Denny Hamlin shares his thoughts on the current structure of the playoffs in the world of racing. Hamlin, a highly skilled driver for Joe Gibbs Racing, has achieved an impressive record of over 50 Cup victories throughout his career. Despite his success, he has not yet captured a championship. Participating in the playoffs era since his debut in 2007, Hamlin is not a fan of how the format has evolved over the past two decades.
The current championship format heavily favors drivers who excel in the final ten races of the season, rather than those who consistently dominated throughout the year. Hamlin believes that deciding the entire championship based on a single race, the season finale, is not the most ideal approach. Recently, he has expressed his dissatisfaction with the current format.
Hamlin points out that the championship often ends up in the hands of the luckiest driver in the final race. He cites the previous season as a prime example, where decisive performances and favorable circumstances propelled a driver to the championship. This result contributed to the continued dominance of Team Penske in the Next-Gen era.
Furthermore, Hamlin emphasizes that, unlike team sports, races should not be determined by a solitary event. With 33 drivers competing for victory, any of them has the potential to disrupt the championship contenders’ day. Hamlin believes that the playoff format should be reconsidered in light of these factors.
Both fans and drivers have long been calling for changes to the NASCAR playoff format. Hamlin has repeatedly advocated for the season finale to consist of a three-race round, rather than a single event. However, it seems that changing the current format is not currently a top priority for the sport.
