Kevin Harvick calls for change to NASCAR Playoffs after Martinsville fiasco

Kevin Harvick doesn’t believe this Sunday’s Championship 4 race at Phoenix Raceway features the four best drivers competing for a Cup Series title.

Harvick, speaking on Tuesday’s “Happy Hour” podcast, said that while the current NASCAR playoff format is exciting, there’s a solution to make it better moving forward.

"This format is exciting. We do not have the best four cars in the Championship 4." @KevinHarvick has a suggestion for the #NASCARPlayoffs. pic.twitter.com/lcTBAsiztG

— HarvickHappyHour (@HarvickHappyPod) November 5, 2024

“Let’s face it, this format is exciting,” Harvick said. “[But] we do not have the best four cars in the Championship 4. Now, we do have a regular season champ with Tyler Reddick, but he’s not the regular season champ if Kyle Larson shows up to Charlotte. … What if we took the regular season champ and he got an automatic bid into the final four. We reward the regular season points champion with a spot and he’s in the Championship 4.

“Well, guess what second place, you’re gonna go to the Round of 8. And then your third-place guy, he’s gonna go to the Round of 12. Fourth, you’re gonna be in the Round of 16. Because at least then, it gives you something in the regular season to not only race for first, but we’re racing for second, third, fourth to get championship points and an automatic berth into each round of the playoffs.”

In addition to Reddick, the Championship 4 includes Joey Logano, Ryan Blaney and William Byron. Logano is a two-time champion, but has an average finish of 17.6 this season, 14th among drivers. Blaney is the reigning champion and raced his way in courtesy of his victory at Martinsville two days ago. Byron, meanwhile, has the best average finish of any of his fellow championship competitors (13.2), but hasn’t gotten to Victory Lane since April 7 at Martinsville.

Drivers call on NASCAR to fix Playoff system

The four drivers who failed to make it through were Kyle Larson, Christopher Bell, Denny Hamlin and Chase Elliott. Under the pre-playoff points system, Elliott would be heading to Phoenix with a 13-point advantage over the field. Bell was consistent throughout the season and looked to have advanced to the Championship 4 after passing Bubba Wallace on the final lap. NASCAR, however, issued him a safety violation for riding the wall, giving Byron the last transfer spot.

Larson has won a season-high six races this season but won’t be racing for his second Cup Series championship. Harvick can certainly relate, as he missed out on the Championship 4 during his dominant 2020 campaign. Harvick topped the series in wins (nine), top 5s (20), top 10s (27), laps led (1,531) and fastest laps run (862).

Hamlin, who will go another year without winning a championship, said on Monday’s “Actions Detrimental” podcast that NASCAR needs to fix the playoff system. Hamlin cited Larson not being in the Championship 4.

“I hope they look into fixing it, because as a sport, and this — I’m not talking about me. I don’t think that we performed our best this playoff. Should we be part of the final four? By the statistics, probably. But I would argue we just — we didn’t have it this year,” Hamlin said. “It’s more the Kyle Larsons of the world that, you win the most races, you lead in every category, you’re the most dominant car most weeks, and yet you’re out because of the system.

“That just — that bugs me, because it does not reward greatness.”