Rick Hendrick Drops 4-Word Honest Verdict on NASCAR’s Playoff Format

After a demanding stretch of 26 regular-season races, the stage is set, and it’s time for playoff racing. Over the next 10 races, 16 of NASCAR’s top drivers will go head-to-head for the Bill France Cup. The playoff schedule is designed to push competitors to their limits, featuring short tracks, intermediate tracks, a road course, and a superspeedway  — a true test of both physical endurance and mental toughness. But amid all this and the ongoing playoff debate, Mr. H has finally voiced his thoughts on the current playoff system.

Before the high-stakes, win-or-go-home drama of today’s elimination-style playoffs took over, NASCAR’s Chase for the Cup offered a heartbeat of tension wrapped in season-long performance. Introduced in 2004, the format reset the top 10 drivers’ points after a high-octane regular season, so even the driver sitting 26th couldn’t coast to a title, ensuring races matter right into October. However, the scene has changed.

And now, Rick Hendrick, the team owner of Hendrick Motorsports, has very strongly put forth his own vision of the playoffs. Speaking to SiriusXM, he said, “I think you just got to show up and do your job and try to build as many points and win early. I like the old method myself, but they don’t ask me, but anyway.” In 2007, NASCAR expanded the field to 12 and introduced bonus points for regular-season wins. By 2011, a pair of wildcard spots were added to reward hot late-season drivers, even on the fringes, in the championship chase.

The old system slightly balanced consistency and clutch moments, allowing through-season-long performance to shine, yet without drama flatlining before the final gasp. It was precision and pressure in equal measure. But since implementing the elimination-style playoff introduced in 2014 and further refined in 2017 with stage points, much of the criticism centers on the perception that the champion can sometimes feel more like a lucky winner than the best performer across the season. However, Rick Hendrick isn’t alone in this.

Veterans like Denny Hamlin didn’t sugarcoat their view of the playoff system either. On a recent Teardown Podcast, he slammed the current playoff system’s unpredictability, arguing that the randomness makes it tough to build storylines around top drivers and ultimately waters down the champion’s star power. Media day added another quip: When asked about the playoff reset after three races, he laid it out plainly, saying, “It’s all fluid… let’s just win races,” showing both frustration and determination to seize control.

And even Joey Logano finds himself in the middle of it. He is unapologetically a fan of the current put-everything-on-the-line format. In a fiery defense, he responded to critics who call him a product of the system since he won last year’s title with an inconsistent performance, but performed well when it mattered most. He argues sports need a finale that feels like a Super Bowl moment, not dull consistency. He says, “Nobody is going to watch a boring sport… It’s freaking boring… You have to do something exciting.” Still, he remains pragmatic; he sits on the NASCAR playoff committee and has voiced interest in simplifying the points system while keeping the structure intact.

And even Bill Kennedy, a NASCAR executive, has hinted that the 2026 season will see changes in the playoff system. However, until then, Rick Hendrick still feels unheard, and hopefully, next year can change that. But amid all this, his team has received.

NASCAR Insider sounds off on Hendrick Motorsports winning the championship this year

Hendrick Motorsports has been plagued by a string of missed opportunities in recent years, stalling its perception of championship glory. Even with 38 victories since 2022, inconsistency on the track has caused them critical moments, with tactical errors chipping away at the edge during the races that mattered most. Once a dominant force, the team has lost its supremacy at key junctures. Season after season, as their rival, Team Penske, hosted the championship trophy last year, Hendrick’s frustration deepened, reinforcing a familiar pattern of squandered chances that has become part of their recent narrative.

And now heading into 2025, the question is whether Hendrick can finally correct course, or the ghosts of past mistakes will continue to block their return to the NASCAR pinnacle and win championships. NASCAR insider Jeff Gluck has strongly stood against the team and said, “I’m shutting out Hendrick completely.” While strategic adjustments are crucial, the weight of fan expectation creates an added layer of pressure.

Gluck added, “Hendrick put this whole emphasis… in the off-season, Phoenix, Phoenix, Phoenix… in spring, they weren’t where they wanted to be. They’re not as good as those flatter tracks… I’m worried about them. Spot off for (William) Byron to win the championship, I don’t even have him in the final four.” And now, as the postseason playoffs unfold, Hendrick’s drivers face the task of overcoming these setbacks or risk letting the cloud of uncertainty that hangs over their playoff hopes grow darker. For Rick Hendrick’s team, the stakes and scrutiny have never been higher.