AVONDALE, Ariz. — The current format of the NASCAR playoffs has been in place since the 2014 season. It is one that eliminates drivers who don't rise to the occasion at the right time, and it is one that NASCAR is unlikely to discard.
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"There was a huge emphasis 10 years ago when the format was put into place, about winning," NASCAR President Steve Phelps said during his State of the Sport address on Friday. "Three of the four (Cup drivers) on Sunday, they won to get through.
"I go back to the format itself, I think, creates incredible racing. So if we are all going to be honest and say, 'Hey, how's the racing been during the playoffs in these nine weeks?' I don't think it's been ever better, and I think part of that is due to the system itself."
NASCAR appreciates the playoff format and the way it highlights winning. Does that mean the playoffs will never change? No one knows for sure heading into championship weekend, but there is always a possibility that the sanctioning body could make some tweaks to the system.
"We'll absolutely look at what form the playoffs take in the offseason," NASCAR COO Steve O'Donnell said. "You always learn, like I said before, but playoffs in and of itself, as Steve said, you cannot argue with the quality of racing that the playoffs have delivered.
"You can talk about the format if we do some different things, but absolutely we're going to stick with (the playoffs)."
NASCAR has determined its champion in multiple ways. The old style relied solely on season-long points. The driver that won the most races didn't always win the title.
This was no more evident than in 2003 when Matt Kenseth won only one race but captured the title over Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., and Jeff Gordon. Ryan Newman, who led the series with eight wins, only finished sixth in the championship standings.
From 2004-13, NASCAR separated the season into two parts — the 26-race regular season and the 10-race Chase. The number of playoff contenders and the points system changed over the years, but the playoffs remained only one round.
NASCAR introduced the elimination format in 2014. This is the system that has remained in place and led to highlight-reel moments such as the Hail Melon wall ride in 2022 and Newman using up Kyle Larson to make the Championship 4 in 2014. Newman made the final while eliminating Gordon, who had won four races.
5. 2014: In the first Phoenix elimination race as part of the new elimination-style playoffs, Ryan Newman punts Kyle Larson to advance to the Championship 4. And mostly everyone views it as an acceptable way to race. pic.twitter.com/NgSaqbrfV4
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) November 3, 2021
The elimination format has delivered the moments that go viral on social media but that doesn't mean it has necessarily highlighted the best driver. After winning a series-high nine races, Kevin Harvick missed the Championship 4 in 2020 due to an average Round of 8 and multiple other drivers winning.
This season's Cup Series Championship 4 features four drivers with multiple wins this season — William Byron, Joey Logano, Tyler Reddick, and Ryan Blaney. They just don't lead the series in some important categories.
Kyle Larson leads the series with six wins, but he failed to make the Championship 4. Larson and Christopher Bell lead the series with 14 top-five finishes each, and they are the only drivers to lead more than 1,000 laps and win more than 10 stages.
Meanwhile, Chase Elliott leads the series in average finish (11.8).
Are any of these drivers more deserving than those contending for the title on Sunday? Phelps says absolutely not.
"All of our 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," Phelps said. "So just take the Cup race, right? You have a former champion who won to get in, as he did last year.
"You have a regular season champion who won to get in here. You have a two-time Cup champion who won to get here. Then the young man who pointed his way through, William Byron, is an incredible talent. So all four of these drivers deserve to be here, full stop."
