Overview

• High-profile drivers including Denny Hamlin and Mark Martin have argued that the current win-and-you’re-in finale unfairly elevates single-race outcomes over season-long performance.
• Executive vice president John Probst confirmed a task force of drivers, media members, manufacturers and Goodyear is actively evaluating playoff revisions for 2026.
• NBC Sports vice president Jeff Behnke stated the network will refrain from influencing format decisions and focus solely on producing the races.
• Recent polls conducted by Jeff Gluck and Mark Martin show a majority of fans—ranging from just over half to roughly 80 percent—prefer reverting to a full 36-race points championship.
• Pressure to finalize the 2026 schedule may postpone any format overhaul, leading to proposals such as rotating the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway and adding a 27th regular-season event.