When NASCAR switched to a different format in 2004, it received mixed reactions from the drivers. This was the direct result of the 2003 season when Matt Kenseth secured an outstanding run. Kenseth won the NASCAR Winston Cup championship that year. His title victory before the season finale sparked discussions about the need for a change in the championship format.

As a result, the introduction of the Chase for the Championship aimed to strike a balance between consistency and winning by resetting the top 10 drivers’ points after a 26-race regular season. However, critics contended that this new format favored winning over consistency, resulting in a significant shift in the sport’s dynamics. Among the critics is the “not-so-fan favorite” JGR star driver, Denny Hamlin. It is not hard to guess why one of the most consistent drivers of this generation opts to choose consistency over winning in one race.

Denny Hamlin demands a “new round” from NASCAR

Denny Hamlin opened up on a recent episode of Kevin Harvick‘s Happy Hour and spoke about different aspects of racing. He suddenly mentions this new system of deciding championships and expresses his discontent with it. According to him, the real test lies when every race matters. That gives the competition value, rather than just focusing on 10 playoff races.

Hamlin said, “I would like to see it rotate. I’m not a fan of championship round personally. I’m more of a person that I think, one race is just too small of a sample size. I know that’s the way it is, and that’s how they crown champions now. But if we have round of 16, round of 8, round of 4, why don’t you have a round of championship. So, break it down a mile and a half. You can have, I don’t care, put a road course, and a half short track. Whatever you want to do. But, I think the larger the sample size, the better the results are going to be for the true champ.”

Kevin Harvick agreed with Hamlin’s idea and stated that the point system needs to be looked at from the perspective of the number of races. He also voiced his opinion regarding the drop in television ratings.

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“You’re exactly right, and I think that if anything I think there’s more, you have three championship races. No one will pull away and win it after the second race. All races will be relevant. I think you would have a heck of a battle. And you’re really going to test those final four drivers at each type of different skill set,” Hamlin continued starting the relevance.

The old Latford system used by NASCAR before 2004

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For approximately 30 years, NASCAR employed the Latford System to determine its champion. In that system, drivers accumulated points throughout the entire season. The one with the highest cumulative points at the season’s end claimed the championship title. A couple of decades ago, in 2004, NASCAR took a massive turn by unveiling its inaugural playoff system. Under this system, the top 10 drivers entered a 10-race points battle after the 26th race of the season. The final 10 races were divided into three three-race rounds, with four drivers eliminated after each phase. The championship race gave the remaining four contenders an equal opportunity to claim victory.

That is not all. In 2014, NASCAR announced the modern playoff system, or the elimination system. Here, the drivers engage in a series of rounds, and after each phase, the lowest-scoring participants are eliminated. The playoffs reach their climax in the Championship Race, where the top-performing driver is crowned the season’s champion. Interestingly, since the inception of this new playoff system, there hasn’t been a consecutive winner.

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It would be fascinating to know if the authorities decide to revoke the current system anytime in the future. If so, how will the current drivers react to this change in the championship decider?