Steve O'Donnell

Stories

NASCAR kills the knockout playoffs after 12 years of controversy

Led championship format overhaul

NASCAR just blew up its most controversial championship system. After Joey Logano won the 2024 title with the worst average finish in Cup Series history, and Kyle Larson 'stole' the 2025 crown without leading a single lap, the sanctioning body abandoned its elimination-style playoffs. They're returning to 'The Chase'—the 10-race postseason format last used in 2013.

Updated May 20

Notable Quotes

"It was kind of a hold-your-breath moment. We recognize more and more that someone winning a championship, absolutely, they win it by the rules, but was it the best format that we could go with?"

from NASCAR kills the knockout playoffs after 12 years of controversy · Updated May 20

"The focus is on rewarding driver and team performance each and every race. At the same time, we want to honor NASCAR's storied history."

from NASCAR kills the knockout playoffs after 12 years of controversy · Updated May 20

"We tried to strike a balance. Not everyone's going to love it. We don't expect everyone to just go out and love it."

from NASCAR kills the knockout playoffs after 12 years of controversy · Updated May 20

"The biggest thing was looking at who we wanted to be as a sport going forward, with a focus on our core fan base who had been with us for a long time."

from NASCAR kills the knockout playoffs after 12 years of controversy · Updated May 20