NASCAR is finally doing it. An entire week of speculation and rumors is finally coming to an end this Monday. There were multiple news breakouts about the sport changing its championship format, as the current playoff system is simply not working out for the sport anymore.

On Monday afternoon, 3:30 PM ET, there will be an official press release by NASCAR that will discuss the fate of the championship format. An insider has already leaked that this new format will include a ‘Chase’ for the last 10 races. Unlike the playoff system, the drivers won’t get eliminated after the third race, giving them every chance to rectify their mistakes until the final race.

The playoff system has been irritating the fans, nonetheless. Bluntly put, it just makes the other 26 races useless. What is the point of racing for the entire season if your championship hopes get squashed in one race?

There are multiple accounts of drivers winning the regular championship only to get eliminated early on in the playoffs. Fortunately, Jim France and Co. have heard the complaints and are now trying to make amends for the situation.

As expected, this announcement brought forth a wave of paranoia and frenzy among the fans of the sport.

NASCAR fans go wild discussing the potential changes in the new format

One thing is for sure: NASCAR fans are not at all satisfied with the sport’s management. “We’re all prepared to be let down. It’s the only thing NASCAR has been consistently good at for 20+ years.”

This was the reaction of one of the fans to the announcement of the new championship system. But there is a massive outcry for bringing back the regular championship scoring system. The fans do not want a gimmick or any short schedule of championship-deciding races. They want to feel the excitement build from the start and go forward with the season.

“36 races or our sport is in serious trouble,” said another. “⁠If it’s not a 36 race format, I will no longer watch the sport I love.”

We can see how some hardcore fans really want the old school racing to come back. Scoring throughout the entire championship is, in fact, a very good idea. It will also streamline NASCAR with the other motorsports. There is no point in racing hard throughout the season if your drive gets ruined in the very first race of the playoffs.

If this were how motorsports operated, then we would never get the legendary battle between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton in 2021. Hamilton was the one who made a late charge in the 2021 season and went toe-to-toe with Verstappen until the final race of the season. If we use the NASCAR system in that case, then Hamilton would win the title because he won more compared to Max Verstappen in the latter half of the season. This is exactly what a user meant when he said: “Get rid of stages… there… fixed it.”

Although one of the fans also reminded the angry and visibly frustrated community that, in the end, it is a sport meant to be enjoyed. Talking about it from a neutral stance, the user said, “⁠⁠I truly think I can be happy and get behind just about anything. It isn’t life or death, people need to breathe and enjoy life a little. NASCAR fans want to be angry and will find any excuse possible to stay so, and it’s really annoying.”

While the statements made by the user are true to a certain extent, there is no doubt that NASCAR policies and rules are not exactly accepted by their fans. The dwindling numbers during races and major events are proof of the same. At the end of the day, who will visit the circuit to watch the sport if they simply do not enjoy it?

So what do you think, is this a goodbye to the Playoffs, or is this the same dish wrapped in new covers?