Particle.news
Download on the App Store
48 ARTICLES
·
last wk.

NASCAR Weighs Overhaul of Championship Format as Playoffs Head to Kansas

Officials are evaluating options from a season-long points title to a reworked finale, and any decision will be announced only after the Phoenix championship race.

Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, celebrates with a burnout after winning the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway. Image: Meg Oliphant/Getty Images
Image
Image
Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, and Christopher Bell, driver of the #20 Reser's Fine Foods Toyota, lead the field through a restart during the NASCAR Cup Series AdventHealth 400 at Kansas Speedway on May 11, 2025 in Kansas City, Kansas.

Overview

  • Momentum for change has grown inside NASCAR’s Championship Format Committee, which shifted from a lone proposal in February to multiple influential members backing major reforms after a Sept. 17 meeting.
  • Options under discussion include a full 36‑race points championship, altering how playoff points and wins are valued, and replacing the winner‑take‑all finale with a multi‑race conclusion.
  • NASCAR communications director Mike Forde said no format decision will be revealed before Nov. 2 at Phoenix to avoid devaluing the ongoing season.
  • Falling TV audiences are a key driver in the talks, with the New Hampshire Round of 12 opener drawing 1.29 million viewers and reporters citing double‑digit season‑to‑date declines.
  • The debate unfolds as the Round of 12 continues Sunday at Kansas, where Ryan Blaney is already through to the Round of 8 and Ross Chastain, Austin Cindric, Tyler Reddick, and Bubba Wallace sit below the cutline.