Brad Keselowski, former NASCAR Cup Series champion and co-owner of RFK Racing, has voiced support for restoring the traditional full-season, 36-race championship format, challenging the sport’s current playoff model. Speaking at Talladega Superspeedway, Keselowski’s push aims to refocus attention on consistent season-long performance, a move he believes will strengthen NASCAR‘s foundation and legacy.
Keselowski Decries Declining Prestige in Current Playoff Structure
During his media appearance, Keselowski did not hide his frustration with NASCAR’s ongoing playoff format. He contends that the current championship structure has diminished the importance of individual races, disrupting the sport’s original intent. According to him, the shift has catalyzed what he considers a “negative feedback loop,” affecting both fan engagement and the overarching storyline of the season.
“The sport is really interesting with how it perceives itself,”
said Keselowski.
“It’s one of the sports that has the most noticeable negative feedback loops. That said, it’s also a squeaky-wheel-gets-the-grease sport where if somebody’s not squeaking, things don’t ever change.”
– Brad Keselowski, Driver and Team Owner
With NASCAR’s current system centered on elimination rounds leading to a final winner-take-all race, debates have intensified. Critics like Keselowski argue that this model prioritizes short-term excitement at the cost of rewarding drivers for their performance across the entire campaign. Under the old points-based system, which Keselowski used to win his championship in 2012, every race mattered and contributed meaningfully to the year’s outcome.
Momentum Building for a Full-Season Format
The drive to return to a season-long format has gained momentum among fans, racing legends such as Richard Petty, and members of the NASCAR community. Many share Keselowski’s concern that tradition and continuity are being traded away for programming drama designed to attract television audiences. The sentiment is that the classic approach retains the investment and engagement of followers throughout all 36 events.
“The 36 format has had such a loud drum beat as of late because I think most of the industry is realizing it’s probably the best for the sport,”
Keselowski explained.
“There are some reasons for that, but also because the sport has kind of revealed itself to be heavily influenced by its own spin, so to speak. So I suspect that drum beat will get just louder from more and more voices.”
– Brad Keselowski, Driver and Team Owner
While Keselowski made clear his respect for NASCAR’s leadership, including the influential France family, he stressed the importance of considering what is best for the sport’s long-term identity and appeal. He hopes that decision-makers recognize the value in a structure where each event holds equal weight toward the championship and fans remain continuously invested.
“Ultimately, I do think that the 36-race season format is what’s best for the sport,”
he said.
“It’s not my decision. It’ll come down to the France family making that decision, and I respect that. They own the sport, and they have every right to make that decision.”
– Brad Keselowski, Driver and Team Owner
Advocating for the Return of Major Race Significance
Keselowski further emphasized that the roots of NASCAR lie in a format where every race was intrinsically tied to the championship, creating anticipation and significance for each event. He suggests that today’s model has shifted the narrative, where the championship exists as a separate entity, only sporadically influenced by individual races, resulting in less emotional impact and prestige per event.
“But if you look at this sport holistically, NASCAR was built on the concept of races connected with a championship, and it has shifted to a sport that is now a championship connected by races,”
Keselowski said.
“Inherently, that removes some of the big-event feel that I think made NASCAR so special in decades past.”
– Brad Keselowski, Driver and Team Owner
For Keselowski, the solution involves giving fans and competitors 38 meaningful events every season, where the stakes remain high throughout, just as in previous decades. He sees this approach as vital for attracting and retaining interest, fostering loyalty among supporters, and preserving the competitive spirit emblematic of NASCAR’s heritage.
“That’s what this sport needs to endure for generations to come, and the best opportunity for that is in a season-long format that is a series of races connected by a championship, rather than a championship connected by a series of races.”
– Brad Keselowski, Driver and Team Owner
The ongoing discussion about the Brad Keselowski championship format proposal illustrates broader concerns about NASCAR’s identity, presenting a crossroads between modern spectacle and traditional racing values. As industry voices and legends such as Richard Petty join the debate, attention now turns to the France family and other key decision-makers on whether changes to the championship structure will shape the future of the sport.
Brad @keselowski with his thoughts on the 36-race championship format and why the conversation has gotten so loud:
"The sport is really interesting with how it perceives itself. It's one of the sports that has the most noticeable negative feedback loop. That said, it's also a…
— Jeff Gluck (@jeff_gluck) October 18, 2025
