NASCAR’s playoff format has been a hot-button topic since the Chase kicked off in 2004, evolving into the 16-driver elimination showdown we’ve got now. The current setup, 10 races whittling down to a four-driver, one-race finale, aims for drama and clarity, with the highest finisher in Phoenix taking the crown. It’s simple for casuals: last race, best place wins. But the backlash is real: critics say it’s too much about one bad day knocking out a season’s work, not rewarding the full-year grind.

Social media and forums are split, with a Mark Martin poll of 21,000 fans showing 59.7% craving the old full-season points system. Drivers like Hamlin and Harvick have griped too, and now Kevin Harvick’s sharing his valuable take with analyst Bob Pockrass on the Happy Hour podcast, both analyzing

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