Overview

• Dylan “Mamba” Smith said the playoffs are meant to reward the team that executes best under pressure rather than to crown the best driver.
• Denny Hamlin replied to the post with “Oh man, yikes,” and Bubba Wallace’s spotter Freddie Kraft called the wording a mistake, saying you never want to claim the goal is not to crown the best driver.
• Journalist Bob Pockrass argued that a single-race finale can overturn nine weeks of superior performance and pushed for a slimmer bracket with multiple final rounds.
• Smith has previously indicated support for replacing the one-race Championship 4 with a three-race final as a compromise.
• Critics again cited Joey Logano’s 2024 title, noting his 17.1 average finish and 12th-most points, to argue the format can reward a champion without season-long dominance.