Brad Keselowski’s X post “Clear as day, not enough talk about winning and winners … covering 15th for known elimination is easier for media storylines. Fans are voting with their eyeballs, and it’s definitely a net loss for the sport vs the full-season format. Now is the time to fix this,” hit NASCAR like a thunderbolt. It’s not just a tweet; it’s a call to arms for a sport wrestling with its identity.

Keselowski, a 2012 Cup champion and RFK Racing co-owner, sees the playoff format’s obsession with bubble battles, drivers scraping for the final transfer spot, drowning out the stories of dominance and brilliance that make legends. When Shane van Gisbergen smoked the field by 15 seconds at the 2025 Charlotte Roval, the headlines still zeroed in on Joey Logano’s clutch survival and Ross Chastain’s desperate wreck. Keselowski’s fed up, and he’s not alone.

The problem runs deep. NASCAR’s playoff system, built for drama, thrives on elimination chaos, but it’s starting to feel like a soap opera where the undercard overshadows the main event. Keselowski’s point about “star power” is sharp: icons like Jimmie Johnson or Jeff Gordon were forged through wins and commanding performances, not just sneaking past cutlines.

When the media hypes the fight for 15th over a driver’s masterclass, it risks turning fans away from the sport’s heart, racing for glory. The 2025 numbers back him up. The Kansas playoff race drew just 1.49 million viewers, a 26% drop from 1.79 million in 2024. The playoff average was a grim 1.54 million, the lowest since the format’s debut. Fans are tuning out, and Keselowski’s saying it’s because the sport’s selling survival over speed.

Fragmented broadcasting doesn’t help. With races split across FOX, NBC, USA, TNT, and Amazon, fans are playing hide-and-seek to find their fix. It’s a far cry from the days when a full-season points format kept the narrative simple, where every race mattered and no gimmicks were needed. Keselowski’s “net loss” jab compares today’s playoff circus to the old system, where consistency built legacies. Back then, a driver like Gordon in 1998 or Johnson in the 2000s could string together wins that had fans glued to every lap, not just the cutline math.

His timing’s no accident. NASCAR is debating 2026 changes, possibly a four-race final round or more championship contenders, but Keselowski’s pushing for a bigger fix. “Now is the time” isn’t a suggestion; it’s a deadline. As a driver and owner, he knows the stakes. If the sport keeps hyping bubble drama, it risks losing its soul. Even NASCAR executive Steve O’Donnell admits the format’s under scrutiny, with pressure to justify keeping it as viewership slides 300,000 to 400,000 below 2024’s mark. Keselowski’s not just griping; he’s sounding an alarm for a sport at a crossroads.

But not everyone’s on board. Joey Logano, a playoff-format darling with two titles, loves the “wicked” moments cutoffs create, arguing they birth stories a season-long format can’t match. It’s a fair point since eliminations make every restart electric. But Keselowski counters that survival shouldn’t trump star-making wins. The debate’s heating up, and fans are picking sides, with Reddit threads buzzing over Keselowski’s call to rethink how NASCAR crowns its champions.

Reddit lit up with fans echoing Keselowski’s frustration.

Fans rally behind Keselowski’s fix

“It really sucked after the Xfinity race when they went to interview all 12 playoff drivers over Austin Green finishing 2nd,” one user vented. Green’s runner-up was a career highlight, but post-race coverage buried it to spotlight playoff contenders. It’s a pattern. Non-playoff drivers like Green or Erik Jones get sidelined when they shine, making their runs feel like footnotes. When the media skips the podium to chase cutline drama, it tells fans that only playoff survival matters, not race-day brilliance.

“I don’t like how non-playoff drivers basically let the playoff drivers go, especially in the last race. There is absolutely no point in them being in that race since they are not trying to win, just waving the final four by,” another fan griped.

It’s a sore spot because non-contenders sometimes ease up in elimination races, creating openings for playoff drivers or even tactical interference. Jeff Burton has called it out, saying the format tempts alliances or soft racing that dilute competition. Fans miss the old Chase’s balance, where every driver had skin in the game, even if it wasn’t perfect.

“The playoff cutline drama is fun to follow, but as Brad Keselowski and Jeff Gluck have said, NASCAR should spotlight the winners more instead of focusing only on who survives elimination,” one comment read.

Gluck, on The Teardown, backed Keselowski’s push to celebrate wins over bubble battles, noting stars like Larson or van Gisbergen lose shine when their dominance, like Larson’s Roval duel with SVG, gets less airtime than Logano’s transfer. It’s why Gordon’s 1998 streak or Johnson’s five titles hooked fans: sustained excellence, not just survival, builds legends.

“Larson went toe-to-toe with Shane van Gisbergen, one of the few to do so this season, but barely got post-race attention despite finishing second and advancing,” a fan noted. Keselowski cited the Roval to slam the format’s focus on “playoff implications” over pure racing, pointing to past incidents like Logano’s 2015 Kansas move or Hamlin’s 2022 Martinsville dive. These moments, fueled by desperation, skew the sport’s integrity, and fans want wins, not wrecks, to take center stage.

“Please, please, please, NASCAR. From a 20-year diehard fan, you need to do what’s right. FULL SEASON POINTS,” one user begged. The full-season format, last used in 2003, rewarded every race’s value and avoided artificial cutlines.

With 2025’s viewership tanking, some races barely hitting 1.5 million, fans like this one see it as proof that the playoff model’s failing. O’Donnell’s hint at 2026 tweaks shows NASCAR’s listening, but a full-season return could be the fix for Keselowski’s championing.

“I don’t like the current format, but personally, it would not matter what format was in place. I love watching NASCAR and will watch every race across all three national series every season, no matter what,” a loyalist said. It’s a reminder that NASCAR’s core fans are ride-or-die, but even they want a system that feels fair. Their passion holds firm, but the call for change is loud.

“Full season points. These races are all so loose that it only makes sense. Who cares if it ends early? People will be glued,” another argued. A season-long format would make every lap matter, not just elimination races. Keselowski’s “net loss” warning, backed by 2025’s viewership dip, has fans nodding. Focus on winners, not survivors, to bring NASCAR’s epic heart back.