Dale Earnhardt Jr. has long been a critic of the current NASCAR elimination style playoff format. After the finish to this past Sunday’s Cup Series championship race at Phoenix Raceway, Earnhardt can’t help but think that the “format betrayed us really badly.” The format was introduced in 2014 and features a one-race, winner-take-all finale.
When did the conversation flip about the NASCAR elimination style playoff format? It started with Joey Logano, and his first championship win in 2018, Jordan Bianchi of The Athletic believes.
The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series finale at Phoenix Raceway delivered one of the wildest finishes of the season, but hardly anyone saw it. Ryan Blaney stormed from behind to steal the win from Brad Keselowski in dramatic fashion, a moment that NASCAR insider Jeff Gluck believes deserved far more attention than it received.
Denny Hamlin is certainly going through some tough emotions at the moment. He failed to win the Cup Series championship after coming frustratingly close at the Phoenix Raceway on Sunday.
Denny Hamlin’s heartbreak at Phoenix reverberated far beyond the No. 11 pit box. Fans, analysts, and even his competitors felt the gut punch that came with watching a season’s worth of work slip through his fingers.
Denny Hamlin looked like a man crushed under the weight of heartbreak as he climbed out of his car at Phoenix Raceway. After 312 laps of near perfection, a late caution and a pit call gone wrong left him sixth on the board and empty-handed in the championship chase once again.
It was announced in May that the 2026 season finales for all three NASCAR national series will be hosted by the Homestead-Miami Speedway. The 1.5-mile track in South Florida had played this role previously from 2002-2019 and will continue to do so now after a brief hiatus.
Few NASCAR legends have been fortunate enough to watch their children carry on the family legacy behind the wheel. A lot of eyes now seem to be on Joey Logano’s kids, who might be next in line to join that next generation of racing dynasties.
The heartbreak that comes despite being the best version of yourself is the worst feeling of all. That’s what Denny Hamlin is going through right now, after falling agonizingly short of winning his first NASCAR Cup Championship.
Michael Jordan's 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports notched a major win in their antitrust fight with NASCAR on Tuesday, tightening the case's scope and turning up the pressure for a settlement.
NASCAR’s current system for determining its champion has been a subject of debate, with Denny Hamlin’s heartbreaking loss to Kyle Larson on Sunday further proving why a discussion is necessary.
Before watching the championship slip through his fingers last Sunday in the Championship 4 at Phoenix, Denny Hamlin had bounced back from heartbreak in the season finale six times.
A federal judge on Tuesday issued a key victory for two race teams, one owned by Michael Jordan, that further pressures NASCAR to settle the antitrust lawsuit filed against it by 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports.
Few rookies in sports find themselves consistently competing with, let alone dominating at certain points, the best of the best in their respective sport. But most rookies aren't Shane van Gisbergen, who put together a rookie campaign in the NASCAR Cup Series that featured five wins, a playoff appearance and culminated with the Cup Series Rookie of the Year award.
As the smoke from the Championship 4 showdown at Phoenix to cap the 2025 Cup Series season slowly fades into the background, Trackhouse Racing is wasting no time with preparations for the new season, and it begins with the addition of Brandon McSwain.
Sunday was not the first time Denny Hamlin came heartbreakingly close to winning a NASCAR Cup Series championship, but he says it's the first time losing a title has hurt this badly.
Connor Zilisch suffered from a disappointing end to his rookie season in the NASCAR Xfinity Series. The 19-year-old was the winningest driver on the grid this year and was poised for a great title win.