Hendrick Motorsports’ playoff format change demands are gaining traction as the powerhouse team’s recent postseason outcomes highlight mounting frustrations. With no championship wins since 2021, despite dominating regular season points standings, Hendrick’s leading drivers and influential allies are pushing NASCAR to consider a return to the pre-2004 points-based championship system.
Postseason Shortcomings Spark Debate Over Fairness
Within the world of NASCAR, Hendrick Motorsports’ clout is well-known, stemming from owner Rick Hendrick’s longstanding influence and the organization’s history of success. Despite these strengths, a shift occurred with the introduction of the Next Generation car in 2022. Since then, Team Penske has taken hold of the Cup title, as Joey Logano won in 2022 and 2024, and Ryan Blaney sandwiched his name between those victories with a win in 2023.
Meanwhile, the last Hendrick championship was achieved by Kyle Larson in 2021, with Chase Elliott taking the title in 2020. Since then, Hendrick drivers have consistently excelled in season-long points, yet have failed to clinch the championship during the playoff rounds. This dynamic has sown seeds of discontent, particularly for those like Chase Elliott who argue the current format fails to reward season-long excellence. Rick Hendrick is known for advocating for his team, leaving many believing the organization will push firmly for change.
Hendrick Dominance in Points Contrasts Playoff Outcomes
A detailed look since the Next Generation car’s debut reveals striking dominance by Hendrick Motorsports drivers in regular season points standings. Elliott has spent 27 weeks on top, William Byron has led for 19 weeks, and Kyle Larson for 16. Even Alex Bowman consistently placed in the top 10, with a tally of nine weeks leading the pack. For weeks placed in the top five over this period, Elliott and Byron each logged 61 weeks, Larson 58, while Bowman tied for 12th, matching Kevin Harvick at 15 weeks.
This commanding performance in points reveals a disconnect between regular season prowess and championship victories, as the playoff format introduces a small-sample, high-pressure situation that can upend months of hard work. The current setup has left fans and analysts questioning the fairness and accuracy of crowning a champion through such a narrow window.
Elliott and Notable Voices Call for Points-Based System
Chase Elliott, consistently vocal on the subject, has sharpened the team’s stance against the playoff structure. In his view, motorsports should celebrate season-long achievements rather than sudden surges in form during a limited set of postseason races. Elliott’s argument is reinforced each time Hendrick dominates the points yet falls short in the playoffs.
“The system would be just fine if you just had a full season (and no playoffs),”
—Chase Elliott, Driver
He expanded on his philosophy, supporting the idea that excellence over the full schedule should be recognized:
“Motorsports does not have to be like everybody else to be successful. And I’ll stand by that till I get done (retires).”
—Chase Elliott, Driver
Former Hendrick Motorsports driver Brad Keselowski voiced his agreement. He pointed out that the effectiveness of the Gen 7 car and the parity it creates are not properly acknowledged within the current playoff context. Keselowski shared his insights, remarking,
“Strikes me just now, part of what’s holding the Nextgen car back in popularity is that the parity it has generated can’t be recognized and celebrated in a playoff format,”
—Brad Keselowski, Former Hendrick Motorsports Driver
Keselowski further criticized the impact of a playoffs-centric approach:
“The small sample size of races in the current format creates a natural oblivious state to the excellence this car requires from teams and drivers to get weekly results. Or in short: What Chase said.”
—Brad Keselowski, Former Hendrick Motorsports Driver
The Legacy System: Reflections from Past and Present
NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, who experienced both eras of points systems, remains an example of the kind of driver who benefited in consistency but never lifted the Cup championship trophy due to playoff unpredictability. While Martin himself has not projected an opinion, the ongoing debate raises the hypothetical of whether the old system would have crowned different champions in recent years.
Elliott summarized the sentiment for many within Hendrick, stating that the battle for regular season supremacy is already intense:
“We’ve had a really good and competitive battle to the regular season (championship) over — correct me if I’m wrong — the last two or three years. It’s really been pretty tight all the way down to Daytona. If you just take that as your sample set over the first 26 weeks, it looks pretty solid to me.”
—Chase Elliott, Driver
He repeated his call for a return to the former system, reiterating:
“The system would be just fine if you just had a full season. And if somebody runs away with it, so what? Let’s celebrate the fact that somebody ran away with it, that somebody was just that good. Motorsports does not have to be like everybody else to be successful. And I’ll stand by that til I get done.”
—Chase Elliott, Driver
Potential Impact of Playoff Format Change on NASCAR’s Future
Hendrick Motorsports’ playoff format change campaign raises important questions about the spirit of competition and the definition of excellence in NASCAR. By challenging the current system, Elliott, Keselowski, and Hendrick leadership have intensified the debate around season-long consistency versus late-season performance. If NASCAR heeds these calls, the sport could return to a system where the driver who accumulates the most points through regular season races emerges as champion, a move that would signal a significant shift in the way champions are crowned and possibly alter the competitive landscape for years to come.
