NASCAR champion Kyle Larson closes door on unpopular playoff format

Kyle Larson has looked to reassure fans over the playoff format debate which has raged all year.

The 2025 NASCAR Cup Series champion may have fought through the controversial one-race finale to take the title at Phoenix this year, but he told the High Limit Room podcast that he expects his own High Limit series will never bring in the unpopular format.

Larson and World of Outlaws sprint car series legend Brad Sweet set up the High Limit Racing series in 2022, which has been getting bigger ever since.

He also weighed in on the current NASCAR playoff format, saying 'hopefully' the long-awaited format change will come into place before next season.

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NASCAR has openly admitted that it's considering a change to its playoff format for as early as 2026, but more than a month has now passed since the conclusion of the season without an announcement – and just six weeks until the season-opening exhibition race at Bowman Gray Stadium.

It's possible that the delay in making a firm decision has been exacerbated by a number of prominent figures in the sport having their time dominated by this month's dramatic NASCAR vs 23XI and FRM trial, which reached a settlement last week.

However, while managing director of racing communications Mike Forde admitted last month that he doesn't expect the playoff committee to have to meet again, he wouldn't commit to a timescale any more clear than 'before the Clash at Bowman Gray'.

Larson: No playoffs in High Limit

Speaking about various playoff scenarios on the podcast, Larson said: “I would hope and I’m pretty certain that will never happen in sprint car racing.

“Even the late model playoffs, I think is better than what we have in NASCAR. But still, I don’t know, it’s just not fair or not the fairest way. To me it doesn’t really add that much excitement, at all, to a dirt season.

“No. There will no playoff or winner take-all sort of thing. Hopefully, even in NASCAR, I think we’re done with the winner take-all, it sounds like. Fans don’t have to worry about that. I don’t want to keep going on because I’ll get myself in trouble talking about it.”