia native has yet to win the sport's biggest crown.

Hamlin has come close in the past as he most notably finished runner-up to Jimmie Johnson in 2010. Since the 16-driver format was implemented in 2014, Hamlin has made Championship 4 appearances in 2014, 2019, 2020, and 2021. However, he failed to win the championship in all four starts.

With 54 career victories, Denny Hamlin has the most wins by a driver without having won a championship. He has three Daytona victories, which came in 2016, 2019, and 2020.