NASCAR Is ‘Getting Close’ To A New Playoffs Format
The first round of the NASCAR Cup Series playoffs ends this weekend at Bristol Motor Speedway, and it may be the last time there’s a three-race first round … or any rounds.
NASCAR has been considering switching to a new format and the series’ managing director of racing communications, Mike Forde, said during this week’s Hauler Talk podcast that, “we’re getting close.”
NASCAR has convened a committee of people from the racing world, including drivers and journalists, to discuss the matter and Forde said the final meeting is next week.
He said there is a shortlist of potential formats and that “we may see something as soon as 2026,” but that it will still be a couple of weeks before the final decision is made. “Hopefully we have news that fans will really like,” he said.
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NASCAR has already confirmed the 2026 schedule, which includes a return to Homestead-Miami for the season finale, but is not committed to having a winner take all championship.
Forde didn’t reveal any of the formats under consideration, but many have been advocating for a multi-race final round to determine the title.
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Several top drivers past and present, including Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Chase Elliott, have said they’d like to see the playoffs go away altogether and a return to a full-season points championship, but NASCAR executives have made it clear that there will continue to be some type of postseason for the foreseeable future.
The last time the NASCAR championship was decided without a post season was 2003, when Matt Kenseth won with a single race win during the season.