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Dale Earnhardt Jr. pulls back curtain on NASCAR playoff committee, sounds off on TV influence

Brian Jones Profile Picby: Brian Jones9 hours agobrianjones_93
Dale Earnhardt Jr.
Peter Casey-Imagn Images

Dale Earnhardt Jr. shared some interesting things about being on the NASCAR playoff committee this season. On Dale Jr. Download, Earnhardt shared details on what the committee does during its meetings.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. said the first playoff committee meeting was in February. He revealed that all they did was talk about different topics and “see what comes from this.”

“This is not a committee that’s going to make a decision, or if we do happen to come up with some great ideas, those may be utilized,” Earnhardt added. “But we’re not going to be the group that makes the final decision. I kind of felt like, yeah I can be involved, and I have to accept the fact that I know that most of my thoughts and opinions may not make the final result. That’s okay, but it was going to be an interesting part of it and hear what everybody had to say and see how it worked.”

Dale Earnhardt Jr. sets the record straight on TV influence in NASCAR

Earnhardt then revealed that the committee discussed TV influence in NASCAR. “As we went through this whole process, I’ve learned that TV does not like being considered as someone who has influence,” he said. “They’re like, ‘Whoa, whoa, whoa. We don’t need to be in the business of influencing the sport,’ on how they’re going to do their deal. So they’ve withdrawn a bit and taken the position of NASCAR will make that call, and we will be good with that.”

It makes sense for Earnhardt to be part of the playoff committee since he’s a NASCAR Hall of Famer and outspoken on the playoff format. He has previously said that the best way to determine a champion is the full-season points system, meaning there would be no playoffs.

Earnhardt spent most of his NASCAR Cup Series career competing in a playoff format. But when his father, Dale Earnhardt Sr., was racing, championships were determined by who had the most points after the end of the year. NASCAR began having a playoff system in 2004 and has changed over the years. The current playoff format includes 16 drivers who have won a race during the regular season or had the most points. In the 10-race playoff format, four drivers are eliminated after three races, and the top four compete in a championship race at Phoenix.