The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs committee will reconvene next month after a mid-August meeting between NASCAR and NBC Sports executives about the future of the championship format.
On the latest episode of the “Hauler Talk” podcast, NASCAR managing director of racing communications Mike Forde provided an update on the panel tasked with exploring potential Cup playoff changes that still could be implemented as early as the 2026 season.
“There are a lot of different opinions, so I think it‘s a matter of boiling it down to the top four (options), getting with NBC, then getting back to the committee and then getting with NASCAR leadership and the NASCAR board of directors to say, ‘OK, here’s what it is,‘ ” Forde said. “Now can we do that in time and feel good about it for 2026? I think really what it comes down to is we don’t want to feel like we are pushing through a change that we’re going to have to change again. So we want to feel really, really, really good about it. So if that can happen for 2026, great. If not, I think we’re comfortable waiting until 2027.”
The playoff committee, which met earlier this year at Daytona and Charlotte, consists of about 30 members who were recruited to provide a broad cross-section of perspectives that range from returning to a full-season championship to keeping the playoffs intact but adjusting the field size or expanding the championship round.
After meeting before the Daytona 500, playoff committee members were sent a 20-question survey and asked to rank their top four playoff options. The poll results were discussed in the Charlotte meeting. NASCAR also is planning to conduct a fan council survey on a menu of playoff options. …
During the podcast, NASCAR senior director of racing communications Amanda Ellis also provided a backstory of the penalties to Austin Hill, who received a one-race suspension Tuesday for intentionally wrecking Aric Almirola in the Xfinity Series race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Hill also was held five laps for reckless driving.
“We had multiple camera views to determine very confidently this was an intentional spin,” Ellis said. “Based on the camera views, we were very confident, very quickly that was something he did.”
Team owner Richard Childress had said Hill should avoid suspension as had been the case with Austin Cindric, who was penalized 50 points and $50,000 for wrecking Ty Dillon at Circuit of The Americas earlier this season.
“We do view these a little bit different, and largely it had to do with the track type,” Forde said. “Slower speeds (at COTA), tighter confines, things of that nature. That’s why we landed on, I think it was 50 points and a $50,000 fine. Obviously, a lot of debate on whether that was too little. Some people felt that Cindric should have gotten a one-race suspension. This one, we viewed the same way we viewed the Bubba Wallace (wrecking) Kyle Larson at Vegas a couple of years ago; Chase Elliott (wrecking) Denny Hamlin at Charlotte (in 2023). High speeds, right-rear hook into the wall, very dangerous situation. And so we view that more at the level of a high-speed oval. And both of those also resulted in a one race suspension.”
Other topics covered by Forde and Ellis during the 25th episode of “Hauler Talk,” which explores competition issues in NASCAR:
— How NASCAR series directors use different methods for randomly determining which cars are sent to the R&D Center for post-race inspection.
— The future of the In-Season Challenge after its inaugural season.
— What‘s new for the Cup Series‘ second visit to Iowa Speedway.
— How Stewart Friesen‘s injuries could impact his berth in the Truck Series Playoffs.
Click on the embed above to listen or search for “Hauler Talk” wherever you download podcasts to hear it on your phone, tablet or mobile device.
Nate Ryan has written about NASCAR since 1996 while working at the San Bernardino Sun, Richmond Times-Dispatch, USA TODAY and for the past 10 years at NBC Sports Digital. He is a contributor to the “Hauler Talk” show on the NASCAR Podcast Network. He also has covered various other motorsports, including the IndyCar and IMSA series.
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