The NASCAR playoff format has been a topic of discussion since 2014. Every conversation circles back to how it compares to the old season-long title races. Some even question the legitimacy of the title.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared his opinion on this. He thinks the current format is the most difficult challenge any driver has faced, even if it is not his choice of how a championship should actually be decided.
It’s now common knowledge that behind the scenes, NASCAR has formed working groups made of drivers, team executives and manufacturers, to look at changes beyond 2026.
On this week’s Dale Jr. Download, the NASCAR Hall of Famer talked about the playoff system after his interview with NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell, who said no changes will be made to the format before the end of the 2026 Cup Series season.
Dale Jr. agrees with that decision. Not because he likes the current system, but because he doesn’t want to take away from the titles being won under it.
“I do not want it to make a Joey Logano, a Ryan Blaney, Kyle Larson, Chase Elliott. I don’t want them to feel ever like that means that the championship they won under whatever format is less than.”
“The way we do it today is the hardest, most difficult way to win a championship. To put four guys on the track and you only have one race, and it has to go right. The odds are against you in this format more so than any other, in my opinion.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. Respects the Grind, Not the System
Since 2014, NASCAR’s playoff system has used an elimination-style format. It cuts the field from 16 to 12, then 8, then 4. The Championship 4 race in the season finale, with the highest finisher of the 4 being the champion.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. admitted it’s tough to win under those circumstances, saying the current setup requires mental and mechanical perfection when it matters most.
“To have an entire season come down to one race . I get it, it’s entertaining,” Earnhardt said. “But it’s exhausting, too. I’m exhausted watching these playoffs.”
“I may not like the format, but I’ll never say a championship won under it isn’t legit. If anything, it’s harder than it’s ever been.”
O’Donnell confirmed during his appearance that no changes will be made to the playoff system before 2026. He said NASCAR wants to protect the champions of this year and next year from speculation about changes.
“What I don’t want to do is take away from whoever wins the championship this year. Whoever wins that championship, I’m going to stand behind that driver and team and say that’s our champion,” O’Donnell said
The two-time Daytona 500 race winner has been clear about his preference for a season-long points format that rewards consistency and minimizes the randomness of one race deciding everything.
“Is it my favorite way? No. Do I prefer another way? Yes. But it doesn’t mean that championship that they got and that trophy they got in their house isn’t as valuable or as neat or as cool or as appreciated as any trophy or championship that was won in the first 50 years of the sport.”
For Dale Earnhardt Jr., no matter the personal preferences, winning is tough and the credibility under this format should not be questioned.
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