Denny Hamlin says this major NASCAR change would postpone his retirement

As the debate surrounding NASCAR's playoff format rages on, Denny Hamlin has made it clear what side of the fence he's on. 

It's speculated that Hamlin, who signed a two-year contract extension on Friday, will likely retire from full-time NASCAR competition at the conclusion of the 2027 season. But the future Hall of Famer says a change to NASCAR's points system could convince him to stay behind the wheel for a little longer. 

"As a person that now only has a couple years left, I told Jeff Gluck (that) if they (NASCAR) get a legit format down, I might go longer," Hamlin said on Monday's episode of "Actions Detrimental with Denny Hamlin." "Because I feel my chances might be better on a more typical sample size. The one-race (championship), my chances are 25%. If you go to 36 races (full-season points format), my chances are a bit better than that.

"I believe you need to legitimize your sport first, (and) the people will tune in," Hamlin continued. "Do I love that NBC has the biggest voice in what our championship format is? Absolutely not."

NASCAR has had some form of a playoff system in place since 2004, with the current format originating in 2017. The current format includes 16 playoff slots, four rounds over 10 races and a one-race, winner-take-all championship between the four drivers that qualify for the Championship 4.