“They could say 36 races, which they’re not. Everyone just get over it. You’re gonna get playoffs.” Denny Hamlin bluntly dropped this line on his podcast after that Phoenix finale heartbreak, where he led more laps than anyone but still walked away empty-handed. The debate over the playoff format is the hottest topic in the garage, and Hamlin shared his brutally honest thoughts about it.
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Hamlin didn’t mince words on why, slamming the one-race finale as a handout to lesser efforts. “Mediocre people want the small sample size possible. I think the greats, they wanted to give a bigger sample size,” Hamlin said, naming himself alongside standouts like William Byron, Kyle Larson, Ryan Blaney, Chase Elliott, and Tyler Reddick as advocates of a longer sample size for crowning a champion.
[Actions Detrimental 40:00] Hamlin: “They (NASCAR) could say 36 races, but they’re not, everyone get over it, you’re going to get playoffs” (via u/LBHMS) https://t.co/dO8GanJXhC #NASCAR
— r/NASCAR on Reddit (@NASCARonReddit) November 14, 2025
And this ‘bigger sample’ size will not be liked by those ‘mediocre’ people who do not have the skill to clinch a win from these veterans on skill alone. As Hamlin put it, “You’ve never had one ripped out of your hands.” This jab by Hamlin lands on point for drivers who win via restarts or fluke or by other drivers’ mistakes but not by their skill solely.
The 36-race points format traces back to two decades ago, when NASCAR‘s champions earned the crown through steady points over the entire 36-race schedule and not through a ‘one race finale.’ That system ended with the Chase for the Championship’s debut that year, a move meant to spike late-season drama and excitement.
But nowadays it’s been under extreme scrutiny for letting flukes overshadow full-year work. Hamlin confirmed NASCAR has no plans to revive it, despite insider talks of tweaks ahead of 2026. And this stance by NASCAR points to its priority of a playoff structure that crowns randomness over whole-season consistency and grind.
Back in 2004, the Chase aimed to mimic NFL playoffs for buzz, boosting viewership short-term, but in recent years it has sparked endless complaints over “unworthy” champs. Hamlin’s frustration boils from seasons like 2025, where his six victories and 1,000+ laps led still fell short, fueling his call to ditch the gimmicky playoff format.
With Hamlin laying it bare, the garage buzz turned to the stands, where fans unleashed reactions that hit even harder.
Fan firestorm: Voices from the trackside
The fans wanted their voices heard. One fan didn’t beat around the bush when he spoke about how the 2026 season will go. “It confirms the chase essentially. Not Chase Briscoe 2026 champion, not Chase Elliott 2026 champion, but the chase,” the fan said. This nods to the old 2004-2013 format’s flaws, where mid-pack drivers like Briscoe or Elliott could surge late, sidelining full-season stars. After Phoenix exposed how one restart can flip everything, fans see history repeating, and that’s why they are pushing for points that value every lap, not just the finale’s luck.
You can feel the rage in this fan’s message when they talked about how the format does not reward consistency, “They apparently don’t believe that consistency and hard driving all season should result in a true champion. The pro wrestling of auto racing. Gimmicks don’t belong in the sport.” Picture 2023’s Ryan Preece wreck at Daytona, where the stage points reward system prioritizes risks over safe runs, which, ‘yes,’ adds drama but frustrates purists who want clean, consistent dominance.
With Hamlin’s six-season wins, which were erased by overtime in the final, this fan channels the 2017 stages’ backlash, when leaders like Martin Truex Jr. complained about artificial stage breaks that killed flow, proving that any type of gimmicks kill the sport’s roots.
“I can begrudgingly live with the Chase, but I still think it’s stupid and something we already tried and is the reason we’re here now. I’ll still advocate for a full season.” Before 2004, titles earned by drivers like Jeff Gordon or Dale Earnhardt under full points felt earned, but the current format let mid-pack underdogs like Joey Logano nearly snag it. Phoenix’s tire blowout chaos, which led to Hamlin’s loss, leaves fans torn and craving the grind that built NASCAR’s 75-year legacy.
Not everyone’s compromising, though. “If NASCAR management decides to go with a modified playoff format, that’s certainly their prerogative. Just don’t be surprised if fans continue to respond and tune out as they have been,” warns one voice. Viewership dipped in the 2025 playoffs and is tied to the messy 2024 playoffs, where Joey Logano advanced on his luck and eventually won the title. Hamlin’s near-miss loss only amplified this playoff frustration.
Finally, the exhaustion peaks here: “I’m so tired of industry people referencing the 2007 Super Bowl as a justification for playoffs in NASCAR. A NASCAR title being decided by a similar outcome to that game would cause even more outrage.”
This fan is referencing back to the 2007 Super Bowl game, where the Giants won Super Bowl XLII, 17–14, denying the Patriots their perfect season. NASCAR’s 2004 Chase borrowed the idea for buzz, but fans recall 2019’s wild Dover doubleheader as proof: one bad race washes the season.