Over the past few years, NASCAR has faced mounting pressure from teams, drivers, and fans about whether the current playoff format truly rewards season-long consistency or just helps deliver spectacle. Dale Earnhardt Jr. himself has openly called the existing format “the hardest, most difficult way to win a championship.”

Meanwhile, rumors have floated about the sport testing changes in its lower tiers before deploying anything at the top Cup level. According to media tracking, the sanctioning body is indeed exploring options for 2026, but cautioned that no formal changes will be confirmed for the Cup Series until later.

And amid all this, Dale Jr has intrigued the fans further, as he stepped onto his podcast recently and revealed that the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series and the O’Reilly

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