“We are kind of in the final processes”: NASCAR president on playoff modifications coming in 2026

NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell recently sat down with Eric Estepp and had a serious conversation about the most-debated topic: the playoff format. During the interview, O'Donnell claimed that the governing body's search for a new playoff system has reached its "final processes."

Fans started questioning the integrity of the current playoff system after Team Penske driver Joey Logano won his third championship title in the 2024 season with an average finish of 17.1, the worst for the driver in a championship-winning season. The sanctioning body introduced the elimination-style playoff format over a decade ago.

Later in 2017, it added stage racing and playoff points to the system. Reflecting on the rising concerns regarding the current system, NASCAR president Steve O'Donnell told Estepp:

“We are kind of in the final processes. We’ve tried to talk to as many of the stakeholder groups as possible. We’ve got a couple more of those conversations to have." (via DailyDownForce.com)

O'Donnell concluded and suggested that the process of implementing a new system is a task in itself. He added:

”I think for us the decisions are gonna be, ‘Do you put something immediately in the Cup Series? Do you try something around next year’s O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and the Trucks? Do you try three different things?"

The Cup Series, Coke Zero Sugar 400, is the last race of the regular season before the 2025 season playoffs begin. The 160-lap race is scheduled for Saturday, August 23, 2025, at Daytona International Speedway. NBC Sports, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Ch. 90, and HBO Max will broadcast the 400-mile race live at 7:30 pm ET.

Entry list for the 2025 NASCAR Coke Zero Sugar at Daytona International Speedway

NASCAR analyst Bob Pockrass shared the list of all 40 Cup Series drivers who will compete at the Coke Zero Sugar 400 this weekend. Here's the list:

#1 - Ross Chastain
#2 - Austin Cindric
#3 - Austin Dillon
#4 - Noah Gragson
#5 - Kyle Larson
#6 - Brad Keselowski
#7 - Justin Haley
#8 - Kyle Busch
#9 - Chase Elliott
#10 - Ty Dillon
#11 - Denny Hamlin
#12 - Ryan Blaney
#16 - A. J. Allmendinger
#17 - Chris Buescher
#19 - Chase Briscoe
#20 - Christopher Bell
#21 - Josh Berry
#22 - Joey Logano
#23 - Bubba Wallace
#24 - William Byron
#33 - Austin Hill (i)
#34 - Todd Gilliland
#35 - Riley Herbst (R)
#38 - Zane Smith
#41 - Cole Custer
#42 - John Hunter Nemechek
#43 - Erik Jones
#44 - Joey Gase (i)
#45 - Tyler Reddick
#47 - Ricky Stenhouse Jr.
#48 - Alex Bowman
#51 - Cody Ware
#54 - Ty Gibbs
#60 - Ryan Preece
#66 - Casey Mears
#71 - Michael McDowell
#77 - Carson Hocevar
#78 - B.J. McLeod (i)
#88 - Shane van Gisbergen (R)
#99 - Daniel Suárez

Former Woods Brothers Racing driver Harrison Burton won the 2024 Coke Zero Sugar 400. He completed the event in three hours, one minute, and 40 seconds. Additionally, Burton's win handed out the team their 100th win in the series.

About the author

Karan Yadav is an enthusiastic sports journalist with a sharp focus on accuracy and storytelling in motorsports. With a background in BCA studies and around five months of experience at Essentially Sports, he has built a solid foundation in sports coverage at Sportskeeda, combining his passion for racing with a commitment to detailed reporting. Karan follows top NASCAR drivers like Kyle Larson, Denny Hamlin, and Ryan Blaney, admiring their unique racing styles. When he’s not writing, he enjoys gaming and diving into the latest motorsports news and analysis.

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Edited by Tushhita Barua