All the major pointers from NASCAR president Steve O’Donnell including playoff format views and more

NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell shared several updates on social media, as confirmed by NASCAR journalist Jeff Gluck. It covered topics like the NASCAR playoff format, his recent text message controversy, and the sport’s future plans.

The tweet was posted on X by a NASCAR Journalist, Jeff Gluck. Accordingly, O’Donnell said NASCAR will not announce any playoff format changes before the end of the season.

He believes the current format can sometimes hurt the visibility of top drivers and dislikes that people start talking about the playoffs right after major races like the Daytona 500. He wants the focus to stay on those big wins instead of shifting to playoff talk too early.

He added that NASCAR must make sure drivers support any format changes. According to him, the sport cannot create a system just to attract new fans if it risks losing its longtime followers. O’Donnell said NASCAR fans are different from football fans, and the sport needs to respect that difference.

O’Donnell also responded to reports about text messages brought up during the 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports court hearing. Some claimed he said “F the teams,” but O’Donnell clarified that was false. He explained he was defending the teams to NASCAR Chairman Jim France and that his message was taken out of context. He shared that France later told him,

“I don’t hire 'Yes' men. I hire people to tell me what they feel is right and how do we get to a good deal.”

Earlier, on the Dale Jr. Download podcast, O’Donnell talked about NASCAR’s plan to raise horsepower to 750 for all tracks shorter than 1.5 miles and for road courses starting in 2026. NASCAR currently runs with 670 horsepower. He said going beyond 750 would cost teams $40 to $50 million across the industry, so this increase is a balanced move.

The goal is to make races more exciting by improving tire management and creating more passing chances. NASCAR will test the new setup at North Wilkesboro Speedway during the offseason to see how cars, drivers, and tires perform.

This comes as part of a major leadership shift in the organization. Steve O’Donnell was recently promoted to President, while Steve Phelps became the sport’s first Commissioner.

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NASCAR pushes for new settlement conference in 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports Lawsuit

NASCAR has asked the court to hold a new judicial settlement conference in its ongoing lawsuit involving 23XI Racing and Front Row Motorsports. Both sides are open to settling, but they disagree on how the case should move forward.

The issue started when Denny Hamlin’s 23XI Racing and Bob Jenkins’ Front Row Motorsports refused to sign NASCAR’s new charter agreement. They were the only two out of 15 teams to reject it. After that, they sued NASCAR, accusing it of unfair business practices and trying to control the market.

To find a solution, NASCAR and the teams brought in mediator Jeffrey Mishkin, who has handled major sports disputes before. However, the talks have not made much progress. NASCAR now wants the court to step in and help push the case toward a resolution. In its statement, NASCAR wrote:

“The parties' readiness to resolve this matter, along with the interests of others in the sport and the Court to see this case resolved, suggest a judicial settlement conference would be a meaningful way to facilitate a settlement.”

Some team members disagree with this idea. They think bringing in a new mediator and starting over will waste time and make a deal less likely. For now, both NASCAR and the teams remain open to discussions. They hope to reach an agreement before the case goes to trial on December 1, 2025.

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Edited by Riddhiman Sarkar