“It’s what’s best”: Brad Keselowski delivers a passionate case for 36-race Championship format and its ‘loud drum beat’ in NASCAR community

Brad Keselowski has staked out a clear position on the debate of the NASCAR Cup Series championship format. The RFK Racing co-owner and driver laid out a strong case for a return to a full-season, 36-race points championship.

From the mid-1970s through 2003, the Cup Series champion was determined by points collected over the full 36-race season (or similar full-season schedule) with no playoff cut-offs. The format now prioritizes postseason performance over consistent showing throughout the season, and thus, has come under harsh criticism from several fans and NASCAR personalities.

During a media session ahead of Sunday's playoff race at Talladega, Keselowski explained why the sport works better when all races count equally toward the title and how the growing demand for the change is gaining strength.

"The 36 format has had such a loud drum beat as of late because I think most of the industry is realizing it's probably the best for the sport," Brad Keselowski said, acording to The Athletic's Jeff Gluck. "Ultimately, I do think that the 36-race season format is what's best for the sport. It's not my decision. It'll come down to the France family making that decision, and I respect that. They own the sport, and they have every right to make that decision," he added.

NASCAR introduced an early form of playoffs, the "Chase for the Cup," in 2014. Under that model, drivers qualified after 26 races and then fought across the final 10 races. Since then, the playoff format has expanded and changed to include more elimination rounds and an extra weight on the final part of the season.

Brad Keselowski also argued that the current elimination-style playoffs have floated away from the sport's roots. Former NASCAR driver Mark Martin has also repeatedly campaigned for a full-season points championship format.

Brad Keselowski explains the concept of races that made NASCAR 'so special in decades past'

Brad Keselowski, who drives the No. 6 Ford, is ranked 20th in the NASCAR Cup points standings. The former Cup champion failed to make the playoffs this season after an inconsistent season with six top-5s and over 12 finishes outside the top-25.

Ahead of this weekend's race, Keselowski also explained NASCAR's shift from its holistic roots.

"If you look at this sport holistically, NASCAR was built on the concept of races connected with a championship and it has shifted to a sport that is now a championship connected by races," Brad Keselowski said."Inherently, that removes some of the big-event feel that I think made NASCAR so special in decades past," he added.

Meanwhile, Keselowski qualified in 20th place for the Round of 8 second race at Talladega Superspeedway. The race is expected to start at 1:25 p.m. CT on Sunday, October 19.

Get the latest NASCAR All-Star race news, Xfinity Series updates, breaking news, rumors, and today’s top stories with the latest news on NASCAR.

Edited by Hitesh Nigam