I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not a fan of NASCAR’s playoff system. In fact, I’m not sure I’ve ever really liked any version of it.

We’ve gone from elimination races, where drivers could have their championship hopes completely destroyed by one bad race, to the current format, where the points reset for the final 10 races. While I think NASCAR has made improvements to the points system itself, I still believe the biggest problem remains. We shouldn’t have a playoff system in motorsports in the first place.

I understand why NASCAR wants a playoff system. It creates drama, gives fans something to talk about, and makes the final races feel more important. But at what point do we stop worrying about creating drama and start worrying about crowning the driver who actually had the best season?

To me, a championship should be about what you accomplish over an entire season. Not just how you perform during the final 10 races.

The Problem With the Current Format

One of my biggest problems with the current format is how much the final 10 races can change the championship picture.

Think about it. A driver could have an outstanding first 26 races, consistently finish near the front, win multiple races, and build a strong points lead. Then the final 10 races come around, the points reset, and suddenly that entire season-long advantage means very little.

On the other side, you could have a driver who struggles for the first 26 races, has a handful of good finishes, and then gets hot at the right time. Suddenly, that driver has just as good of a chance to win the championship as someone who was consistently one of the best drivers all year.

How does that make sense?

Why should a driver who was great for 26 races potentially lose a championship to someone who wasn’t nearly as good for most of the season, simply because the other driver had a better final 10 races?

I understand that every driver knows the rules going into the season. I’m not saying the drivers are doing anything wrong. But I don’t believe the format rewards the most deserving season-long performance.

And isn’t that what a championship should do?

What Would Happen Without the Points Reset?

I think one of the best ways to show the problem with the current format is to look at what the championship standings would look like without the reset.

The standings in the image I included show what the points picture would look like heading into the final two races if NASCAR simply continued using the points drivers had earned throughout the season.

Denny Hamlin would be leading the championship with 1,295 points. Ryan Blaney would sit second, 98 points behind. Tyler Reddick would be third, 151 points behind, and Kyle Larson would be fourth, 175 points behind.

Now compare that to the actual playoff standings shown in the same image.

Kyle Larson is leading the championship. Denny Hamlin is second, 73 points behind. Christopher Bell is third, just 74 points back.

Look at the difference.

Without a reset, Hamlin would be leading the championship. Under the current format, Larson is leading it.

That doesn’t mean Larson hasn’t had a great season or that he doesn’t deserve to be competing for a championship. It simply shows how dramatically the reset can change the championship picture.

And that’s exactly my problem.

Why should we throw away the points earned over the first 26 races? Why shouldn’t those points continue to matter just as much as the points earned in the final two races?

I don’t have a problem with Larson being in championship contention. I have a problem with a system that takes a driver who was fourth in the season-long standings and puts him in the championship lead because of a points reset.

The Joey Logano and Kyle Larson Debate

This brings me to something that I think NASCAR fans need to be more consistent about.

Joey Logano’s 2024 championship brought plenty of criticism. A lot of people pointed out that he had one of the worst average finishes ever for a NASCAR Cup Series champion. Some questioned whether he was truly the most deserving champion based on his overall season.

And while I’m not the biggest fan of Logano’s 2024 championship, he won it under the rules NASCAR created. At the end of the day, he is the champion. You can’t take that away from him.

But I find it interesting how differently people can look at these situations.

If Kyle Larson wins the championship under the current format while being on pace for one of the worst average finishes ever by a champion, are we going to have the same conversation?

Are people going to question whether he was the most deserving champion? Are we going to put an asterisk next to his championship, just like some people want to do with Logano’s?

Because if we’re going to criticize one driver for winning a championship with a certain format, we need to apply that same standard to everyone.

Personally, I don’t think either driver needs an asterisk. They both competed under the rules NASCAR gave them. They earned their championships under those rules, and that’s what matters.

But we can’t criticize the format when we don’t like the champion and then ignore the same problems when we like the champion.

That’s not how it should work.

I’m Not Asking NASCAR to Reinvent the Points System

Here’s the thing. I’m not even asking NASCAR to completely change how it awards points.

I’m actually fine with the current points system. I think NASCAR can keep awarding points the way it does now. I don’t need a completely new system, a complicated formula, or some major overhaul.

All I want is for NASCAR to stop resetting the points.

Let the drivers keep everything they earn throughout the season. Let the regular-season points leader carry that advantage into the final races. Let every race count toward the championship.

If a driver builds a 150-point lead throughout the season, they should have that advantage. They earned it. If another driver wants to catch them, they should have to do it by earning more points on the racetrack.

And if someone has a bad final 10 races after having a great first 26, then that’s part of racing. Consistency matters. Being good all season matters. You shouldn’t get a completely fresh start just because NASCAR wants to create a more exciting championship battle.

Every Race Should Matter

At the end of the day, I want NASCAR to reward the driver who had the best overall season.

Motorsports are different from other sports. You aren’t playing a best-of-seven series or competing in a tournament where you have to win elimination games to advance. You’re competing in races throughout an entire season, and every single one should matter toward the championship.

I wasn’t a fan of the elimination-style playoff format, and I’m not a fan of the current 10-race reset either. To me, we’re just moving from one problem to another instead of addressing the bigger issue.

NASCAR doesn’t need to make the championship more dramatic. It needs to make the championship more meaningful.

I want to see a driver win the championship because they were the best and most consistent driver over the entire season. I want the points earned in February to matter just as much as the points earned in November.

If NASCAR wants to keep its current points system, I’m all for it. Just stop resetting the standings.

Let the season play out. Let the points tell the story. And at the end of the year, crown the driver who earned the most points over the entire season.

That’s what a championship should be about.