NASCAR: 5 reasons the playoff format isn't going to change

Never has the NASCAR Cup Series playoff format faced as much criticism as it has since Sunday afternoon, when Team Penske's Joey Logano won his third championship despite finishing the 36-race season in 11th place in total points scored.

NASCAR has utilized a playoff format since 2004, and the modern elimination format was implemented back in 2014.

But the calls for a change are at an all-time high after the driver who finished the regular season in 15th in points, got to the playoffs due to a five-overtime win, and only got out of the round of 12 due to another driver's disqualification was crowned champion following a Championship 4 that featured zero of the three drivers who actually finished the year in the top three in points.

NASCAR fans, don't get your hopes up. Here are five reasons why changes aren't on the horizon.

Stage racing

The problem with reverting to any kind of season-long points format is the fact that stage racing exists. A driver can technically finish the season atop the point standings with nothing higher than 16th place finish, and a driver can technically win all 36 races and finish outside of the top 10 in points.

As much as fans think the playoff format is "illegitimate", the modern points format is even more so, as long as stages exist.

Get rid of stage racing, which is arguably more gimmicky than any playoff format, and then perhaps a season-long points format can be discussed. Until that happens though, a season-long points format simply wouldn't make sense, considering the fact that points are currently awarded at random times during races.

No perfect solution

There is ultimately no perfect solution. No matter what NASCAR does, there are going to be people who think the format is "illegitimate". Some will want points and consistency valued more than others. Some will want wins valued more than others. Some will want a reversion to the old Winston Cup points system.

There are, quite literally, thousands of combinations when it comes to what NASCAR can do.

There is no way for NASCAR to win this battle. Somebody is going to feel slighted regardless, so why bother going out of their way to "fix" something that could technically end up worse? It's not like the modern playoff format is historically a total failure, even after this season.

Fans still watch

This is the point nobody wants to see, but it's probably the most significant. As long as NASCAR is making money, there is no need to make any major changes to the format, no matter how loudly fans complain (which happens regardless), because those same fans are still going to watch.

The new seven-year, $7.7 billion media rights deal certainly doesn't hurt NASCAR's case.

Game 7 moment

The modern playoff format is designed to create a "Game 7" moment. And that is one thing it has done perfectly in all 11 seasons of its existence. There is no argument against that.

Of course, the difference between NASCAR and the World Series is that World Series Games 1 through 6 actually matter. But NASCAR is happy as long as they have Game 7 working well, which it clearly is.

Sure, NASCAR isn't a "stick and ball" sport. But there is nothing that requires NASCAR to award the championship to its strongest regular season driver/team either. Remember, even the MLB playoffs used to be just the World Series.

Postseason evolution isn't restricted to certain sports, and NASCAR is getting exactly what they want here.

Stubbornness

Senior Vice President of competition of NASCAR Elton Sawyer recently stated that the NASCAR playoff format requires drivers and teams to bring their A-game every week.

Logano proceeded to cap off the most non-A-game championship-winning season in the 76-year history of the Cup Series. His 17.1 average finish is by far the worst for a series champion, and he only finished inside the top 20 in 21 of 36 races.

Additionally, he was competing for absolutely nothing in four of the nine playoff races leading up to the Championship 4. His average finish in those four races was 20.25. Some "A-game", right?

Speaking of traditional sports, it's almost like giving a four-week first round bye to the team that squeaked into the playoffs via the final wild card spot.

Sawyer's comments are just one example of a major disconnect between what NASCAR wants to reward and what NASCAR is actually rewarding.

But NASCAR simply won't acknowledge that. Any changes to the format would seem like a concession, and there is no way they want to imply, much less admit, to an increasingly agitated fanbase that there is indeed egg all over their face.