Overview

• In a candid interview, Richard Petty called stage points and the playoff format "a bunch of crap," arguing extra points dilute the value of winning and urging a return to a straightforward 36-race championship.
• Petty said parity has produced "no leaders" for fans to rally around, pointing to a season with numerous different winners as evidence that storylines have become harder to follow.
• Dale Earnhardt Jr. echoed support for the pre-2004 full-season model on his podcast, saying the old format’s week-to-week consequences created engagement that resets and eliminations have reduced.
• Earnhardt offered nuance by affirming Joey Logano’s titles as legitimate under current rules while suggesting a multi-race championship round would better decide the season than a single-race finale.
• FOX’s Mike Joy praised Petty’s unfiltered interview and Hall of Famer Mark Martin backed the critique, as separate reports noted only hints of potential discussions about format changes for 2026.