Ryan Blaney Preposes Game Changing Modification to NASCAR Playoff Format

2023 NASCAR Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney has shared his thoughts on the changes to the playoffs format needs to make it more credible.

Ryan Blaney Preposes Game Changing Modification to NASCAR Playoff Format

Ryan Blaney (Via @Blaney/X0

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The debate and discussion around the issues with the NASCAR playoffs format is at peak in 2025. Many in the racing community wants either massive changes to the playoffs and or dropping it all together for the original format. 2023 Cup Series champion Ryan Blaney has a solid fix to make the championship more credible.  

Talking about the needs to make potential changes to the format on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Ryan Blaney asserted that the playoff format needs to change to in order to increase the sample size. The first format he proposed was to have 10 race playoffs where all 16 drivers fight for the championship and the most consistent racer of them crowned as the winner.

I do think, personally, I would like to see some kind of, if you do a playoff chase format, I would like to see more races to the end with the final guys… If you do that, and it’s your 16 guys, and it goes 10 weeks straight, and you have, you know, if you win a lot in the regular season, you have a bunch of bonus points to start it, and then it’s a 10-week sprint where you have to have some consistency.

Ryan Blaney said via SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Interview.

He is also open to a second format, where the 10-race playoff is separated into two rounds. 16 racers fight for promotion in the first round and then eight drivers fight for the championship in the second round. To make it fair, he wants the rounds to carry over points from the previous rounds to the subsequent rounds.

I’ve also thought about if you have 10 races to the end, you have five, then you cut off the bottom eight, and then you have five to the end, and those eight guys will race, and you just kind of carry over your points from the regular season and the first part of the playoffs…I mean, there’s a lot of different scenarios out there, but I would be game for a change, you know, some kind of a change.

Ryan Blaney added.

Ryan Blaney shared his thoughts on 36-race points championship

In the same conversation, the Team Penske driver shared his thoughts on the potential of a return to 36-race points championship. He is open to the return of the legacy format, if NASCAR decided to scrap the playoff format, as many in the racing community wants, as he believes it’s good to have more races to determine the Bill France Cup winner.

Ryan Blaney (via Imago)
Ryan Blaney (via Imago)

But I think my biggest things are get out of the win and you’re in if you do a playoff format. And then again, if you do a playoff format, have more races to the end to determine your champion, or if they want to go 36 races that’s fine with me too. So, I’m all for whatever. But I guess those would be my couple things that I would like to see changed if they do switch around a little bit.

Ryan Blaney said.

NASCAR is having meetings with industry personal regrading potential changes to the format they are looking to make from 2026. Initial reports suggest that a significant group in the industry has changed their stance on the playoffs and is calling for the return of the full-season format used by all the premier championships.

But these are just preliminary meetings aimed to assess the feelings of the media, the fans and the racers regarding the changes. The final decision would only be made after the meeting between the senior NASCAR officials and the broadcasters.

If they fail to convince everyone the full-season format is the right way to go, they should take inspiration from Ryan Blaney. Having more races in the final round to crown the champion would make the system more credible.

Also Read: Ryan Blaney Admits He ‘Personally Dislike Win and You’re in’ Format and Offers Rational Fix