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Roger Penske and Kyle Busch (Credits – Imago)
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Roger Penske and Kyle Busch (Credits – Imago)
NASCAR’s decision to abandon its controversial elimination-style playoff format and return to the classic 10-race Chase for the Championship in 2026 was, for many drivers, a long-awaited correction. The shift has been widely praised across the garage, with veterans calling it a move that restores integrity and season-long consistency to the title fight. But even with the majority celebrating the change, not everyone is ready to fully embrace it. A pair of high-profile voices, including Roger Penske’s star and fellow champion, Kyle Busch, are raising early skepticism, signaling that NASCAR’s “fix” may not be universally accepted after all.
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Cindric pushes back on NASCAR’s return to the Chase
Roger Penske’s rising star Austin Cindric isn’t convinced that NASCAR’s return to the 10-race Chase format will truly reshape the racing product. “Do you think it’s going to change a ton? Not necessarily…but I feel like there’s still going to be the same level of aggression you’re used to seeing on Sundays,” he said, emphasizing that drivers don’t suddenly become more conservative just because the rulebook changes.
From Cindric’s perspective, racers will always race the way they’re wired: taking risks when necessary, chasing wins, and fighting for every point. Whether it’s the Chase, the playoffs, or any hybrid in between, the on-track mentality remains largely unchanged.
While the 2026 Chase format eliminates unpopular elements such as mid-round eliminations, its structure still somewhat shares DNA with the old playoffs. Only the top 16 drivers qualify to run for the championship, and although no one gets cut during the final stretch, the seeding system still rewards drivers with meaningful advantages.
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NASCAR, Motorsport, USA Cup Series-Practice and Qualifying Sep 6, 2025 Madison, Illinois, USA NASCAR Cup Series driver Austin Cindric 2 looks on during practice and qualifying for the Enjoy Illinois 300 at World Wide Technology Raceway. Madison World Wide Technology Raceway Illinois USA, EDITORIAL USE ONLY PUBLICATIONxINxGERxSUIxAUTxONLY Copyright: xJoexPuetzx 20250906_tbs_pa2_021
Now, if NASCAR truly wanted a pure performance-based championship, it would have adopted a season-long points format similar to Formula 1, where consistency over the entire season crowns the champion, with all drivers in contention till the end. But instead, the sanctioning body landed somewhere between tradition and compromise.
He’s not alone. Kyle Busch echoed the same skepticism, saying: “I thought we got away from it for a reason in the past, so I’m not real sure why we went back to it.” As the garage reacts, it’s clear NASCAR’s newest format change won’t satisfy everyone. And with two champions already questioning its logic, the Chase’s revival may spark as many debates as the playoff system it replaces.
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Why Kyle Busch isn’t sold
Kyle Busch hasn’t hidden his frustration with NASCAR’s decision to bring back a version of the old 10-race Chase. And his reasoning goes far deeper than simple nostalgia. For Busch, the sport already lived through this experiment once, and the outcome was lopsided dominance.
“The reason why we sort of went away from it was obviously Jimmy Johnson’s dominance, number one, but I feel like number two is there were times where guys, like myself, who would have one bad race or two that would then knock them out of the championship, basically.”
Busch is pointing directly to the era from 2006–2010, when Jimmie Johnson’s five consecutive championships under the Chase format reshaped the sport. From 2004 to 2013, NASCAR’s title was decided over a 10-race segment in which only the top qualifiers battled for the championship on cumulative points. No one mastered that reality more completely than Johnson.
During those years, Johnson and the No. 48 team rose to a level of domination rarely seen in modern motorsports. He captured five straight titles (2006–2010) and a sixth in 2013, becoming the defining figure of the Chase era. Critics argued the postseason became predictable because Hendrick Motorsports consistently outperformed the field, leaving fewer opportunities for parity or surprise contenders.
The backlash to that era helped push NASCAR toward the elimination-style playoff format introduced in 2014. Now, as the sport moves back toward a modified Chase system, Busch sees history repeating itself. In his view, the fundamental issue remains unchanged: a points-based 10-race showdown could once again reward dominance and punish even minor missteps.
For Rowdy, that’s not progress but déjà vu instead. Something he clearly isn’t a fan of!