NBC makes its position crystal clear regarding the championship format: “We’ll let NASCAR sort out their vision”

NBC has made it clear where it stands on the debate around the NASCAR playoff format. In a short statement posted on social media, NBC Sports Vice President of NASCAR Production, Jeff Behnke, responded to a question about the network’s role and opinion on NASCAR’s championship structure.

The comment came in a post shared by Adam Stern on X. The post featured a caption quoting Behnke’s view on the issue,

“We’ll let NASCAR sort out their vision, and we will produce those playoff races to the best of our ability.”

NASCAR introduced its playoff format in 2004 to bring more excitement to the final stretch of the season. The current version, adopted in 2014, is modeled after a knockout-style tournament and plays out over the final 10 races of the season.

The NASCAR Cup Series season begins with a 26-race regular season that runs on a mix of short tracks, superspeedways, and road courses. Drivers earn points based on race finishes and stage results. At the end of these 26 races, 16 drivers qualify for the playoffs. Wins guarantee a playoff berth, but if fewer than 16 drivers win races, the remaining spots are filled based on total points.

Once the playoffs begin, drivers advance through four rounds: the Round of 16, Round of 12, Round of 8, and finally the Championship 4. After each round, four drivers are eliminated. The final race includes the top four, and whichever of those drivers finishes highest wins the championship. Points reset after each round, but playoff points — won through race wins, stage wins, and regular-season standings are re-added to each driver's total at the start of each round. This gives drivers with strong seasons an advantage.

Playoff drivers can still be eliminated even if they’re consistent — a poor finish or bad luck can change everything. A race win during a round gives a driver automatic advancement to the next round. That means one clutch victory can save a driver from elimination.

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“Austin Hill loses all of his playoff points” – New NASCAR rule enforced for the first time

A new NASCAR regulation has just changed the playoff outlook for Xfinity Series driver Austin Hill. After intentionally wrecking Aric Almirola during the final laps of the Pennzoil 250 at Indianapolis, Hill has been handed a one-race suspension — but that’s not the most significant part of the penalty. Under a new rule introduced ahead of the 2025 season, Hill will now lose all his playoff points.

NASCAR journalist Jeff Gluck broke the news on X, stating that Hill will start the playoffs with zero points, no matter how many he had previously earned or could earn in upcoming races. This includes the 21 playoff points he had already secured this season. Gluck stressed that this was the first time the rule had been enforced.

"Austin Hill loses all of his playoff points for the regular season, both present and future. He will start the playoffs with zero. This is the first time this has happened with NASCAR's new rule created in the preseason."

The wreck itself was ruled intentional. The governing body found that Hill deliberately drove Almirola into the wall following an earlier on-track altercation. As a result, Hill was suspended for one race. Richard Childress Racing, Hill’s team, announced it would not appeal the decision. Instead, Austin Dillon will drive the No. 21 car in the upcoming race at Iowa Speedway.

Hill still remains playoff-eligible, but only after being granted a waiver due to the suspension. However, the reset in playoff points wipes out the advantage he had built through consistent performance, stage wins, and race wins.

Hill has three wins this season and was widely seen as one of the stronger contenders heading into the playoffs. The 21 playoff points he had collected would have provided a cushion during the early rounds. With those gone, he now starts the postseason on equal footing with the lowest-ranked playoff drivers.

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Edited by Anisha Chatterjee