The NASCAR Playoffs in all three series have concluded, and it’s once again proven itself to be a complete and total farce to pro motorsports. 

Things started out peachy for NASCAR, with Corey Heim utilizing a seven wide move on a late race restart to capture his first and very rightful NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series title. Unfortunately for the sport, things wouldn’t continue to go smoothly as we entered the Xfinity series finale. 

Much like Heim, Connor Zilisch had spent his 2025 completely blitzing his Xfinity Series competition. Zilisch’s summer run, in which he almost won EIGHT races in a row, exemplified just exactly what he achieved all year 

All he needed was one more belt to ass performance in Phoenix and it was written. A historic season where the 19-year-old led in 19 different statistical categories (including wins & laps led) would be realized and his venture into full time Cup would go seamlessly. 

Much like the sentiment the entire weekend, it simply just was not meant to be. 

Zilisch never really had the car he needed to close the book on his historic year, he didn’t win a single stage and couldn’t find his way to the front to battle with his best friend and eventual champion Jesse Love. 

It would be one thing if Zilisch’s teammate, Justin Allgaier, captured another title. He’s led in a handful of categories and ran a consistent campaign that without Zilisch would have had him at the top of the rankings. But it wasn’t. It was RCR’s Love, who’s only claim to fame statistically before winning was tying Zilisch in Top 15 finishes. 

Too many around the industry are beating around the bush to avoid being reprimanded, and I get it, but this is our blog and we say what we want. 

Love did not deserve to be crowned Xfinity Series champ. He benefitted from a joke format that treats motorsports like baseball and creates “game 7 moments”. 

Want to know what the difference between a game 7 and this was? Everyone in that game proved they deserved to be there over the course of an entire season. Love found himself in a winner-takes-all position that by necessity asks for a four driver field. If we adopt a full season points format, Zilisch is packing this entire thing up weeks in advance and Jesse Love isn’t sniffing the title. 

Love can sit on the podium and snark about how he “doesn’t give a shit” about what people think. Good for him. He can at least shake his best friend’s hand and concede that it was Zilisch, not himself, that proved who the sheriff is all year. 

Love backtracked a bit after his remark and said he does care what fans have to say, but it’s clear he left Phoenix with no ideas twisted on who he thinks is the rightful winner. 

After all, there’s one guy between the two going full time Cup racing next season & it’s not Richard Childress’ guy (for now). 

Expectedly, the shit storm that ensued after Zilisch’s loss was fierce. Kevin Harvick, who once was screwed by this format in almost the same way back in 2020, tweeted a gif of a dumpster fire. Legends like Kurt Busch shared their condolences with the same sentiment of “Look what you’re doing next year? Just move on.” 

The burn of it all may be eased when Zilisch realizes he’s done with this series next year, but does that really alleviate things? 

Connor Zilisch is an uber competitor. He has phenomenal talent behind a race car at his age. However talent doesn’t get you the accolades he has, being a killer competitor does. There’s forever going to be a sting that he didn’t get that Xfinity Series trophy in his case.

Zilisch may very well have 30 Cup trophies by the time he hits 25, but I’m unsure a driver like him will see the brighter side of it all after what happened. 

NASCAR played almost no damage control after the fact, as expected, but it’s what happened the next day that further compounded the fatigue of this format in a completely different way.

Denny Hamlin was going into the Championship 4 for Cup as an unsung hero of sorts. Hamlin’s known lack of championship hardware was once again in the spotlight, this time with a somber twist. 

2025 would be the last time Hamlin’s father, Dennis, would be able to see his son take it home. The father of Hamlin, who once maxed out every credit card he owned to give his son a racing opportunity, was terminally ill. 

It was something out of a movie. The guy in his mid 40s who statistically has been one of the best drivers ever, gets one more shot, one more race to do what’s evaded him forever in front of someone who gave so much to see it happen. 

For NASCARs PR disaster the day before, Denny Hamlin winning his first championship on Sunday would have been the feel good distraction the brass needed to have. 

They wouldn’t get it. 

Hamlin would dominate Phoenix but lose the race on a four tire stop as his competitors took two for the overtime restart. It would come on a wishy washy caution with THREE laps remaining. Hamlin spent the entire day dominating race restarts and getting the most out of his car, just to lose on a strategy call. 

Kyle Larson would capitalize on the mishap and capture his second Cup championship, however the sentiment from the driver was either that he backed his way into it or that Hamlin’s failure was disheartening. The Cup Champion wins and instead most of our sport is once again, left scratching our heads. 

What Love & Larson did over the weekend is not to discredit them as drivers. In Larson’s case especially, he utilized the format and overcame adversity to win. However the driver himself pointed out he didn’t lead a single lap in the race. It all just feels hollow and unimportant. 

Fans who like the playoff are quick to point out that a championship being decided two or three races in advance is boring, and maybe that’s true, but at least it isn’t hollow. At least I would have watched a driver kick ass and take names from spring to summer to fall and been content with that championship. 

NASCARs current format is made to manufacture late season drama, and it can’t even do that well. The sport utilized the outside variable of Hamlin’s fathers illness and his lack of a title to create what felt like the most intriguing final race in years. It was clear from the days leading up to the race and in the broadcast; This is why you’re tuning in and this is the story that’s important. Their chips were all in on Hamlin breaking a 20 year curse. 

When Hamlin failed in such a brutal fashion, the broadcast’s ability to retract itself into a much somber tone while trying to put Larson on a pedestal fell completely flat. 

In a full season championship, NASCARs insistence on Hamlin’s personal life amid the run could have been touched upon periodically, as the races played out further and further. Would Hamlin’s determination change in the full format, or at least one where he had a bundle of races to try and be the best? 

Not sure, but he sure as shit didn’t deserve what happened on Sunday. It wasn’t the case of a Harvick or a Zilisch, where the dominant man was left scratching his head. It felt more like NASCAR utilizing a feel good story and not banking on the prospect of it not happening. 

The NASCAR Playoff system has been a blemish on the sports existence and legitimacy since it was introduced. Luckily, someone deserving has won the title most times, but when that tune changes it becomes a complete circus. 

NASCAR has fought like hell for many years to have itself be taken as a legitimate racing series and not a po duck hillbilly series. Between having street races, driver swaps with Supercars and more, the brass clearly has made an effort to appeal to a broader motorsports fanbase.

 If they want any chance of it working, I’ll say this, 

Get rid of the playoffs. Get as far away as you can. If you refuse to adopt a full season system, fine but at least bring back the chase. SOMETHING. The end of the 2025 season was as much of a wet fart as I can remember and for a season filled with some fantastic moments, it’s not fair to any of these drivers. 

I hope something is done sooner rather than later, because guys like Connor Zilisch can race anywhere they want, and if we continue to delegitimize the sport, maybe they will.