"It sucks a**": NASCAR drivers' anonymous reactions to the current playoff format ahead of Atlanta

Following the end of the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series regular season at Darlington, the field will move into competing in the playoffs. Ahead of the Quaker State 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, NASCAR drivers were asked to anonymously shed light on the current playoff format.

In the 2024 playoffs, 16 drivers will battle for the coveted Cup Series title. To secure a playoff spot, a driver must start all regular-season races and win at least one event. However, if there aren't 16 different race winners, the winless drivers with the highest playoff points will fill the remaining spots, ensuring a competitive field for the championship chase.

In a recent article by Fox Sports' Bob Pockrass, the 16 NASCAR drivers were anonymously asked for their opinions on the current playoff format. The results revealed a split in opinion: eight drivers expressed disagreement with the format, seven supported it, and one simply responded with "IDK."

"It sucks a**," a driver expressed.

"It is what it is. The current playoff format is the only one I’ve ever run on the Cup side. ... I have a suggestion for a hybrid format that I think is pretty solid but I don’t make those decisions," a driver said.

"Yes. It helped me this year. But when I watched it as a fan, did I like it? It was just fun to watch," another driver claimed.

The NASCAR playoffs span 10 races, divided into four rounds, with four drivers eliminated after each round. The first three rounds, Round of 16, Round of 12, and Round of 8 each consist of three races. The final round, known as the Championship 4, is a single, high-stakes race that determines the season champion.

Drivers can secure an automatic advance to the next round by winning any race within that round. After each round, the four drivers with the fewest points are eliminated unless they clinch a win. Standings are reset at the start of each round, based on playoff points earned throughout the entire season.

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NASCAR EVP talks "Bowman Gray piece of the puzzle" with Kevin Harvick amid return to the Clash

NASCAR's 2025 schedule has seen some big changes compared to schedules in recent history. The Cup and Xfinity Series will visit Mexico for a points race on June 15.

Interestingly, NASCAR has also recalled the Bowman Gray Stadium into its 2025 schedule, slated to hold the pre-season Clash. In a recent episode of the Happy Hour Podcast, Kevin Harvick asked NASCAR EVP and Chief Venue and Racing Innovations Officer Ben Kennedy what he thought about the return of the short oval to the Cup Series schedule.

"Now we're going to a place that's very well-educated on the history of our sport, the things that happen. So, just explain the whole Bowman Gray piece of the puzzle from all of those aspects," Kevin Harvick inquired.

Ben Kennedy then responded:

"People talk about what makes Bowman Gray so special, and it is on-track product, it is the infrastructure, the history that you feel inside the stadium [...] It's an opportunity for us to give back to the fans, an opportunity to speak to our history and our roots, but then also an opportunity to put the spotlight on weekly short-track racing." [00:54]