NASCAR: Kevin Harvick Fans Demand Playoff Rules Be Scrapped After His Elimination

John Newby

11/04/2020 12:00 am EST

Sunday evening, Kevin Harvick's championship hopes came to a stunning end. The driver of the No. 4 Stewart-Haas Racing Ford Mustang finished just below the cutoff line, failing to reach the championship race at Phoenix. As the regular-season champion and winner of nine races, Harvick was the favorite to hoist the trophy at the end of the season. His elimination changed the storyline and prompted critical comments on social media about the playoff format.

Under the old format, which ended in 2003, drivers that accumulated the most points overall would win the Cup Series. A driver could secure the most points by winning races and performing consistently, which Matt Kenseth did in the final season by reaching Victory Lane at Las Vegas Motor Speedway and then accumulating 25 top-10 finishes. He earned more points than Ryan Newman, who won eight races but failed to finish several others due to crashes.

The new system, however, sends 16 drivers to the playoffs based on wins and points. They then compete in a four-round playoff featuring 10 races, with the field decreasing in size until only four remain. The best driver may not necessarily reach the championship round if they don't perform well or their car doesn't meet expectations during the elimination races, which happened on Sunday with Harvick.

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Is the old style of championship best? Many fans expressed this opinion after watching Harvick fall short of the final four. They said that he deserves to win the trophy after dominating all season long. Although some people also wondered how this "what if" scenario would affect other drivers from years past, such as Jeff Gordon and seven-time champion Jimmie Johnson.

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The NASCAR playoff format has undergone sizable changes since it first began in 2004. Now 16 drivers are eligible for the "Chase" and fight against elimination during the respective rounds. Many fans support this style, but there are several others that are strongly opposed. They continued voicing this opinion on Sunday after watching Harvick miss the cutoff.

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When Sunday's race came to an end, many fans proclaimed that they were stunned to see Harvick on the outside looking in. They had followed him all season long with the expectation that he would be in the final four and competing for the trophy. The playoffs did not play out as they expected, prompting several critical comments about NASCAR and the current format.

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Winning the regular-season championship provides entertainment for the fans and adds a nice trophy to the racing team's case. However, it does not guarantee a spot in the championship race. There are many fans that want to see this changed and made that opinion clear on Sunday.

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Harvick can't hold the trophy at the end of the championship race, but he can still go out and add a 10th win. Fans reacted to Sunday's surprising elimination by saying that it's time for the driver to go out and show everyone who is the best in the sport. They proclaimed that he would still dominate and lead the field to the checkered flag.

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Harvick was the best driver in NASCAR all season long, a fact that led many fans to believe that he would represent Stewart-Haas in the championship race. However, he finished below the cutoff line and sparked irritation among racing fans. They responded by blasting the format and saying that subpar teams had replaced Harvick in the final four.

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There were several NASCAR fans criticizing the sport's sanctioning body after watching the playoff race. Some said that the finish was "created by NASCAR" in order to help Elliott reach the championship race. Others said that Harvick deserves a better end to the season due to his consistency.

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