Just a week ago, the streets of Mexico City roared as NASCAR’s Cup Series made its first point-paying appearance on international soil since the 1950s. The joy doubled down when Trackhouse Racing’s rookie driver Shane van Gisbergen took the checkered flag, notching his first win of the season. The Kiwi entered the weekend with high expectations, being a road course ace. And in typical SVG fashion, the Trackhouse #88 won dominantly, securing a provisional playoff berth. His victory lit up NASCAR social media, but not in the way wins usually do.

Fans and veterans weren’t just cheering. They were questioning. Can a driver buried 33rd in the points standings really be a title contender? NASCAR legend Richard Petty didn’t hold back. “You got somebody that’s 30th in points that’s gonna make the playoffs. Hey man, what happened to the guy that’s 15th or 16th or 18th? Running good, finishing good,” he said. Petty, who built his legacy on short ovals, didn’t appreciate how road courses are now defining the fate of the championship.

And the King wasn’t alone in his frustration as NASCAR’s biggest stage suddenly became its most controversial. Just like that, the championship conversation exploded. Fans who once only debated drivers were now fiercely divided over the structure of the sport itself. Arguments across social media, podcasts, and pit lanes quickly overshadowed the celebration in Mexico. With ten races left before the playoffs, a storm is brewing, and this time, it’s off the track.

Within a week of Shane van Gisbergen’s surprise win, NASCAR veterans like Mark Martin and Dale Earnhardt Jr questioned NASCAR’s playoff format. And just hours before the Pocono Race, veteran reporter Jeff Gluck posted a poll on X. His question: What championship format should NASCAR use? The responses were immediate and intense. Opinions flew fast, with Gluck’s comments section lighting up. The poll did more than gather data; it sparked one of the biggest fan debates in recent memory.

The reaction was as loud as a restrictor plate race, as many called the system broken beyond repair. A user summed it up perfectly, saying, “I like the current system, but without a guaranteed playoff spot. Win should be a big point difference over 2nd (maybe 100), but not guaranteed spot in playoffs.” It resonates with many. The current system is so flawed that drivers like Chase Briscoe are hoping for more SVG wins on the four remaining road courses.

“I was actually talking to my dad about it, where, out of everybody to win, if I couldn’t win, I kind of wanted SVG just because odds are he’s probably going to win one of the other ones. So I would rather him win it than somebody else, right? Because now, if I don’t win the other road courses, I hope SVG wins them all just because of how it would work out,” he recently told the media. Why? Because multiple SVG wins wouldn’t knock out another points-based driver. That’s how upside-down the system is.

Statistics back the outrage. Bubba Wallace is 10th in points but just 13th in the playoff picture. Alex Bowman is barely clinging to a playoff spot despite running a steady season. Kyle Busch, 20th in the playoff grid, needs either a miracle win or to pray nobody else behind him scores one. However, this debate about the flawed playoff system was triggered by NASCAR legend Mark Martin.

Last week on Kenny Wallace’s show, he ripped the format to pieces. “Joey (Logano) being 20th-place in the points and winning the championship last year, that should’ve been the nail in the coffin for that playoff system, the one race thing,” he said. Martin, always the runner-up but never the champ, sees this as a betrayal of everything NASCAR stood for. However, Joey Logano, one of the biggest beneficiaries of the system, wasn’t having it. The former champ stood tall and unapologetic.

“Our playoff system rewards consistency through the regular season, it rewards winning through the regular season to seed you better, but at the same time, there’s always the underdog story that can get hot at the right time, figure everything out, and go win the championship and take it from what may have been the best team through the first 26 races of the regular season… I know everyone’s going to say, ‘Well, it’s because you’ve won a lot of them,’ but I really do enjoy it,” he said.

Logano’s stance fired up even more arguments. Supporters say NASCAR needs chaos to stay exciting. Critics say he’s defending a flawed system that made him a champion with one regular-season win and a 17.1 average finish. But Logano doesn’t care. “This system works,” he insists. For him, it’s about playing the game better than anyone else. This divide is where it gets ugly. The drivers are split. The legends are speaking up. But now, the fans have fully jumped in, and their voices are even louder.

What do fans think of NASCAR’s playoff format?

The fallout from SVG’s Mexico win didn’t end with the experts. Fans across the NASCAR garage have taken to forums, social media, and fan groups to share their frustrations. One thing’s clear: there is no middle ground. Many argue that NASCAR got it right the first time with the original Chase format. One fan wrote, “The original chase was the best version of the postseason playoffs. You had to be consistent, but you also had to step up at the end. That mix made it fair and exciting.” The original Chase format seemed to find the balance between playoff thrill and consistency being rewarded. No win and you’re in, but if you’re in the top 10 in the standings at the end of 26 races, you get to take part in a 10-race Chase with a point reset and fight for a championship.

Others are calling for a full return to season-long standings. “A full season is the only way to crown a legitimate champion in motorsports,” one user posted. This group points to drivers like Bubba Wallace, who is 10th in regular-season points but only 13th in the playoff projection, clearly a case where consistent performance is overshadowed by the current ‘win and you’re in system.’ Another common sentiment is frustration over wild-card entries like SVG.

“All 36 count,” one fan argued. “So, we don’t have another Joey Logano scenario, where a guy wins one race, finishes mid-pack all year, and still takes the championship.” That exact scenario occurred in 2024, and it’s what many see as the system’s biggest flaw, as Logano won 3/4 races of his season in the playoffs, turning up the heat after a year of average finishes.. One creative fan offered a middle-ground solution: “I would like a 30-race championship, then do a tournament between manufacturers or blind draw or some type of gimmick so they can get their TV ‘game seven’ type drama.”

That idea highlights NASCAR’s challenge, balancing tradition with entertainment value. Statistics back these divides. In a recent poll by Mark Martin, 59.7% of over 21,000 fans voted in favor of returning to a full-season points format. The current system received the fewest votes. The community is leaning in one direction, but NASCAR’s decision might not follow. What do you think the championship format should be? Let us know in the comments!