NASCAR alters Truck playoff format ahead of 2020
By Asher Fair
Instead of eight drivers, 10 drivers will now qualify for the NASCAR Truck Series playoffs, a move that slightly alters the elimination format.
The NASCAR Truck Series playoffs were introduced ahead of the 2016 season, and they were introduced in the form of a three-round, seven-race format for which eight drivers qualified following the 16-race regular season.
Now instead of eight drivers qualifying for the playoffs, 10 will qualify for the playoffs beginning in the 2020 season.
Nothing about the three-round, seven-race playoff format is slated to change as far as the schedule is concerned, but eliminations will work in a slightly different manner.
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The three-race round of 10 will serve as what was once the three-race round of 8. After this round, two drivers will be eliminated, thus making what was once the three-race round of 6 the three-race round of 8.
From there, four drivers will be eliminated to narrow the field down to the four Championship 4 competitors ahead of the season finale, thus effectively removing the round of 6.
Here is what Truck Series managing director Brad Moran had to say about why this change was implemented, according to NASCAR.
"“The way the format was structured in the Gander Truck Series with the Round of 8, Round of 6, Round of 4, we were leaving some excitement on the table. Maybe three or four years ago, not so much, but certainly the last couple of years with the series strengthening to the position it’s in right now, we really felt putting 10 teams into the playoffs for a Round of 10 is just going to make it that much more exciting and interesting, and will put a lot of emphasis on winning races, which is what we try to do.”"
From 2016 to 2019, only 14, 12, 11 and 11 drivers competed throughout the entire 23-race season, and only six, six, five and six drivers qualified for the playoffs by winning a regular season race, so this move comes as somewhat of an arbitrary surprise to many fans.
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The 2020 NASCAR Truck Series season is scheduled to get underway with the NextEra Energy 250, which is set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 from Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida beginning at 7:30 p.m. ET on Friday, February 14.
The playoffs are scheduled to get underway with the 17th of 23 races on the schedule, the CarShield 200. This race set to be broadcast live on Fox Sports 1 from World Wide Technology Raceway at Gateway in Madison, Illinois beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET on Friday, August 21.