Joey Logano’s third championship win in the NASCAR Cup Series brought a wave of dissatisfaction from fans regarding the playoff format’s fairness. As a response, NASCAR President Steve Phelps has taken a firm stand against the critics, defending the contentious system in an interview with Jordan Bianchi from The Athletic.
The NASCAR playoff format has been scrutinized since its inception. Originally established as the “Chase” in 2004, the format has seen numerous changes, all aimed at maintaining excitement and viewer engagement up to the season’s end. Now, after a 26-race regular season, it moves to a playoff system involving the top 16 drivers, with the last three rounds determining the Championship 4.
The playoff format aims to keep the competition intense, but it has drawn criticism for allowing drivers who peak later in the season to win the championship over those who may have had a more consistent performance throughout the year.
Joey Logano’s victory, driving for Team Penske, stirred a particular controversy this year as he became the first driver to end the regular season in 15th place or lower and still claim the title. Fans and some drivers argue this system undervalues the weight of regular-season achievements. Echoing these sentiments, critics suggest more emphasis should be placed on wins and stage victories during the regular season.
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Nevertheless, Phelps remains resolute in his defense of the playoff format, arguing its fairness and noting its creation was heavily influenced by fan preferences. He explained:
“There are a number of factors there. I think you have drivers that really performed well in the playoffs, and you had drivers that didn’t and may have performed better in the regular season.
“But in that Round of 8, specifically, you have drivers that didn’t perform, and you had four drivers who did – three of them won races and one that pointed their way through.
“I would suggest based on the format, those four drivers truly deserve to be there. Win-and-you’re-in is really what we heard from fans, and that’s what the industry came up with when they came up with this format. And if you’re going to get four guys who are not the four highest statistical leaders, then you’re probably going to have some criticism.”
Amidst the backlash, Joey Logano himself defends his championship amidst the criticism. Phelps, echoing these sentiments, argued:
“Joey [Logano] performed,” Phelps continued. “He went to Vegas and won and then went to Phoenix and won. So to me, he’s a deserving champion. He ran the gauntlet of a very difficult, and arguably the most difficult playoffs in all sports. And he is a deserving champion because of that.”
The current playoff system is unlikely to undergo major changes in the near future. However, NASCAR is open to considering minor adjustments, potentially adding more points for wins and stage victories and introducing a multi-race championship round in the future.
