NASCAR hints at playoff changes, open to moving aw...

In an unique interview on the Dale Jr. Download, NASCAR president Steve O’Donnell announced a planned increase from 670HP to 750HP for select tracks in 2026. He additionally touched on a wide range of different subjects, hinting at each potential modifications to the present championship format, and even opening Cup storage as much as extra innovation once more.

On the playoff format, O’Donnell clearly acknowledged that any announcement relating to that will not come till after the 2025 season reaches its conclusion.

“We acquired guidelines in place for this yr,” mentioned O’Donnell. “What I do not wish to do is take away from whoever wins the championship this yr. These had been the foundations. Everyone knew them. Let’s go race, and whoever wins that championship, I will stand behind that driver and staff and say that is our champion.”

Whereas he did not state what modifications could also be coming to the format, it is changing into clear that NASCAR desires to maneuver away from a one-race closing spherical, and he targeted on conversations he has had with one driver particularly. 

“So what will get me to consider it’s Christopher Bell. The man who will are available in and have a dialog with me behind closed doorways, does not exit and tweet about the whole lot and say, ‘hey, here is what I feel. This is what.’ He simply provides me an sincere opinion, which I agree with, of, ‘hey, man, if I roll off 10 wins in a yr, and I am going to 1 race and couple different guys get into me or no matter, I am not the champion.’ 4 years in a row, that occurs. I do not need the following Christopher Bell, who’s ten years outdated proper now, eager about NASCAR, eager to go to NASCAR, eager to be a champion, and say, ‘huh, this can be a little bit extra of an opportunity on a one race, proper?’ And I additionally have a look at it like Christopher Bell, to me, is a famous person in our sport. You roll off 4 championships in a row with eight wins and a physique of labor, no matter which may be, that is good for our sport. Persons are speaking about him.”

Bell not too long ago mentioned publicly that he’s in favor of a full-season factors format, which NASCAR hasn’t utilized since 2003.

Playoffs dominate each dialogue all season lengthy

Because the dialog progressed, O’Donnell mentioned he does not like how the format is dominating the dialogue at each single occasion. We have seen it occur a number of occasions the place there might be a captivating story (like Harrison Burton profitable after discovering out he was out of a journey), just for it to be overshadowed by contentious debates round that driver being within the playoffs. Extra not too long ago, Shane van Gisbergen’s historic win streak on highway/road programs changed into a dialogue over the legitimacy of his spot within the playoffs.

O’Donnell talked about the Daytona 500, particularly, saying: “I take into consideration how large that race is, and one of many narrative is, oh, he is within the playoffs. Man, it is the Daytona 500. Sure, he is within the playoffs. I like that you need to win. No person can query — I’ll argue ‘until I am blue within the face that the racing has modified when it comes to, in the event you acquired to win the race, some racing has modified. So there’s a few of that aspect I do not wish to go away. After which simply taking a look at future stars, drivers coming in, having a large number of races probably that you simply gotta put a physique of labor collectively. So I take into consideration all these issues. I am not gifting away the place I am at, however I I utterly acknowledge the place we’re at right this moment. I additionally acknowledge that a variety of of us which are on the market fairly vocally had been a part of this, proper? And all people mentioned, ‘hey, here is what we’ll do.’ Everyone signed up for that.

“So, I feel all I might need is wherever we go, we’ll talk that, however we’d like the business to purchase in. The largest factor is we’d like the drivers to really feel like no matter is in place, I’ve the shot, and we are able to begin questioning, if one thing occurs, perhaps look within the mirror, versus perhaps one thing occurred in a one race state of affairs. That is the place I am at.”

Shifting away from (some) spec elements within the Subsequent Gen automobile?

Common view

Photograph by: David Jensen / Getty Pictures

Apparently, O’Donnell additionally indicated that the established order with the Subsequent Gen (or Gen-7) automobile could change sooner or later, with the sanctioning physique prepared to open the door to extra engineering and innovation once more. The automobile has been criticized for its spec nature and the way the groups cannot innovate and tweak on their equipment the way in which they as soon as may.

“We’re at all times open to alter,” mentioned O’Donnell “The one piece that i actually have a look at and I feel our group does is you have acquired this automobile, you bought some issues contained from a value standpoint, however what does all people actually like? The power for a staff to perhaps tweak on the automobile, discover a bonus, do one thing cool. What is the subsequent iteration of that that may come from a race staff. Now that we have the elements and items, I feel long-term you possibly can have a look at perhaps a race staff is making elements once more. Perhaps some various things you possibly can open up. May you ever have a look at a value cap, proper? So, you open these issues up. However we have not less than kind of stopped the wasteful spending, and now we wish to get it again to the place an engineer can are available in, tweak on a automobile, or an OEM can say, ‘hey that is my IP and I wish to drive one thing from a brand new know-how standpoint.’ We’re completely open to persevering with to tweak on it. I feel we virtually needed to cease the bleeding of the prices, and now actually focus on you bought the baseline, now make the racing higher. 

He went on to repeat the purpose about getting prices beneath management, and that it is now potential to take a look at a return to some ‘old-school elements’ and permitting engineers to tweak some issues in an effort to realize a aggressive benefit.

“What occurred with us was there wasn’t numerous nice belief between our competitors group and the groups,” admitted O’Donnell .”We have performed numerous work to enhance that, have some good dialogue, and it was at some extent the place we requested the groups to take part and go, ‘hey, do you wish to make this particular half?’ Financially, it did not make numerous sense, and there in all probability wasn’t numerous belief back-and-forth both. You quick ahead to now the place these conversations are taking place. May Roush make this, may another person make this half? And I feel that begins to probably open it up. Unsure we’ll get there, however I agree with you (Dale Jr.). Getting again to that id of what it’s versus simply this automobile over right here that nobody sort of put collectively. There’s some work to do there.”

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– The Motorsport.com Crew