Folks, the 2024 NASCAR Cup Season has to be one of the most controversial ones in recent times. Joey Logano was crowned champion after a sub-par regular season (1 win, 4 top 5s). And the worst average finish (17.11) for a champion in the history of the sport. Naturally, this caused an uproar among the entire NASCAR community. In fact, fans and drivers came together to thrash the current playoff format, which basically doesn’t value consistency. While format-wise, nothing has changed in the 2025 season…NASCAR seems to be cooking something behind the scenes for the future.
NASCAR has apparently made a ‘playoff committee’ to hopefully bring some changes to the current format. Recently, NASCAR’s Managing Director of Racing Communications, Mike Forde revealed it. He is on there too and he’s also the co-host of the podcast ‘Hauler Talk’. That’s where he shared titbits of this whole deal. Forde was careful not to name names, but he kind of did. And one confirmed name representing the driver faction is Christopher Bell, who has recently revealed the goals of the committee.
Christopher Bell is hopeful about change!
After the whole Martinsville race manipulation incident last season, Christopher Bell did not make it to the championship 4, and neither did Kyle Larson. Bell had the best average finish for 2024 (12.8). Yet he finished 5th. And Kyle Larson had the most wins (6) and the second-best average finish (12.9) and he was P6. Clearly there is a problem. Although Bell champions the current format, he joined the debate on its legitimacy. That’s probably why Forde said, “NASCAR has really turned to him (Bell) as a leader in the garage. We have recognized his talents. We recognize his voice.”
And undoubtedly, Christopher Bell is one of the best active drivers in NASCAR. He’s never missed the championship 4 in the next-gen other last year. Basically, he’s mastered the next-gen car. Look at the current season, three races in and he’s already gotten a win (at Atlanta). But because of the format, he’s often narrowly missed the championship (P3 in 2022, P4 in 2023). So it makes sense to have him in there. Also, Bell has recently revealed what the committee is working towards.
He said, “So the goal for the whole thing is to help bring more legitimacy to the championship and I think everybody has believed that the champions of the new age…feels different. To what Jimmie did the guys back in the days. The whole goal is to make the drivers to feel like that championship is a big deal. The biggest deal of our life.”
And to bring legitimacy, NASCAR has to look into several things. Like the ‘win it you are in’ rule, the number of drivers in the playoff field, or whether the championship 4 should remain 4 or become 5, maybe 6. And if so, should it be a round in itself? Like Denny Hamlin had previously suggested: a three-race finale. Anyways, the details of the changes will get clearer over time. For now, the only goal should be to prioritize consistency and race craft over everything else. And let’s hope we see it happening in the 2026 season.
Even Bell has his fingers crossed for this! “So hopefully we can get a format that provides a lot of entertainment, a lot of excitement and some amazing finishes to the championship race. While upping the legitimacy of the NASCAR Cup Series championship,” He added.
Christopher Bell was asked this morning about his role on NASCAR’s Playoff Committee and his insight into it.
“The goal for the whole thing is to help bring more legitimacy to the championship. I think everybody has believed that the champions of the new age are held to…it… https://t.co/8VssIC7kM1 pic.twitter.com/HsRXWbuSOD
— Steven Taranto (@STaranto92) March 1, 2025
And while the members of the committee haven’t been named…Forde kind of hinted at who might be there!
Who’s on the playoff committee?
NASCAR was very clear on their reasons for choosing Bell. “I think how he handled the disappointment of Martinsville — we took notice of that. He was vocal and super candid as you guys all remember in the media center. And I think a lot of people would probably assume that we didn’t care for that, but the opposite. We met with him prior to that engagement in the media center and met with him in January again to talk about where we were with the playoffs, to invite him as part of this committee,” Forde had previously said.
And other than Bell, it’s a group of veteran drivers, active drivers, some Hall of Famers, OEM leaders, and even broadcasters. The biggest hint has got to be when Forde said, “Someone with a podcast.” This could either be Dale Jr. or Denny Hamlin. And if you listen to Forde carefully… he also says the group has “Hall of Famers and drivers who are owners.” So maybe both of them can be on there. We’ve all heard their rants demanding changes for quite some time now. So it makes sense to get their suggestions.
Also, Kevin Harvick can be on the list. He fits all the descriptions: broadcaster (FOX), veteran driver, runs a podcast, and will soon be in the Hall of Fame. And he too is very active in discussing and criticizing the format on his podcast, ‘Happy Hour.’ Like Kevin, even Kenny Wallace can be on the committee. Even Richard Petty could be one. He’s seen it all! NASCAR has quite literally evolved in front of his eyes. So he could have some valuable insights to share.
While the members are important…the big question is ‘What are the changes?’ Well, we’ll know over time, but as Forde revealed, some in the committee are for the current format, some against it, and some even have suggested going back to the pre-playoffs format. Basically, where a whole season decides the champion and not just the last 10 races. Whatever it is, it should be entertaining!
What do you think the possible changes to the format can be? Share your thoughts with us in the comments below.
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