Jeff Burton has been debating about who really decides the playoff format. Freddie Kraft on X, in conversation with Burton, shared his belief that television had a role to play in how the NASCAR playoffs look today.The video featured Kraft and former driver Jeff Burton. Kraft suggested that the elimination-style playoff system came from TV interests. When reposting the clip, he doubled down with the caption,“I might have touched a nerve… oops 😬 I still believe what I said is true, TV wants an elimination style playoff. Who do you guys think has the most influence when it comes to deciding the format?”In the clip reshared by Kraft, Jeff Burton pushed back on Kraft’s claim. He explained that while TV networks were at the table, they did not design the format.“I hear that all the time and I want to be clear about something, and I’m in these meetings, TV doesn’t make these decisions, NASCAR makes these decisions."When this format which we are currently racing under was created, I was in every damn meeting. TV didn’t make this decision, they would’ve had a seat at the table, as did the drivers, as did car owners, as did NASCAR, as did the tracks. And TV didn’t say here’s your format, this is what we’re doing, this is not how that happened,” Burton said.The NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs have existed since 2004. The elimination format, introduced in 2014, covers the final 10 races of the season.The regular season has 26 races. Drivers earn points for finishes and stage results. Sixteen drivers qualify for the playoffs. A win usually guarantees a spot, but if there are fewer than 16 winners, points decide the rest.The playoffs then move in rounds. First comes the Round of 16, then the Round of 12, followed by the Round of 8, and finally the Championship 4. After each round, the lowest-ranked drivers are eliminated. The last race decides the champion, with the highest finisher among the final four winning the title.Jeff Gordon's missed chance at a win that gave Jeff Burton the victory at DarlingtonAs the track celebrated its 75th anniversary, Jeff Gordon admitted one of his most famous wins there almost slipped away. He was recalling the 1997 Southern 500, when a million-dollar bonus was on the line. Gordon said, “I look at that and that actually makes me mad because I almost lost that race. He ran me down, and then I got in the wall. And then he really ran me down. One more lap and it would've been over.”Driving the No. 24 Chevrolet for Hendrick Motorsports, Gordon hit the wall late in the race. That allowed Jeff Burton to close in and nearly take the lead. Jeff Burton’s car even tapped Gordon’s on the second-to-last lap, but Gordon held him off to secure the win and the bonus.Gordon won seven times, including four straight Southern 500 victories between 1995 and 1998 in Darlington. In 36 career starts, he scored 19 top-five finishes and led laps in 27 races. Only Dale Earnhardt with nine wins and David Pearson with 10 have more wins at the track.