For fans hoping NASCAR will return to a traditional 36-race points championship, longtime insider Bob Pockrass is offering a blunt reality check. As debate around the playoff format continues, Pockrass has made it clear that a full-season championship is not on the table. Despite growing frustration from fans, the sport’s leadership sees too many obstacles to justify going back.

That stance clashes with the views of former drivers like Mark Martin, who have publicly criticized the current system for rewarding inconsistency. While those opinions reflect widespread fan sentiment, Pockrass points to deeper factors shaping NASCAR’s decision.

Bob Pockrass didn’t hesitate to respond to a fan who tweeted, “So what you’re saying is we’re still getting playoffs…… 😑.” Aiming to clarify the situation and temper the frustration, Pockrass quickly set the record straight with his reply.

“I’ve said all along I don’t think NASCAR will go to a 36-race full-season format. I think NASCAR likes at least one-time reset and the ability for more drivers to have a shot over the last couple of months. Also with reset, less incentive during regular season to race hurt for a race or two,” Pockrass replied.

Realistically, Pockrass is viewing this from NASCAR’s mindset. When Pockrass says NASCAR likes at least one time reset, he’s referring to the points reset before the playoffs.

The reset keeps more drivers in championship contention late in the season instead of allowing one driver to clinch the title early. For NASCAR, the playoff system creates more competitive races and sustains interest through the final events.

It also allows margin for error. Drivers can miss races without ending their title chances, something a full-season points format does not allow.

Pockrass says NASCAR values flexibility and late-season competition over a strict 36-race points system, making a return to the old format unlikely even if playoff changes are made.

However, it all started with Mark Martin sounding off on the idea.

“And I just don’t think that we should; I think we should put more emphasis on what our fans, our core fans want,” he said. “Everywhere I go and every fan I talk to hates playoffs. I’m sorry.”

NASCAR’s current elimination-style format, adopted in 2014, features a 10-race postseason designed to determine the series champion. The league has consistently stood by the system, citing increased late-season tension and dramatic, attention-grabbing finishes as proof of its success.

That drama, however, has come with trade-offs.

Some critics say the playoff system diminishes the importance of the regular season, allowing drivers with multiple wins or steady performances to be eliminated before the championship event comes into play.

From this perspective, a driver’s consistency and excellence over the full year can be undone in a single unlucky stretch of races. Before the playoff format was introduced in 2014, the championship was determined by total points across all 36 races.

That system rewarded drivers who performed well week after week, emphasizing endurance, consistency, and strong results of the entire season rather than just the final handful of races.

But with voices like Mark Martin and Bob Pockrass standing strong and honest in the firestorm of the debate, NASCAR has yet to decide.

NASCAR has not announced any official changes as the sport moves toward the 2026 season and the Daytona 500, as the future of the NASCAR championship format hangs in the balance.

What are the possible options amid the playoff discussion?

While a full-season points championship seems unlikely, that doesn’t mean NASCAR’s playoff system will not evolve. One idea gaining attention would keep multiple elimination rounds while determining the champion over a series of races rather than a single winner-take-all finale. Hoping for a return to a traditional point system, the prospects remain slim.

There has also been chatter about reviving the original 10-race chase, though Kaulig Racing’s CEO Chris Rice has suggested the next version may be something entirely different.

“The traditional way of doing points would be tough to do in this era,” he said. “Because we are looking towards a younger group of people.”

Moreover, the discussion is intensified by the fact that NASCAR is currently the only major series to use a postseason-style championship. Both IndyCar and Formula One still crowned their champions based on total points across the full season.

Other motorsports have experimented with playoff systems in different ways. The NHRA uses its Countdown to the Championship, which resets points for the final six races.

On the dirt side, the Lucas Oil Dirt Late Model Series tried a playoff format for three seasons but will return to a full-season point system next year.

These developments keep NASCAR under scrutiny, particularly as many fans continued to voice support for a traditional, seasonal championship that rewards consistency from start to finish