How NASCAR can improve its playoff format by ditching a winner-take-all race

When it comes to NASCAR’s playoff format for determining a Cup Series champion, there seem to be two large factions of fans with opposing schools of thought. And since it’s been a little more than a week since Kyle Larson was crowned the latest champ, we figured it’s the perfect time to offer a new proposal for the playoffs.

Some people like the current system of a 10-race postseason, which whittles the championship contenders from 16 drivers down to four, who then compete in a winner-take-all season finale. Some people prefer a cumulative approach like in days of NASCAR past — and similar to other motor sports championships, like Formula 1 — where drivers earn points throughout an entire season, rewarding dominant performances over several months.

So why not try to meet somewhere in the middle with a championship round of three races instead of it boiling down to just one? That approach — or one similar, like with a round of two or four races — could appease both groups of fans.

Let’s get into it in the simplest possible way.