When NASCAR first convened a committee in February to gather feedback on the future of its championship format, only one member suggested eliminating the playoff system altogether. Fast forward to last week, and the conversation had shifted dramatically: several influential committee members spoke in favor of scrapping the playoffs entirely and returning to the full-season points format that determined the champion by total points accrued over all races, a system in place until 2003.

In 2004, NASCAR introduced the “Chase” format to inject more excitement into the final races, where, after 26 events, the top drivers qualified for a 10-race showdown. Points were reset, and the champion was decided among that select group. Over the years, tweaks were made, culminating in the 2014 overhaul th

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