Almost everyone has an opinion immediately about how NASCAR ought to change the present playoff system. The elimination-style format has fallen out of favor, significantly with the normal fanbase, and is being known as out each single day. Richard Childress Racing driver Austin Dillon has steered a slightly excessive makeover to the format at this juncture.
Talking on the Stacking Pennies podcast, he famous how playoff drivers should be pitted straight towards one another on a head-to-head foundation by eradicating factors for the drivers who aren’t within the playoffs.
He stated, “You’re simply racing these guys for the ten races that you simply bought straight up head-to-head. So, you’ve gotten that unhealthy day, it doesn’t take that man out immediately from these three races, or say, ‘Hey, you bought to go win the subsequent one to switch.’”
Isolating the drivers within the playoffs can be a extra direct strategy to resolve who finally will get to compete for the championship. A number of options have been heard on this matter to this point. However Austin’s is a brand new one and might be value trying into.
The podcast hosts Corey LaJoie and Skip Flores acknowledged the identical, lauding his thought course of. The No. 3 driver is on the gates of the Cup Sequence playoffs after securing victory at Richmond Raceway final Saturday. Following an enormous disappointment in 2024, when he couldn’t safe a playoff berth regardless of successful a race, he has redeemed himself this season.
Why Dillon thought he might win a Cup Sequence championship
Dillon was topped the Xfinity Sequence champion in 2013 with out successful a single race. His consistency all through the season is what bought him to the top objective. This led him to imagine that he might do the identical within the Cup Sequence sometime. However the introduction of the present elimination-style format foiled these hopes.
Dillon addressed how the sport has modified and stated, “I at all times thought I might win a Cup Sequence championship by being constant at some point. I assumed that’s who I used to be as a driver. I’m a constant driver. I won’t be the quickest all over the place, however I’m fairly good all over the place… However the sport modified, and it’s about successful. So, there’s solely x quantity of alternatives to get a win.”
Thankfully, now, he has performed a adequate job and is within the playoffs with a win. Consistency within the postseason will solely get him to date. What he wants is extra visits to Victory Lane. There’s just one strategy to discover if he can get them.