NASCAR makes another change
The playoffs are still slated to feature seven races over the course of three rounds, with three races in the first two rounds prior to the season finale, but instead of eight drivers, 10 drivers are slated to compete in them.
Two drivers will still be eliminated after the opening round, which is now the round of 10, but four will be eliminated after the second round, which is now the round of 8, leading up to the Championship 4. The round of 6 has effectively been removed.
…factoring in full-time drivers who missed races
Regular season race winners (among playoff drivers)
A total of eight drivers is more than half of the full-time field to begin with, even without the extra two. Additionally, three or four years ago, this change would have actually made more sense since more drivers tended to compete throughout the entire season.
Fighting hard for 16 races over the course of six months just to get a few playoffs points ahead of the rest of the field for two make-or-break three-race playoff rounds is not what NASCAR is about, nor what it should be about.
These points, not the playoff berths themselves, are what they’ll be fighting for, as many drivers will basically be playoff locks. The regular season is effectively now a 16-race opening playoff round that will eliminate two or three drivers.
Two drivers will still be eliminated after the opening round, which is now the round of 10, but four will be eliminated after the second round, which is now the round of 8, leading up to the Championship 4. The round of 6 has effectively been removed.
- 2016: 14
- 2017: 12
- 2018: 11
- 2019: 11
…factoring in full-time drivers who missed races
- 2016: 17
- 2017: 16
- 2018: 15
- 2019: 16
Regular season race winners (among playoff drivers)
- 2016: 6
- 2017: 6
- 2018: 5
- 2019: 6
A total of eight drivers is more than half of the full-time field to begin with, even without the extra two. Additionally, three or four years ago, this change would have actually made more sense since more drivers tended to compete throughout the entire season.
Fighting hard for 16 races over the course of six months just to get a few playoffs points ahead of the rest of the field for two make-or-break three-race playoff rounds is not what NASCAR is about, nor what it should be about.
These points, not the playoff berths themselves, are what they’ll be fighting for, as many drivers will basically be playoff locks. The regular season is effectively now a 16-race opening playoff round that will eliminate two or three drivers.