NASCAR Hinting at Future Playoff Changes?

For the first time in five years, NASCAR is looking to make changes to its championship venue. According to NASCAR COO Steve O'Donnell, the 2026 NASCAR Cup Series championship will most likely be held in a venue other than Phoenix Raceway.

This annoucement as well as other details about what may be in store for the future of NASCAR playoffs were revealed in the first edition of Hauler Talk, a NASCAR-ran podcast that aims to provide fans with insight from experts working at the company.

When asked about rotating the championship venue, O'Donnell said,

It’s more complicated than just waving a checkered flag and say, ‘Let’s move the championship,’ but I do think a rotation is going to be really important for us...If (a driver has) won 45 Phoenix races in a row and the championship is there, it’s probably not a good look for the sport, right? And we’ve had a good mixture (of champions at Phoenix). But I think a rotation is what the fans would like.

O'Donnell also compared the potential changes of the championship venue to other sports, saying,

College football and the NFL (have) that rotation (of championship games) and anticipation of a new venue. I think you’ll see that with NASCAR as well.

Most fans have been critical of Phoenix Raceway's current status as the championship venue, with many arguing that the track is too small and doesn't provide the best racing to determine the champion. The track has been the championship venue since 2020, when NASCAR moved the championship from Homestead-Miami Speedway.

So what tracks is O'Donnell considering for the championship venue? Well, he ruled out superspeedways like Daytona and Talladega--no suprise there, as those tracks known for being very unpredictable--not the best way to crown a Cup champion. Possibly due to the lack of premium seating, O'Donnell also argued against going to street and road courses, leaving the door open for intermediate tracks and short ovals.

O'Donnell also noted the success of the Bowman Gray Clash, where the temperature was sub-50 degrees, so he's more open to choosing a venue that may not be the warmest in November. This means that tracks in more northern states could be considered.

Addiitionally, the COO mentioned that NASCAR is considering changes to the playoff format in every possible way, including the points format as well as how playoff rounds are structured. He said,

We may end up exactly where we are, but I don’t think so...I think there’ll be some tweaks that we look at that we can improve upon. There’s a lot of different variables to look at to make sure we’re crowning the drivers who win and are up on the wheel, and we can tell a story that they’re deserving of being a NASCAR champion.

So what locations could be considered for the championship venue? While I'd like to think that NASCAR may consider a venue like Las Vegas Motor Speedway, which certainly would have the infrastructure and glitz to host a championship, I don't know if NASCAR is willing to give up the championship to an SMI-owned track. Because of this, tracks like Kansas Speedway, which has put on some great finishes in the Next Gen era, could be considered. It has been rumored that Homestead-Miami Speedway (a track owned by NASCAR) could be in the running, as it was moved out of the 2025 NASCAR playoffs to reportedly make room for renovations for the 2026 championship.