Brad Keselowski, driver of the No. 6 car and 2012 NASCAR Cup Series champion, openly criticized the former playoff format used by NASCAR, describing how it diminished the importance of many races during the regular season. Speaking about his influence on NASCAR’s decision to return to the Chase points format before the 2026 season, Keselowski highlighted that the previous win-and-you’re-in elimination system often made drivers question the value of competing in mid-season events.
The Michigan native explained that winning multiple races under the old system essentially guaranteed a playoff spot, causing some drivers to lose motivation once their place was secure. Keselowski noted post-race meetings where equipment resources were diverted to teammates who still needed to qualify for the playoffs, leaving those with locked-in playoff positions with less competitive cars.
Keselowski’s concerns voiced directly to NASCAR leadership
During a recent episode of the Dale Jr. Download, which Keselowski hosted while Dale Earnhardt Jr. was on vacation, he recounted a conversation from around 2018 with NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell. He expressed his frustration with the points system privately but emphatically.
I told them, ‘Dude, the playoff format’s killing the sport.’ I remember he said to me, ‘What do you mean it’s killing the sport?’ Well, I had won two or three races earlier in the year. I’m in the middle of the season and I go to the racetrack and I’m asking myself, ‘What am I doing here?’
Keselowski said.
This sentiment reflected Keselowski’s feeling of entrapment by the system, where team strategies favored getting certain drivers into the playoffs, often at the expense of others.
You couldn’t even really be mad at the team. Putting yourself in their shoes, they’re like, ‘Man, we’ve got to get our other cars in the playoffs,’ so you couldn’t really be mad at them, you just felt trapped by the format. That was a lot of what was happening,
Keselowski added.
Keen approval for the Chase format’s impact on equipment and race competitiveness
Keselowski has welcomed the reintroduction of the Chase points format this season, feeling it has returned fairness and relevance to every race. Unlike the prior system, he appreciates that no race feels like one in which a driver is deliberately disadvantaged by their team with subpar equipment to favor a teammate’s playoff chances.
I like this format because there’s no race where the team’s like, ‘Hey, you don’t get the good engine.’ I really appreciate that because I don’t feel like we’re quote-unquote skipping races,
Keselowski explained.
Despite recovering from a broken femur sustained last December, Keselowski has competed in all four races of the 2026 season. His most notable result has been a fifth-place finish in the Daytona 500, his only top-five of the year so far. Currently, Keselowski holds 16th place in the Cup Series points standings, sitting just inside the Chase cutoff line by a slim two-point margin over Daniel Suarez in 17th place.
Implications of Keselowski’s push for NASCAR’s points system changes
Keselowski’s persistent feedback to NASCAR leadership has contributed to a major shift in how the championship is contested, making the points standings more meaningful throughout the season. By restoring the Chase format, the sport aims to maintain competitive balance and engagement for drivers, teams, and fans alike. This change promises more strategic races where every event carries weight, reducing the sense of futility that once loomed over mid-season competitions.
As the 2026 season progresses, the impact of these adjustments on driver motivation and race dynamics will become clearer, with Keselowski’s continued presence near the playoff cutoff underscoring the heightened stakes. His role as co-owner of RFK Racing and his outspoken stance on format fairness highlight his commitment to positively shaping NASCAR’s future.
The new points format? Good with Brad K.
The old points format? He was pleading with NASCAR to change it.
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