For years, fans and drivers have been vocal about the flaws in NASCAR’s playoff system. Everyone has ideas for how to fix it, but NASCAR has never budged. But here’s an idea that feels like the best of both worlds: it keeps the drama of eliminations but brings back the competitive balance that fans and drivers are asking for.
Here’s how it could work:
1. Keep the Eliminations, But Fix “Win and You’re In.”
NASCAR doesn’t need to scrap the playoff format altogether. The elimination rounds bring drama and storylines that keep people talking. But the “win and you’re in” rule has always been flawed because it rewards one lucky day over a consistent season. The fix? Keep “win and you’re in,” but only if the driver is inside the top 20–22 in overall points. That way, someone doesn’t sneak into the playoffs after a fluke win while running 27th in the standings.
2. Or Better Yet, Change How Wins Pay Out.
Instead of automatic playoff berths, wins could be worth a massive points bonus — say, 50–60 regular season points (not playoff points). That’s still a huge push toward the postseason but rewards consistency at the same time. Add in bonuses like:
10 points for a pole (**except if qualifying was cancelled and the grid was set via the metric)
10 points for leading the most laps
1 point for fastest lap
Suddenly, every lap, every weekend, every qualifying effort matters.
3. Keep the Playoff Point System, But with More Weight.
Once the 16-driver field is set, you still use playoff points to separate the contenders. But this way, the drivers who’ve been consistent all year aren’t punished just because of one bad break.
4. Give the “Best of the Rest” Something to Race For.
Here’s where it gets brilliant from a marketing perspective. NASCAR could create a secondary championship for the non-playoff drivers. Call it something like the “Coca-Cola Final Dash” or whatever sponsor is willing to step up for it. It’s a “race within the race” for all the teams outside the playoff 16.
Think about it: fans loved the idea of the in-season tournament this year (at least until Atlanta busted everyone’s brackets). This would be the same concept, but at the back half of the season. Suddenly, instead of 20-plus cars just running around with no storyline, you’ve got underdogs and smaller teams fighting for something meaningful.
Sponsors win, because they get new ad inventory. Teams win, because they have something to market and push. Fans win, because there’s drama across the entire field instead of just at the front. And NASCAR? They win too, because they can “re-merch and re-market” those 20 cars that normally get forgotten after September.
Imagine Cody Ware or Cole Custer or even someone like Riley Herbst chasing a trophy as the “best of the rest.” That’s an underdog story fans can get behind. And if a bigger team has a car that missed the playoffs, they’d face a real choice: treat it as an R&D car, or actually push for the secondary championship. Either way, the racing gets better.
At the end of the day, this system doesn’t take away from the playoff drama. It actually adds to it. NASCAR keeps its eliminations, its storylines, and its unpredictability, but gives fans and teams more reasons to care right from the Daytona 500 to the Championship Finale.
It’s hard to find an idea that pleases both fans and drivers, but this one might. Now the question is: should NASCAR consider it?
by Robert White