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Kurt Busch has provided an update about his ongoing recovery.
As the 2025 NASCAR Cup Series season fades into the background, the talk around the garage has locked onto one major topic: possible changes to the playoff format. Retired champion Kurt Busch has stepped forward with a firm push for what he calls a shorter, “hybrid” system.
At the same time, NASCAR’s Managing Director of Racing Communications, Mike Forde, says the sanctioning body is getting close to a final call. Forde explained that an official announcement should arrive in the coming weeks.
Busch shared his idea during a November 12 interview on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, while Forde spoke the day before on the Hauler Talk podcast. Both made it clear that the sport is moving toward a new direction, and that update is coming sooner rather than later.
Kurt Busch Backs a Five-Race Hybrid Playoff
Busch, the 2004 Cup champion under the original Chase system, laid out his plan for a tighter and more intense postseason. He suggested cutting the current 10-race format in half.
“I think we need a little bit of a hybrid of what we have currently, versus a full 36-race schedule versus a 10-race playoff format, which is what I won under,” he said.
Busch explained that his idea is built around a five-race playoff that still carries over a small number of regular-season points. His goal is to reward strong drivers from the full season while also keeping the championship fight close and unpredictable.
“I think you need a five-race style format, and you keep some points from the regular season, but it’s the five races, and you accumulate as many points as you can during those five. If you’re lucky enough to have four or five points in the bank coming into the final race, you use that to your advantage.”
In Kurt Busch’s example, teams would enter the final race with a small cushion, but not enough to secure the title early. That means every lap in those five races, especially the finale, would still carry weight. His structure is designed to blend year-long performance with a shorter, high-pressure playoff stretch.
NASCAR’s Decision Enters Final Stages
Mike Forde gave an update on where the review stands during his appearance on Hauler Talk. He noted that the Playoff Committee had completed its work and passed its recommendations to NASCAR leadership.
“The Playoff Committee did an awesome job,” he said. “Now, it’s in NASCAR’s hands.”
According to Forde, leaders are now looking over everything gathered in recent months.
“They’re going to take all the feedback they got from every walk of life and every thought on the spectrum from no playoffs whatsoever to keeping it how it is and really beating that all up. They are announcements to come. Honestly, I don’t know where it is. It could be in two weeks, it could be in two months.”
Forde explained that the goal is to be thorough before releasing the final version of the format.
“We clearly want to make sure that we have been very thorough on this one. Obviously, it will be before Feb. 5 in The Clash, but it could be sooner than later; it could be in January. I don’t know, I don’t think anyone knows just yet. Still discussions to be had on where we are in the discussion of the playoff format. I think we feel good about the directions and the possibilities here because of the playoff committee and the work that they’ve done and the feedback we got from the industry.”
Dogli Wilberforce is a sports writer who covers NASCAR, Formula 1 and IndyCar Series for Heavy Sports. With bylines at Total Apex Sports and Last Word on Sports, Wilberforce has built a reputation for delivering timely, engaging coverage that blends sharp analysis with accessible storytelling. Wilberforce has covered everything from major football transfers to fight-night drama, bringing readers the insight and context behind the headlines. More about Dogli Wilberforce
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