At the 2025 Enjoy Illinois 300, Joey Logano entered the race hanging by a thread, hovering just three points below the elimination line at Gateway’s unforgiving, flat 1.25-mile oval. Though he didn’t stand on the top step, his No. 22 Ford showed grit: climbing from mid-pack, racking up eight Stage 2 points, and ultimately finishing fifth to vault himself safely into the next round. On the Playoff Media Day, he staunchly defended the current playoff format, which many veterans did not agree with. He argued, “If you scored a bunch of points during a regular season and you didn’t make it to the Championship 4, then shame on you. You had a head start, and you still couldn’t do it. But don’t say it’s not legit. You could have gone out there and won to get in. You didn’t.” And this set the tone for a playoff drama to unfold.

Every epic needs its counterpoint. In response to Logano’s comment, NASCAR legend Dale Earnhardt Jr. offered a nuanced rebuttal: “My point being not just the playoffs and how you score points has changed. The sport has evolved. Every championship is unique. So is Joey’s. But I don’t think the single-race format is the best way to decide the champion. It doesn’t mean Joey doesn’t deserve to be celebrated. And it doesn’t mean if they were to change it, it wouldn’t dilute or take away from what he did. What’s done is done,” he said. Now, with both sides laid bare, it was time for another voice to weigh in on the situation, and he is none other than Denny Hamlin.

Denny Hamlin warns of Xfinity Series vulnerability under the current system

In his Actions Detrimental podcast, Denny Hamlin was vocal about the challenges posed by NASCAR’s playoff system, particularly the resetting of points after each round, after Logano’s comments. “It’s like all the hard work you put in, they keep resetting the scoreboard. Which I did see last weekend. Dale Jr. had a really, really good explanation, too… First he laughed for a little while. He’s like, ‘listen, I get it.’ However, Joey has to identify that he was more than like five races behind entering the playoffs. NASCAR reset the scoreboard for you that benefited you to allow you to catch up because you were so far behind, which I thought was a really, really good counter to the- ‘well, if you don’t step up in the moment, it’s your fault.'”

Dale Jr. has also expressed a preference for a system that values full-season performance, suggesting that the current format may not adequately reward consistency. Additionally, incidents like the 2024 Cook Out 400, where Austin Dillon‘s aggressive tactics during the final laps led to significant controversy, highlight the unpredictable nature of the playoff system. “And then the other team goes and scores a field goal and wins the game,” he continued. “And it’s like… how did that happen? I scored six touchdowns. You know, wins. Someone comes in there, wins a race, a field goal, and wins a championship.”

This format, implemented in 2004, was designed to create a more exciting and unpredictable championship battle. However, critics argue that it can lead to a situation where a driver who has performed well throughout the season may be eliminated due to a single poor performance in the playoffs. And that is what many fear will be Dale Jr.’s teenage star, Connor Zilisch’s fate. “I’m just saying that’s what could happen and certainly could happen in the Xfinity Series. I think that’s the most vulnerable big win guy not winning at all that we have on our slate,” Hamlin said.

While being a rookie with 9 wins and a comfortable playoff points cushion heading into the postseason, Zilisch’s expectations could be upended drastically. Insiders highlight the scenario at Phoenix, where Zilisch could be overtaken by a teammate like Justin Allgaier, who has a proven track record at the track.

Hamlin further added, “I thought Dale Jr. did a fantastic job when talking about the playoff format, saying that that was a bad argument by Joey, saying that it’s your fault for not making it because you got a head start going into the playoffs when essentially NASCAR erased your five race deficit.” Dale Jr. pushed back on Logano’s suggestion that missing the Championship 4 despite a regular-season “head start,” saying, “He went from how many races out of the points lead to like one and then they get erased after each round. That’s the way I see it. This system definitely benefits (him because he) went from eight races behind the leader in points to one race,” which Hamlin thinks is a sharp counter to the argument.

In the end, Hamlin’s views align with those of other prominent figures like Dale Earnhardt Jr., who has also questioned the current system and advocated for potential change. Whether there is any change or not depends on NASCAR.

Denny Hamlin calls out internal frustrations amid JGR’s playoff momentum

At the 2025 Enjoy Illinois 300, Christopher Bell looked strong early, finishing P7 in Stage 1, P5 in Stage 2, and bringing his No. 20 Camry home in P7 overall. But despite speed, his emotions took over. As the checkered flag waved, Bell snapped on the radio: “We just f—g ran 7th with the best car on the track! Every f—g week it’s the same s–t! We’re the last car to pit road! I’m over it!” 

Denny Hamlin didn’t shy away from addressing the situation on his podcast, saying, “That was uncharacteristic. He made some big comments after the race. The team said that, ‘hey, this is the kind of day we needed to rest easy at Bristol.’ And he was just pissed.” Hamlin added, “I believe that every driver measures themselves off of their teammates, and I think he’s growing frustrated that he’s not getting the results that he thinks he should be getting at this time.”

On pit strategy, Hamlin noted, “So I think that he vented about them staying out longer than everyone else, that pit stop that they had… But I think he just was looking for the nearest dog to kick, and we finished 7th place with one of the fastest cars.” Still, he reinforced Bell’s importance in Joe Gibbs Racing, saying, “He was kind of the gold standard for JGR at this racetrack, and New Hampshire, probably, he will be again. So he’s the guy that I listen to absolutely the most when we come to these tracks and try to get better with.” Ultimately, Bristol becomes the last proving ground for the JGR driver.