NASCAR's Steve O'Donnell reacts to potential changes to playoff format

NASCAR COO Steve O’Donnell said the sanctioning body will “look at different ideas” as it relates to making “tweaks” to the current playoff format.

Steve O'Donnell on playoff changes: "We’ll look at different ideas, and if we can make tweaks to enhance it we certainly will do that, but we’re not going to do it unless we feel like it’s in the best interest of the sport and really drives even more engagement from our fans." pic.twitter.com/SHLK8Cpakq

— Adam Stern (@A_S12) December 23, 2024

“Yeah, I wouldn’t put a percentage on it,” O’Donnell said earlier this month, via Adam Stern of Sports Business Journal. “What I would say is that we’ll have an industry working group that will take a look and is already taking a look at the playoffs. The great thing about our system is that this evolved through discussions with the industry — everyone had input to the product and the format that you see today and that will continue.

“We’ll look at different ideas, and if we can make tweaks to enhance it, we certainly will do that, but we’re not going to do it unless we feel like it’s in the best interest of the sport and really drives even more engagement from our fans.”

The playoff format came under fire following Joey Logano’s victory in the Cup Series championship race at Phoenix, in which the Team Penske driver captured his third title. Logano had an average finish this past season of 17.1, the worst for a driver in a championship-winning season.

But in this playoff format, adopted in 2004 and tweaked along the way, winning is everything. NASCAR switched to an elimination style format in 2014, where 16 drivers make up the field. Winning at least one regular season race grants entry into the postseason, as Logano did at Nashville.

The playoffs take part across 10 races with four drivers eliminated after every three races until four remain. The season finale at Phoenix is a winner-take-all championship race. Logano has mastered the format, winning all three of his championships since 2018.

NASCAR sticking with playoff-style format

One thing is certain: NASCAR will not move away from a playoff system. O’Donnell confirmed such in the “State of the Sport” address two days before the championship race.

“Playoffs, we’re not going to go away from playoffs,” O’Donnell said. “We read fans [reactions] and everything. So, we will as we always do, absolutely look at what form the playoffs take in the offseason.

“You always learn. But playoffs in and of itself, you cannot argue with the quality of racing that the playoffs have delivered. You can talk about the format and if we do some different things. But absolutely we’re going to stick with it.”