“NASCAR has its issues… But they don’t have any that’s getting ready to put them out of business. They’re doing just fine.” Ken Schrader, a 4-time Cup Series race winner, said these words in November 2024. Back then, Joey Logano was fresh off his third championship, sending ripples of controversy with his worst average finish of 17.11 as a title winner. Fans and drivers alike whipped up a hot debate about the NASCAR playoff format, and it has not ceased since. However, Logano has a voice of support.

The Team Penske star has been particularly vocal about supporting the format. Joey Logano’s opinion has been loud, especially recently, as a NASCAR committee is close to tweaking the format. Veterans like Dale Jr. and Denny Hamlin are opposed to Logano’s stance, but 70-year-old Ken Schrader stands beside him.

The thrill of the NASCAR playoff system

In May 2025, NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin posted a poll. He asked fans on X about which playoff format they think is the best. The full-season point system received 59.7% of votes among the four options, followed by the original ‘Chase’ format, then an alternative option, with the current NASCAR playoff system receiving the fewest votes. Yet if we dial a few decades ago, this voting would have been different. When Matt Kenseth won the 2003 championship with only one victory in hand, it highlighted flaws in the points system. What is more, legends like Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt won several titles in the ’70s, ’80s, and ’90s with many races left in the schedule. That made for a snoozefest leading up to the championship race.

That is what sets the current NASCAR playoff format apart, and Ken Schrader is all for it. Fans are left on the edge of their seats and drivers at the peak of pressure until the very last lap of the four-round elimination format. Contenders can be toppled by competitors on the basis of stage wins. Hence, Schrader admitted in a recent ‘Herm & Schrader’ episode: “You know what’s so much different now? You think 15 points back or something, and you gotta finish 15 points ahead or something, but not with the stage points.” He admitted his four-word opinion: “I like all that.” Schrader continued, “I think it’s made it a lot more interesting.” Then, Schrader acknowledged Mark Martin, as the latter favors the older format. “Sorry to say that, Mark Martin.”

Ken Schrader competed in NASCAR’s top tier from 1984 to 2013, having witnessed many format changes. In his later years, however, besides being a spokesperson for Ken Schrader Racing, he has also continued his racing. Most recently, he drove in the ARCA Menards Series in 2023, at the age of 68. This enthusiasm for the wheel at such a senior age stems from his approval of the NASCAR playoff system. And Kenny Wallace praised him for it. “One thing I like about Kenny Schrader is that he is 70 years old and he is not stuck in the past…That’s why Schrader still races to this day, and that’s why he is so level-headed.”

Clearly, the NASCAR garage is evenly divided in the playoff debate. Meanwhile, the sport’s executives are making swift moves towards a change.

A few last steps are left

While Dale Jr. and Denny Hamlin are on one side and Joey Logano and Ken Schrader are on the other, NASCAR’s moves are picking up pace. During an episode of ‘Door, Bumper, Clear’ this week, Jordan Bianchi happened to slip out a potentially new format. It comprised two rounds of three races, and a finale of four. But this has not been confirmed yet as NASCAR’s future playoff system. What is more, an official came forward to clear up the buzz and rumors. They clarified that NASCAR has yet another meeting lined up with its playoff committee. During the latest episode of NASCAR’s in-house podcast Hauler Talk, Mike Forde, NASCAR’s Managing Director of Communications, also concurred that the discussion is wrapping up.

Consisting of industry stakeholders, both current and retired, the NASCAR playoff committee will meet mid-week next week. Mike Forde updated about the progress: “I think the plan for that meeting is to discuss the short list [of] potential formats, and get the playoff committee’s opinion on that. So, we’ll go through that process, and then hopefully make a determination of an even shorter list, really come down, whittle it down, to one final format. NASCAR will decide to move forward, and we may see something as soon as 2026.” This countered the initial delay that was put forward, with the playoff change anticipated as late as 2027.

Evidently, the NASCAR playoff format is on the move. Let’s wait and see which of the opposing sections in the playoff debate gets its way.