Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin lay out ideal NASCAR championship format

Kyle Busch and Denny Hamlin laid out their ideas on how to fix the format of the NASCAR championship. On the Actions Detrimental podcast, Hamlin asked Busch what championship format he likes the best.

“I’ve heard a lot of variances. I kind of think the three or four-race one is pretty cool, but if you have one bad race in those three or four races, then you automatically sort of eliminate yourself unless somebody eliminates (themselves) by having a bad race,” Kyle Busch said to Hamlin.

“I always kind of hated the 10-race thing. How many times did you or I have a bad race or two in that 10-race format and then you’re fifth in points? You don’t have the opportunity to win it because Jimmie [Johnson] perfects it and he’s good all the way through.”

Busch continued, “When they started having the three-race ones, where it was like you can point your way through if you want. If you’re good enough and you can win and automatically put your way through and it resets each time and it resets with the points that you have the whole year, because you’ve been strong the whole year, I felt like that was the most fair system that we’ve had. But it coming down to a one-race take-all moment, I don’t know.”

Denny Hamlin tells Kyle Busch what needs to change with the NASCAR championship and playoffs

Denny Hamlin then shared his thoughts with Busch on how to make the playoffs and the championship better. “I’m okay with the elimination every three races as long as those who perform well during the regular season have a far enough jump in head start, Hamlin said.

One example Hamlin gave is doubling the bonus points for drivers who win stages and races. “It then really does make it rewarding to go out there and perform and get bonus points during the regular season, and it makes it harder for our favorites to get eliminated early,” he stated.

Hamlin also said the playoff field should have 12 drivers instead of 16. “I think that will eliminate the guy in 33rd that’s going to win a race, making it into the playoffs,” he said. “I also believe that once you get eliminated, you should go back to whatever points position you were or where you should be.”

It’s possible NASCAR could make changes to the playoff format for next season. In November, NASCAR commissioner (president at the time) Steve Phelps said, “We are always looking if there are opportunities for us to tweak something.”