The big topic of debate in NASCAR is once again the championship format. Kevin Harvick wants to find a “middle ground.” Season-long points format? Playoffs? A Chase format of some kind? And how do you keep it simple enough that fans will be interested?
If there is one negative to the current NASCAR championship format, it is the complexity of it. You really have to sit there and think about the rules and how the points transfer over, and what’s the difference between points and playoff points, how do eliminations work, and why is each round three races except the final one?
There is a lot in the NASCAR Playoffs that can be simplified. Kevin Harvick believes there is a compromise that can be reached.
“I think there is a middle ground. I think points should matter more than they do currently,” Harvick said on his Happy Hour podcast. The retired Cup champion has talked about the topic in the past.
“I even like the fact that if we’re going to get into the regular season points championship, and you know, I don’t really mind William Byron winning by that point, because I think that in those first 26 you should be rewarded for having the best season. But I don’t know that getting down to the end of it will be that exciting if William Byron wins by … 370 points or something. I think there’s a balance at the end with multiple tracks crowning our champions over a few races.”
Kevin Harvick wants regular season to matter more
Is there a middle ground that NASCAR can reach? It seems like theoretically there is. However, with TV partners who don’t seem to understand what the fanbase wants and historically stubborn leadership, a change doesn’t feel attainable.
Kevin Harvick would still like to see points matter more. The regular-season championship is supposed to be a prestigious award. However, it was almost an afterthought to the TV broadcast and NASCAR last week. Byron locked it up with a P12 finish at Richmond.
“I think that the regular season, I would like to look at – let’s just say if somebody wins this weekend and we have 15 different winners and you knock a guy out that’s in the top-10 in points like Alex Bowman,” Harvick continued. “Should there be two or three spots in the regular season that are automatically locked in on points so that a guy wins, he puts himself that’s 30th in points, that puts himself in the conversation. If you win twice, you’re automatically in? You know, seeds it by multiple points? But I hate that somebody like Alex Bowman is going to get knocked out by guys that are 25th-plus in points.”
Will the NASCAR Playoffs change in the near future? There is always a chance, but for now, and based on the 2026 schedule, it doesn’t seem like it will come in the very near future.
