NASCAR Champion Keselowski Critiques Playoff Format Amid 2025 Ratings Decline

Brad Keselowski has publicly criticized the current NASCAR playoff format, emphasizing that it diminishes the focus on winning and star power in favor of storylines about drivers barely avoiding elimination. After the Charlotte Roval race, where Shane van Gisbergen achieved his fifth consecutive road course win, media attention centered more on lower-ranked drivers fighting to stay in the playoffs rather than celebrating the winner. Keselowski argues that this approach has led to a decline in fan engagement and TV ratings, suggesting that the sport would benefit from returning to a full-season points format. Alongside Keselowski, other drivers like Ryan Blaney have expressed a preference for a system that emphasizes points standings over automatic playoff qualification by race wins. Discussions about potential changes to the 2026 championship format, including expanding the final round or reverting to a traditional points system, are ongoing, but no official decisions have been made. NASCAR has not used a full-season points format since 2003, and Keselowski's remarks highlight a growing concern that the current playoff system may be a net loss for the sport.