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Richard Petty says road course racing 'isn't NASCAR'
While many fans enjoyed NASCAR's trip to Mexico City this weekend, one of the main storylines following Sunday's NASCAR Cup Series race is the inclusion of race winner Shane van Gisbergen in the Cup Series playoffs.
By virtue of his victory, van Gisbergen, who entered Sunday's race 33rd in the Cup Series standings and left Mexico City 30th in the standings, is now locked into the Cup Series playoffs and is assured the opportunity to compete for a championship.
Seven-time Cup Series champion and NASCAR Hall of Famer Richard Petty wasn't afraid to voice his take on the matter of the "win and in" system that has been in place since 2014, as well as what he thinks of road course racing as a whole.
"They got this thing fixed where if you win, you're in. That can't be right," Petty said on Monday in a video posted to social media. "You got somebody that's 30th in points that's going to make the playoffs. What happened to the guy that 15th, or 16th or 18th (that's) been running good (and) finished good everywhere?"
"You're making a championship situation by winning a road course, which is not really NASCAR to begin with," Petty continued. "From that standpoint, I think they're going to have to jockey around and change some stuff."
FAN QUESTION: How do you feel about a guy who is 30th in points automatically qualifying for the championship?
— Richard Petty (@therichardpetty) June 16, 2025
Via Facebook user, Ronald Rhine.
Full Race Recap and more answers to fan questions tomorrow at 8am on the Petty Family Racing YouTube channel. pic.twitter.com/X6NqW887zA
Van Gisbergen is not the first driver to earn a playoff berth via a win while being buried in the points standings. Just last year, Harrison Burton won at Daytona and locked up a playoff berth despite being 34th in the standings, while in 2016, Chris Buescher earned a fog-shortened win at Pocono and squeaked into the top-30 in points — then a requirement for postseason participation even with a win — to make the playoffs.
There is a possibility that changes do come to NASCAR's points system in 2026, but it's safe to say that Petty would be happy if NASCAR did away with the "win and you're in" format.
More must-reads:
- NASCAR Viva Mexico 250 takeaways: Shane van Gisbergen dominates historic Mexico City race
- Why NASCAR should continue returning to Mexico
- The 'NASCAR Coca-Cola 600 winners since 2000' quiz
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Carson Hocevar, fresh off surgery from broken collarbone, gives Bubba Pollard the bird while racing Battle at Berlin 250
One day removed from undergoing surgery for a broken collarbone, Carson Hocevar is racing in Wednesday night’s Battle at Berlin 2025. Not only is he racing, but he’s providing some highlight reel clips after a great save following a Bubba Pollard spin-out. Pollard and Hocevar were side by side, before Pollard dropped back and spun Hocevar out. He however saved it nicely and dropped just one spot in the race. He let Pollard know how he felt about the move loud and proud, as Hocevar stuck his middle finger out of his driver’s window to let him know he didn’t appreciate the move. Hocevar won last year’s running of the Battle of Berlin, which has been run 12 different times since 2010 (the race was not run in 2018, 2020 or 2021). This race has been won by name brand drivers such as Kyle Busch (who won the first three editions of the race), Erik Jones and the aforementioned Bubba Pollard. The winner of the race receives $40,000, while the total purse sits at $125,000. A few notable names in this year’s edition of the Battle of Berlin are Hocevar, Pollard, Erik Jones, Blake Rowe and Ty Majeski.
Nuggets Receive Huge Russell Westbrook News During NBA Offseason
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Biggest reason why Padres will top Dodgers in NL West revealed
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Portland Trail Blazers to be sold to Hurricanes owner and pickleball enthusiast
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