The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series delivered some edge-of-your-seat action, which started from the Daytona 500 and ended in Phoenix. Drivers pushed their limits to complete those 9,580 laps in 36 races amid all kinds of hurdles that came their way, be it wrecks or tire issues. Yet, as the dust settled, a simple stat from NASCAR has added some fresh hate to the already disliked playoff system.

NASCAR Insights dropped a bombshell stat on their X post, which shows a list of drivers with the most laps completed for the 2025 season. The max laps possible to complete were 9580. Tyler Reddick tops that list, completing 9,565 laps of them. But the kicker is, most of these top-10 grinders, like Ryan Preece (9,530) or Michael McDowell (9,425), missed the playoffs entirely, while only three of them even entered the playoffs.

Most laps completed in the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season pic.twitter.com/Ex7aQhuaPB

— NASCAR Insights (@NASCARInsights) November 8, 2025

The top-10 order was: Tyler Reddick, Ryan Preece, Michael McDowell, Todd Gilliland, Chris Buescher, Joey Logano, Kyle Busch, Ty Dillon, Austin Dillon, and Ty Gibbs. Out of these, only Reddick, Logano, and Austin Dillon entered the playoffs. And what’s more, only Reddick and Logano were the two drivers out of these ten who won a race this year.

These facts and numbers reveal how consistency is considered less important than unpredictability in the chase for the title. Veterans like Denny Hamlin snagged six wins but watched others win the title on single-race heroics, fueling debates on fairness.

It exposes a troubling trend that the format rewards occasional or random brilliance over steady performance, sidelining reliable runners who avoid trouble all year. It’s no wonder fans are calling for tweaks, especially after the Christopher Bell case, where he was among the top contenders in the playoff 8 but got eliminated from playoff 4 because he could not snag a win in playoff 8, despite three consecutive top-three finishes in Kansas, Charlotte Roval, and Las Vegas.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. nailed it on his podcast, where he shared that he had a quick chat with NASCAR’s Steve O’Donnell post-Xfinity finale: “A lot of people are talking about the Cup stuff; we know that’s probably coming in terms of a change to the format, but nobody ever says a thing about the Xfinity or Truck… whatever happens to Cup, something similar will happen.”

Coming from a guy whose JR Motorsports team just missed out on the Xfinity title with three contenders in the final four, this shows the chain reaction that started from the Cup Series Playoff debate. Now, NASCAR fans and even team owners like Dale Jr. crave a system where all-season consistency pays off. Earnhardt’s words echo the garage heartaches, like after Hamlin’s six victories couldn’t overcome a late Phoenix caution, proving one bad moment in a last race could erase a season’s edge.

He added excitement for 2026 tweaks. “I’m excited about next year… we’re going to have four drivers, hopefully, driving for a championship,” hinting at broader access that could fix this playoff pitfall.

The fans don’t like this, and they piled up on the X thread, rallying cries for a desperate reform.

Fans’ firestorm unleashed

“None of the Champ 4.” It’s a gut punch since Larson, Hamlin, Briscoe, and Byron logged far fewer clean laps than backmarkers like Todd Gilliland (9,407). Picture Chase Briscoe, who snagged three regular-season wins but wrecked often in the playoffs, versus Gilliland’s quiet consistency at Front Row Motorsports. This mismatch fuels the fire, showing how the “win-and-in” setup ignores the marathon of 36 races.

Diving deeper into the thread, another fan cut straight, saying, “Half these guys didn’t even make the playoffs.” Spot on, as seven of the top 10, including Ty Dillon (9,348), could not qualify in the playoff-16 despite near-perfect attendance. Dillon’s effort kept him completing one lap after another, but no victory meant no qualification in the playoffs, unlike van Gisbergen, whose 8,897 laps alone punched his ticket for the playoffs. It’s a system where one win overpowers 9,000+ laps of reliability.

Then came the big-picture burn, “I think this also proves how bad the playoffs are. None of these guys were close to a title. Just win a race and coast to the playoffs. All these guys had to push to try and get wins.” This comment stated the core flaw of this playoff system. As non-playoff aces like Michael McDowell chased points weekly, drivers like Logano with a single win locked their spots early, freeing them from points-chasing pressure.

Wrapping up the rant, a fan quipped, “And the crazy part? Only 20% of these drivers were in the playoffs and won a race… but hey! Drama is more entertaining than consistency!” With just two race winners in the top 10 (Logano and Dillon), this playoff system highlights the irony, as Van Gisbergen‘s only road course flair shadowed McDowell’s steady Spire ride, which earned zero headlines. This shows drama sells, but now fans crave balance.