In the ever-evolving world of NASCAR, whispers of change have begun to echo through the garages and pit boxes. As the 2025 Cup Series playoffs unfold, discussion about potential alterations to the playoff format is gaining momentum. NASCAR officials are said to be considering modifications to the current system, aiming to enhance competitiveness and fan engagement. And a major aid to this change is the demanding voices of the masses and the drivers themselves.

Notably, Denny Hamlin has expressed his concerns about the current playoff structure, stating, “It’s like all the hard work you put in, it’s just they keep resetting the scoreboard,” and also calling the system “fundamentally flawed.” His comments reflect a broader sentiment among competitors who feel that the existing system places too much emphasis on a single race, potentially overshadowing cumulative efforts of the entire season. And that sentiment is now being backed by Rodney Childers, who has been a prominent figure in NASCAR since 2005, amassing over 40 Cup Series wins, and now plans on being back on the field.

The debate over NASCAR’s playoff reset intensifies

In a candid conversation on his Happy Hour podcast, Kevin Harvick and Rodney Childers, with whom he won the 2014 championship at Stewart-Haas Racing, kicked off the discussion by pointing out the growing debate over NASCAR’s championship format. “One of the big topics lately has been the points, the championship is exciting, not exciting,” Harvick noted, asking whether the title should hinge on a full points season or something else. He continued, “I don’t think it’s a 36 race all-out points, but I think points should matter way, way, way more than what they do.” Indeed, analysts observe that 2025 has seen the championship debate reach a “boiling point,” with veterans like Mark Martin publicly calling for a return to a true season-long title chase.

Harvick himself has argued for a “middle ground” where regular-season consistency is better rewarded. In short, the idea is that while playoff wins must count, every race and stage also needs real weight to keep fans invested in every week’s outcome. Childers then offered the insiders’ view from the pit box. He explained that drivers and crews often feel a race was fantastic, even if some viewers thought it dull. “It’s interesting because as a crew chief you sit on the pit box and you work your guts out and you’re just thinking the whole race and you get done with the race and you’re like man that was a good race and then you get on the airplane and you look at your phone and everybody’s talking about it was a bad race,” he said. His comments resonate with those who know how seeing every bump, adjustment, and side-by-side battle up close can change your perspective.

In other words, crews and nearby media can appreciate the nuanced strategy and drama that a fan watching TV might miss. Childers even observed that after watching races in reruns, “some of them… [feel] different than what it would have felt like on the pit box,” depending on whether your team was competitive. He said there were “a few… [races] we got to do something different to make the show a little bit better,” but added that “others have been really good races.” For example, he admitted that he and Harvick “never liked going to the new Atlanta,” yet he called the most recent Atlanta race “about the best one I’ve seen on TV.”

Turning to specific venues, Childers also praised Bristol, saying, “This weekend at Bristol will be exciting, it always puts on a good race to me it does.” Indeed, Bristol Motor Speedway has a long history of thrillers, even in bad weather. For instance, after the rain-delayed 2018 Bristol race, Kyle Busch’s crew chief, Adam Stevens, summed it up by saying, “this place almost always puts on an incredible race… it always puts on a good show.” Harvick echoed that optimism by asking whether the series needs multiple “cutoff” races or even an expanded final run of events. He asked, “So do we need cutoff races, do we need three or four races at the end. You need a champion or a playoff champion. What do we need?”

Childers answered that with an example from the sport’s history and some forward-looking ideas. He reminded listeners that a pure 36-race points championship can be a little “boring,” pointing out that in seasons like 2015, 2018, and 2020, a dominant car ran away with the points. In fact, Harvick himself noted in another interview that when Byron locked up the regular-season title by 370 points, it risked making the finale a mere formality.

Childers added flatly, “So, we don’t need that as a sport, but I’ve kind of got some interest in what it would look like doing the last three races. I’ve heard that kind of thrown around quite a bit. I think it’s better than one race. I mean, just one race at one track is… if we’re not going to move it around every week, one organization kind of figures out a track, they can just go in every year… and if you have a bad race, you have a bad race, but it would definitely be exciting that way, I believe.”

While Childers joined Spire Motorsports as crew chief for the No. 7 Chevrolet in 2025, he parted ways with the team after just nine races. But his conclusion hinted that balancing consistency and drama in the finals is at the heart of keeping the championship truly thrilling.

Rodney Childers explains the challenges of Gen 7 and team structure collapses

Stewart-Haas Racing, founded in 2009 by Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, quickly became a powerhouse, winning championships with Stewart in 2011 and Kevin Harvick in 2014, and securing 70 Cup Series victories. But the commitment needed to extract maximum performance while providing sustainability is increasingly demanding. So, later declining support from Ford further strained the team, leading to its closure at the end of the 2024 season.

The transition to the Gen 7 car increased technical complexity, requiring teams to optimize every component. Kevin Harvick noted, “When those resources start to deteriorate, Ford shifted a lot of their support to Penske. And Stewart-Haas just slowly lost piece by piece.” Rodney Childers added, “There’s a thousand pieces to put the puzzle together, and you have to do all of them exactly perfect… The Gen 7’s complexity demands that every component be optimized.” Teams with structured leadership, like Penske and Hendrick Motorsports, were better equipped to thrive.

Crew chiefs now face broader responsibilities beyond car setup and strategy. Childers explained, “The crew chief has to manage the people more than anything. He has to run the ship and keep the ship steered in the right direction and help run the organization.” He continued, “But Stewart-Haas Racing was just a bunch of racers, and we just worked our guts out. And with the new car, you can’t do that. You really can’t just outwork somebody. I mean, you have to have all the pieces and parts and the details figured out.” His insights highlight how NASCAR’s evolution reshaped team dynamics and the path to success.