The noise and rumblings for NASCAR to make Playoff format changes to win a championship are not quieting down.
It’s even louder this week as the NASCAR Cup Series takes to the high banks of the always unpredictable Daytona International Speedway on Saturday night. This is the final chance to make the post-season Playoffs, which only has two open positions.
As it stands now, the format allows 16 NCS drivers to compete for a championship. That is achieved by winning a race or having enough points to make the cut in the first 26 events. Heading into Daytona, 14 drivers are locked in via victory. Tyler Reddick and Alex Bowman are 15th and 16th, respectively, on points only.
Denny Hamlin Says Format is Detrimental
Hamlin, driver of the No. 11 Toyota for Joe Gibbs Racing and co-owner of 23XI Racing, isn’t down with how it all works right now. On his JRM Podcast, “Actions Detrimental” he shared his thoughts of what could happen on Saturday night.
“So, what is the reality of the sport right now?” he said. “Well, it’s the fact a driver last in points among full-time drivers could end up in the Playoffs, for one race.
“This weekend at Daytona, when we talk about the format in general, nothing against Cody Ware, but he has no top fives and I don’t think he has any top 10s this year. But, Cody Ware could eliminate Alex Bowman or Tyler Reddick (who drives for 23Xi) from the Playoffs by winning Daytona.
“So, everything Tyler Reddick and Alex Bowman did for the first 25 races can be eliminated by what happens on a green-white-checked finish, in the 26th race, by someone in the mid-30s in points.
“And we’re supposed be just, ‘Cool, sounds fair.’ The fanbase is over it.”
Cody is Cool with Winning
Ware, driver of the No 51 Ford of Rick Ware Racing, is 36th in points with no top five or top 10 finishes, as Hamlin stated. In this race last year, he placed fourth.
History shows 24 drivers won their first race at Daytona, 12 doing so in the 400-lap event. Ware thinks being the 13th would be great.
“We always seem to do well at Daytona, but I think more so in the summer,” he said via a team release. “So, why not us? I don’t know what it is about the night race. Whether it’s the heightened aggression of the field and being able to capitalize on it even more than in the Daytona 500.
“But, I’d say we have just as good a shot as anybody to win on Saturday night.”
Daytona a Must-Win Deal?
Last year, Harrison Burton came to Daytona without even being a whisper about making the Playoffs. He went out and shocked the NASCAR community winning in overtime fashion for the No. 21 Ford team of Wood Brothers Racing. While it was the 100th win for the team, it was Burton’s only trip to Victory Lane. Did he do it by dominating the race? Nope, he only led the most important lap – the final one.
Bowman finished second at Darlington last week and sits 60 points above the cut line. Austin Dillon captured his first win of 2025 placing himself and the No. 3 Chevrolet team of Richard Childress Racing into the Playoffs.
Despite have the points advantage, Bowman still feels a driver has to win it to be in it.
“Yeah, certainly really stressful on a lot of fronts,” he said post-Richmond race. “I mean, I think with the way that race normally goes, it’s about a must-win at that point because I think you’re most likely going to have a new winner.”
“We just need to go execute and try to win the race. That’s all we can really do.”
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