Lots has been mentioned of NASCAR’s playoff format, starting from veteran drivers like Kyle Busch and Joey Logano to former greats of the game, reminiscent of Mark Martin and Richard Petty, generally in favor, however principally criticizing what has been some extent of competition within the trade for a very long time now. The most recent to hitch that bandwagon is 23XI Racing’s Bubba Wallace.
The No. 23 driver seems to be on track to qualify for the Spherical of 12 after this Saturday’s race at Bristol Motor Speedway, which concludes the primary spherical of the 2025 playoffs.
In consequence, and coming off a profession yr within the Cup Sequence, Wallace gave his tackle the entire playoff format debate. In contrast to a few of his friends, reminiscent of Denny Hamlin or retired champions reminiscent of Petty, Wallace stored it comparatively easy.
“You’ll be able to go away me out of the format talks. If I’ve a contract and have a automobile and have a workforce and all these items, I’m gonna go race no matter it’s and attempt to be the perfect at that. I might give two craps about how it’s.”
“Not dismissing individuals’s opinions in any respect, I hear all that. However we’ve a job, that is what we’re paid to do, and paid to beat the remainder, and when you do this, you change into champion. Doesn’t matter what format that’s; you have been the perfect of that present format,” added Wallace.
In typical trend, the Cell, Alabama native conveyed his opinions in a fairly blunt method, which regularly is among the the reason why followers are normally pushed away from him, or a minimum of a portion of the NASCAR fan base, however we digress.
Nonetheless, what Wallace mentioned does make sense. Enhancements to the format can all the time be made, with talks across the 3-3-4 format, which entails crowning a champion after a 4-race last spherical, have been going round for fairly a while, with the likes of Hamlin and Chase Elliott advocating for a similar. But, it doesn’t take away from the motive force who manages to greatest the present system.
Within the meantime, outlooks reminiscent of Wallace’s, particularly throughout a time when he seems to be to be on track for his greatest yr within the NASCAR Cup Sequence to this point, assist him obtain what he really can, whereas maintaining inside the bounds of the principles.
With a +50 buffer over the cutoff line heading into Bristol this Saturday, and having certified for the playoffs with a win itself for the primary time in his profession, it’s also simple to see why he couldn’t care much less about what format crowns the NASCAR champion main up till now, much like what 3-time champion Joey Logano has mentioned up to now.
Whereas their views could be skewed given their present performances, it does say one thing a couple of racecar driver’s mentality, and the way they attempt to discover each little little bit of benefit they will get, whether or not on observe or off it.
