AVONDALE, Ariz. — NASCAR Commissioner Steve Phelps and NASCAR President Steve O'Donnell spent 45 minutes meeting with media members during the annual State of the Sport address. These are the the biggest takeaways from the session.
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Daytona 500 schedule in 2027 and beyond
NASCAR announced on Oct. 22 that the 2027 Daytona 500 will move away from Presidents' Day weekend. It will take place on Sunday, Feb. 21, 2027, while avoiding a clash with the NFL's championship game.
FanBuzz asked Steve Phelps if this could happen in 2028 and beyond if the NFL decides to permanently take over Presidents Day weekend. In short, the answer is yes.
"We want to avoid the Super Bowl, for sure," Phelps said in response. "Fairly large event with some viewers (smiling).
"Listen, they are an amazing product, they're an amazing league. The Daytona 500 is our Super Bowl. Again, creating some distance and not overlap is something that we'll continue to make sure that we do."
Charter guarantees
The 2025 Charter Agreement confirmed that the NASCAR Cup Series teams would have guaranteed entry into every race on the schedule through 2031. However, Phelps noted that the charters are actually guaranteed through the 2039 season, with the "obligation to negotiate in good faith beyond that."
Playoff format changes
While neither Phelps nor O'Donnell would talk about the championship format in 2026 and beyond — they prefer to wait until after this finale weekend — they strongly hinted at some changes coming down the pike.
"There's been a lot of work done," O'Donnell said. "Tim Clark has led a committee that has included almost every stakeholder in the industry — OEMs, tracks, teams, former drivers, current drivers. We've kicked around a ton of ideas.
"While there's nothing to announce today, I think all of us agreed that it would not be fair to come in here before we crown champions and say, Hey, we're thinking of this. I can say that Steve (Phelps) and I have certainly heard the industry, understand the challenges that are out there.
"So the goal is to balance some of those moments that we've had with the great racing, but also deliver a little bit more of I think what the fans and the industry is asking for. More to come.
"We did rotate the race to Miami. Steve mentioned that. That was probably the biggest ask, was rotate the championship. We can check that box off. There are going to be some other things we'll have, as well."
Why did this one-race championship format fail to resonate with NASCAR fans and expand the audience? No one knows the exact answer, but O'Donnell has some thoughts on the matter.
One potential reason is the star power. Yes, if one driver dominates the season, this leaves fewer opportunities for other competitors to celebrate in victory lane. However, O'Donnell says that it does "create a real star."
Driver Ambassador Program
Speaking of stars, Phelps took a moment during the State of the Sport to bring up a question from last season. How does the sport create stars?
The NASCAR commissioner noted that the Driver Ambassador Program was the major initiative this season. This program awards points to drivers who promote the sport through media sessions, podcast appearances, social media, and other avenues. Those who earn the most points in each segment lock up some bonus money.
"If you think of the number of appearances that have happened, the sheer number of hours that the drivers have logged promoting this sport, 6,000 hours, up 40% year over year," Phelps said. "That is huge for us, right? They're building our brands. They are the face of NASCAR.
"The more opportunities we give to them, the more opportunities they step up and take, the better it is for the growth of this sport.
"We are only going to be as good as what we can provide to the drivers and the access that we provide the drivers to get in front of. Whether that's early morning shows, late night shows, 'Sesame Street' — I know Bubba did that earlier this year — all these things are opportunities to meet a fan or a potential fan where they are. That's what we need to do.
"Another example of that are some of the things that we've done with platforms like Roblox or Fortnite or Substack. We have to meet folks where they are. The new 'NASCAR 25,' right, on XBOX and PlayStation. It's doing really, really well.
"I think the wait was worth it, from what I see from the comments, obviously the orders, it's doing incredibly well. Again, meeting fans where they are is critical."
New OEM partners
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The last several State of the Sport addresses have featured discussions about new OEM partners coming into NASCAR. Whether it was Brian France in 2016 or Phelps in recent seasons, many questions have focused on Dodge, Honda, and other potential partners.
NASCAR took one step closer toward bringing in another OEM this season. Ram announced it would take on the Craftsman Truck Series while partnering with Kaulig Racing. Based on Phelps' comments on Friday, another could make its way to the national series soon.
"Listen, we're thrilled that Ram is coming to the sport," Phelps said. "Might that be followed up with them going to Xfinity or soon to be O'Reilly's Auto Parts Series? We're hopeful. What we do know is it's better to have more OEs than it is to have fewer. We would like to have the portfolio of Dodge and Ram as part of the sport.
"Are we in other discussions with potential OEs that would come into the sport? The answer is yes. Some are more advanced than others. There's nothing to announce today.
"Steve and I are very grateful that this year now comes, and one of the things we're looking forward to is not having to answer the question, Hey, are you going to have a new OE? We are (smiling). "The question is, What does that look like and how quickly are they going to come? It goes back a little bit to the question about parity, right?
"I think it's no surprise that the support that Toyota gives to Joe Gibbs Racing and the support that Ford gives to Penske, the support that GM gives to Hendrick, is sizable, right? If you're going to call them A-teams, they're their A-teams, right?
"Would it be nice to have a couple other OEs that can have A-teams, too? Yeah. Get rid of anybody that's a C team that is not getting support. That will create better parity. We are working very hard to accelerate the opportunity to bring in a new OEM."
Horsepower changes
NASCAR announced on Oct. 8 that it will move to 750 horsepower for numerous tracks next season. Drivers view this as a step in the right direction, but not a "cure-all" for short track races.
So why didn't NASCAR just go wild and crank up the number to see what would happen?
"Working with the teams, especially the engine builders, who I would say a big thank you to, it's not as easy as it seems," O'Donnell said. "Some say why not a thousand? Why not 1,200 horsepower? Let's keep going. The costs go through the roof when you do that. It's easy to say I want it, but when you put a bill in front of a race team or an OEM and it's astronomical, it doesn't really become something that makes a lot of sense.
"When you can work together with a common goal within the rules and regulations that we have and deliver, you've got something. I think that's what the industry has done. We'll learn a lot.
"We've got off-season tests at North Wilkesboro, so we'll be able to go there not only with the horsepower and tire combination, we'll look at some different aero things as well. Nothing to announce, but we're able to now start experimenting and look at some different options."
