“I think if there are any changes in the future that are to be made, it has to be first and foremost simplifying in order for more to understand and appreciate.” Austin Cindric said these words in a ‘Door, Bumper, Clear’ episode a few days ago. He highlighted the heavy criticism of the current playoff format, implying that many of its benefits are often misunderstood. However, a NASCAR veteran pointed out that it is not the only misunderstood thing.

Jeff Burton, currently an NBC Sports racing analyst, has experienced NASCAR across its forms. He has been a Cup Series driver from 1993 to 2014, winning 21 races across the sport’s varied championship formats. Moreover, having worked in TV as well, he understands which works best for both drivers and viewership – and also how fans’ notions could be flawed.

Jeff Burton underlines the inconsistency

“It was one of the best things I’ve ever been involved in. The process was right, 100 percent.” Jeff Burton spoke these words about stage racing in 2017, and in 2025, he still sticks to them. Under the older format, drivers would need to win or finish well to pick up points. The drivers who performed well during the thick of the races fizzled out with no credit. Stage racing flipped that narrative, as it rewards consistent performance throughout a race, like winning stages. That is why Jeff Burton is baffled by some fans’ criticism. People who prefer a full-season format that rewards consistency throughout the season, at the same time debunk stage racing, which also rewards consistency.

In a recent ‘Door, Bumper, Clear’ episode, Jeff Burton pointed out a befuddling logic of fans. He said, “You’ll have a group of people that say, ‘Well, stage racing is just giving something for nothing.’ What the hell? That makes no sense whatsoever.” Then he demanded that whoever is adamant about changing stage racing should give a good logic first. “If you have a complaint and don’t like something, you should say it. But you should explain why. Like, why do you really feel the way you feel.”

Then Jeff Burton went on to break down the inconsistency in fans’ opinions. He observed the absurd 180-degree shift in takes from the playoffs to stage racing. “We literally are saying… that point system says the better you do during the race, the more points you’re going to earn. If I said to you, philosophically, we’re going to pay you more points for how you run during the race. Reward the people that are doing the best. Do you like that? Do you like rewarding people? I would say 95% of people agree. Hell yeah! And then, Stage racing sucks! The same people that say stage racing sucks say they wanted 36 regular.”

Unlike Jeff Burton, other NASCAR veterans like Richard Petty and Mark Martin have called out stage racing. Petty, a 200-time Cup Series race-winning legend, said, “I don’t care if you lead 499 laps of a 500-lap race — if you get beat, then you’re not the winner, and you shouldn’t have any [extra] points.” Another reason that Petty clarified was the lack of a single winner. “Right now, there’s too big of a crowd. We’ve got no leaders. We’ve had, what, 15 different winners this year? That does not create a following. No matter what happens, you need a fox out front. We don’t have any leader — whether he’s good, bad, or indifferent.”

Clearly, Jeff Burton may have several opponents to his view. However, active Cup Series drivers are not too bothered about the incoming format tweaks.

Focusing on their performance

While there are no hints indicating a change in stage racing, NASCAR is moving towards a tweak in the playoff format. The Athletic reporter Jordan Bianchi first let slip the updated format, and that has gone viral among drivers and fans since. The proposal would change the current 3–3–3–1 to three races in the Round of 16, three in the Round of 12, and a four-race championship finale. Although many people are excited for the change, a few active drivers are indifferent.

Two-time Cup Series champion Kyle Busch is among them – the Richard Childress Racing driver is currently riding an 85-race winless streak. He highlighted one’s ability to adapt to the rules, no matter what they are. He said, “It doesn’t matter what system it is. Everybody wants to make such a big deal about what it is. If you know what is going on, exploit it the way you need to exploit it for yourself to make a championship.” Yet he did slip a slight optimistic wish that it would help him retrieve his previous mojo. Busch said, “I mean, I haven’t been in the playoffs in a few years. So it’d be nice to get back to the playoffs and have a shot to race for something of that nature.”

Bubba Wallace won his way into the 2025 playoffs for the first time in his career. This season, the 23XI Racing driver has been on a roll, winning the Brickyard 400 and finishing well. At the same time, 23XI is racing as an open team, so Wallace’s concerns are elsewhere. So his approach has also changed, as Wallace is willing to adapt and survive. He said, “You can leave me out of the format talks. If I have a contract and have a car and have a team and all this stuff, I’m gonna go race whatever it is and try to be the best at that. I could give two craps about how it is.”

Hence, the debate about NASCAR’s playoff format is long and dragged out. While we can see a tweak in the format, stage racing may stay, as Jeff Burton pointed out.