NASCAR fans are elated after two-time Cup Series champion Joey Logano won in Las Vegas on Sunday and secured his spot in the championship next month in Phoenix. The win was Logano’s third of the year, but after a less-than-stellar season for the Penske driver, fans are calling for a change in the series’ playoff format. Until 2004, NASCAR used season points to determine champions. In 2004, they introduced the first “Championship” playoff format. In 2014, the format changed again.
In the current system, 16 drivers can participate in the postseason. After each of the three races, four drivers will be eliminated, leaving only four in Phoenix. The person with the highest score in the final race becomes the champion. If a playoff driver wins a race during a round, he or she automatically advances to the next round. Under this format, Logano has two championships and has now made six championship appearances, including all draws since the start. But the fans call it BS. They believe that the current format does not represent true champions and want their voices to be heard.
On the one hand, it makes sense. The current playoff format is not fully representative of a full 36-game season. This is undeniable. But this format lasted 10 years. Everyone competes knowing the same rules, and Logano has always found a way to the top. It is clear that he can raise his level and perform as well as possible in the most important competitions. This is the technology. That apparently includes Penske teammate and reigning series champion Ryan Blaney, and any driver who doesn’t dismiss that as a “coincidence” likely won’t have much success in the postseason. Logano got a second chance last week when playoff rival Alex Bowman was disqualified in Charlotte, putting him back in the playoffs. He made the most of this opportunity, as he has done many times before, and this time he was able to delight NASCAR fans.
