NASCAR Insider Reveals Radical Plan to 'Fix' NASCAR Format After Joey Logano Win

Joey Logano's third NASCAR Cup championship in 2024 has brought fresh scrutiny to NASCAR's playoff format. Known as "The Chase," the current structure has faced criticism for prioritizing race wins over season-long consistency. Logano's title victory, unseating the defending champion Ryan Blaney, has spurred NASCAR insider Kevin Harvick to propose a bold new approach.

Calls for change within NASCAR

Kevin Harvick, a respected voice and former champion of the sport, has presented a plan to change up the playoff format on his Happy Hour podcast (below). His proposal is not an overhaul but rather an adjustment of the needle by a single degree, aiming to increase the weight of regular-season performance. Harvick's approach suggests awarding top regular-season performers with either additional points or a secure spot in the penultimate playoff round, strengthening the role of season-long success in the championship fight.

A key question, Harvick argues, is the value of the regular season within the playoff structure.

"What is the weight of the regular season, and where does that regular season champion fall?" Harvick asked. "We talked about putting them in the Championship 4. We started a conversation last week that was fun and intriguing to me, and I think that, when you come back and look at those things, maybe that champion goes into the final eight, maybe not the final four, and having to earn your way to the end."

Joey Logano, driver of the #22 Shell Pennzoil Ford, celebrates with a burnout after winning the NASCAR Cup Series Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway on November 10, 2024 in Avondale, Arizona. After Joey Logano's championship... James Gilbert/Getty Images

He continued:

"If we could make the regular season more meaningful, that's really the accomplishment that I'd like to see made over the first 26 weeks, to have that weighted to what it is, because it's not like other sports."

Unlike the knockout-style playoffs of football, sports like baseball and basketball provide teams with a buffer for error, rewarding season-long performance. Harvick believes NASCAR could benefit from a similar model.

"You can't compare this to football and baseball and basketball, and this team got eliminated and that team got eliminated... It's not a single race. It's not a single game, outside of football.

"I mean, football is more along the lines of what we do...You have to have some sort of playoff format. But I think the biggest thing is figuring out how to weight that regular season to make it matter as much as possible."

There is a genuine chance that Harvick's ideas could influence the 2025 season. NASCAR's leadership remains attuned to driver, fan, and stakeholder feedback, with many calling for changes that prioritize more than individual race wins.