NASCAR Insider has a stern message for the governing body if they ‘touch’ the playoffs

NASCAR reporter and analyst Jordan Bianchi sat down for an interview with Dirty Mo Media and criticized the idea of changing the playoff format. He strictly advised not to 'touch' the playoff format and keep it simple for the fans.

In the interview, Bianchi was urged to keep the importance of the regular season wins. These wins help to declare the regular season champion, and the champion gets an additional 15-point advantage, giving him an edge over others in the standings.

The stock car racing journalist further asked the governing body not to make a new rule for the top 30 drivers in the standings, making things complicated for the viewers. He said:

"We may see something happen in the final format. and I will tell NASCAR, do not touch the regular season winning. Don't make a rule for the top thirteen points. I just think it adds an element; like you said, don't touch it."

Continuing further, they highlighted that the governing body should not make things complicated by allowing the regular season champion to automatically qualify for the Championship 4 race as they get a 15-point boost. The co-host of the show believes that adding more rewards could ruin the balance.

Reflecting upon this, the co-host criticized the idea and suggested going back to the early-day format of crowning the winner without any playoff races and said:

"If you're that desperate to reward the regular season champion, then you might as well just have a full season championship. That's all I'm saying."

Both NASCAR analysts emphasized maintaining the integrity of the format and NASCAR President Steve Phelps had a similar take on the matter.

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NASCAR president shunned playoff critics by sharing his 'deserving driver' take

NASCAR President Steve Phelps gave his take on the knockout system debate by putting a "full stop" on the criticism. In an interview before the final race at the Phoenix Raceway on November 10, 2024, Phelps addressed the backlash of the format.

The system currently followed by NASCAR was introduced in 2014 and primarily focused on drivers grabbing a win in the last ten races. The knockout system, comprising four rounds, eliminates a driver every third race except the final one.

This format allows drivers who secured a win early to be assured of a spot in the playoffs. However, critics claim that this format sometimes robs deserving drivers of their chance to succeed. Kyle Larson is the most relevant example, as he failed to land a spot in the championship four race despite his six wins. Addressing the criticism around the format, Phelps said :

"A lot of chatter around the four that are going to compete on Sunday. I’ve heard some words like, 'They’re not deserving. You’ve got the wrong driver, or two, three, four drivers.' What I would say is that all of or drivers knew the format, and these drivers in all three national series competed and went to the highest level, and they deserve to be here. So just take the Cup race, right?" the NASCAR President said (1:45).

Phelps concluded by saying that the reigning champion Ryan Blaney, regular season champion William Byron, and two-time Cup Series title Joey Logano were in the last race, and these drivers deserve to be in the final race while Joey Logano won his third title in 2024.