Reporter makes controversial claim about NASCAR's playoff format

NASCAR Cup Series driver Bubba Wallace (23) leads a pack of cars during the NASCAR Cup Series Cook Out 400 at Richmond Raceway. Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Reporter makes controversial claim about NASCAR championship, playoff format

By Samuel Stubbs | Last updated Aug 17, 2025 1:35 PM ET

The debate surrounding NASCAR's playoff format may be the hottest topic in the proverbial garage area, and one NASCAR personality certainly stirred up social media with his take on the championship on Sunday.

Mamba Smith, a reporter for Bleacher Report, TNT and truTV's coverage of NASCAR, offered his opinion on the definition of NASCAR's championship on Sunday, and it certainly had fans riled up.

"The point isn’t to crown the best driver … It’s to crown the best team who executed the best when the pressure was at its highest and the lights were the brightest," Smith said in a social media post.

The point isn’t to crown the best driver… It’s to crown the best team who executed the best when the pressure was at its highest and the lights were the brightest. https://t.co/EctxqbV2je
— Mamba Smith (@MambaSmith34) August 17, 2025

NASCAR's playoff format has been criticized for the relatively random and chaotic nature in which it facilitates who makes and advances through the postseason. Fans often complain that the best driver over the course of a given season is not rewarded with the championship at season's end.

Smith's take that the purpose of the playoffs and driver's championship isn't to crown the best driver is certainly interesting. In addition to the driver's championship, NASCAR also has an owners championship, giving the entirety of a race team the opportunity to shine and make their mark.

However, if the point of a driver's championship in any racing series isn't to crown the best driver, the championship loses value. Perhaps the greatest appeal for race fans is the fact that they get to see drivers perform extraordinary feats on a regular basis throughout a season in the hunt for a coveted championship.

If the point of a racing championship isn't to reward the best driver, there seems to be little point in keeping up with championship points at all.

Samuel Stubbs

Hailing from the same neck of the woods as NASCAR Hall of Famer Mark Martin, Samuel has been covering NASCAR for Yardbarker since February 2024. He has been a member of the National Motorsports Press Association (NMPA) since October of 2024. When he’s not writing about racing, Samuel covers Arkansas Razorback basketball for Yardbarker

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