After the 2025 Cup Series championship, waves of discontent washed over NASCAR. Everyone could feel Denny Hamlin’s heartbreak personally, as the racer’s 6-win season screeched to a halt due to a caution flag at Phoenix. And thereby the playoff format came further under scrutiny, as it determines racers’ fortunes in a one-race-take-all format. However, differing opinions also lingered – as Shane van Gisbergen cautiously approaches new changes.

A touch of diversity and thrill

“I loved it as a fan, but as a driver and a team coming down to one race, it’s very tough, whether it be 3 races or 4 – that could be something to be tweaked. ‘Cause I watched the last race. You watch the last 5-6 races religiously, wanting to know what happened as the storyline. So I can see both sides of it,” Shane van Gisbergen said on Episode 312 of Dinner with Racers. He added his 4-word conclusion, “I wouldn’t be here,” he continued, “if it wasn’t for the playoffs. It created the opportunity, so don’t take it away too much, please, Steve.”

Steve O’Donnell, NASCAR President, has repeatedly hinted at a revised playoff format for 2026. Although exact details are still unclear, there are a few theories. It could return to the chase format. Or it could be a structure where a final round of three races, instead of one, decides who the champion is. But in a world of a full-points playoff format, Shane van Gisbergen may not have sprung to glory in the sport. As one race victory – the Chicago Street Race in 2023 – established his journey in the sport.

Also, the older format saw champions like Dale Earnhardt and Richard Petty getting crowned long before the season was over. That added a dull factor for the season finale. In IndyCar, when Alex Palou clinched the title two races before the finale, the race at Portland was hugely anticlimactic.

But in a world of playoffs, more drivers are in the spotlight in the second half of the season, and the possibility of them winning the championship is elevated a little. More teams are in the conversation, and their sponsors get a little more TV airtime. They have something to race for beyond the purse and the trophy on that given day. Shane van Gisbergen and Trackhouse were among the ones benefiting from this.

Hence, our favorite Kiwi driver has a request to keep a portion of the playoff system. However, he is happy to do away with a peculiar aspect.

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Shane van Gisbergen is annoyed every week

“Probably the thing that does p— me, is when they do ‘Gentlemen, start your engines,’ and only half the field starts the engines and turns them off, saving fuel,” Shane van Gisbergen said. “They start the engines, and it’s 2-3 minutes till the pace car goes. So they should do 30 seconds before the pace car goes. They make it a rule that you have to leave the engine running. It sounds awesome when the cars are running, but then everyone just turns them off. At a superspeedway, probably 4 cars start up, ’cause nobody starts their engines as they’re saving fuel.”

In 2022, the introduction of the Next-Gen car has befuddled drivers’ race strategies. Contrary to having a clear aim of going full throttle as the race starts, drivers need to use half throttle or less to save fuel. That is because the Next-Gen car provides fewer chances of passing, especially on superspeedways. This drastically declines the quality of the racing and affects fans’ enjoyment as well. And Shane van Gisbergen does not get to experience the full package of stock car racing.

NASCAR’s Kiwi racer does not have an issue with the playoffs. However, we can only wait and see what happens.