What a long, strange trip it’s been.
With all of the drama surrounding the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, many fans were prepared to expect the unexpected. The general consensus has been that the most implausible outcome was the outcome most likely to occur. Regardless, no matter how much we steeled ourselves for the inevitable, most of us fans were left in a daze, wondering what happened – and wondering if we used our precious Sunday evenings wisely over the past several dozen weeks.
First off, it’s important to note that I love this sport more than just about anything in my life that doesn’t have a pulse. I also harbor immense respect for the drivers, their crews, and all the people that make this 200 MPH traveling circus possible. That’s why I – as well as thousands of other fans who feel the same way – care so much. We’ve now reached the end of the second decade of fans complaining about the ridiculous and arbitrary nature of the Playoffs/Chase format. Just check the comments of the YouTube video below if you don’t believe us.
Going into last Sunday’s finale at Phoenix, the Championship 4 field was made up of last year’s title winner, the 2024 Regular Season champion, and two drivers who found themselves in the hot seat after their competition was disqualified. As stated above, it should come as no surprise that one of the latter two drivers won the championship. What should surprise us is that the driver in question, Joey Logano, managed to win his third Cup series championship despite a season average finish hovering around 17th.
The majority isn’t silent any longer. Gone is the goodwill garnered during last year’s 75th anniversary celebration. Fans, pundits, and teams alike are clamoring for changes that would improve the Playoffs – or abolish them entirely. We’ll add our voice to that chorus: If NASCAR truly cared about their past, present, and future, they would eliminate the Playoffs and return to a season-long points format.
This needlessly complex format, originally intended to garner excitement and draw in new viewers, is nearly impossible to explain to a newcomer to the sport. After several weeks of wrecking, cheating, and manufacturer manipulation, it’s clear that we aren’t getting the right kind of excitement here. A full-season points format is easy to understand, and it’s what most any other motorsport uses to determine a champion. Logano’s drive at Phoenix was inspired and worthy of praise, but it doesn’t represent a season of dominance – or, at the very least, consistency.
Unfortunately, the powers that be at NASCAR seem to care little for the opinions of others, as loud – and well-reasoned – as they may be. In fact, the new television deal for next year will see the sport broadcast on no fewer than five separate networks. Forget about getting fans to fill the stands in person – they’ll barely be able to afford all of the streaming services they’ll need to watch the races from their couch.
Let’s also take a moment to discuss the lawsuit over the charter agreement. Front Row Motorsports and 23XI Racing have poured millions of dollars into the sport over the past few seasons, and they’re willing to risk it all to take on the sanctioning body itself. As of this week, a judge ruled against a motion for extraordinary relief in relation to the possibility of NASCAR preventing 23XI and FRM from running as open, un-chartered teams in next year’s Daytona 500. While that could prove to be a major legal blow, the discovery phase of the case has been expedited, hopefully allowing this case to move forward quicker than initially expected.
As this antitrust case heats up, and pressure mounts regarding the playoff situation, NASCAR faces what may prove to be its most important off-season yet. Let’s hope NASCAR makes it to its 100th anniversary – as fans, we want that to happen more than anything.
Photo: NASCAR
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