NASCAR legend calls for change as Cup Series playoff controversy addressed

NASCAR legend and seven-time Cup Series champion Richard Petty has called for changes to be made to a controversial rule regarding the playoffs.

Barring the regular season seeing more than 16 different race winners, in the NASCAR Cup Series, if you win on any given weekend, you are locked into the postseason.

This rule saw Shane van Gisbergen book his place in the playoffs on Sunday, winning the Viva Mexico 250 on the road course at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City.

However, van Gisbergen's win has sparked huge debate in the NASCAR community. The former Supercars champion is a road course specialist and it was no surprise to see him do well in Mexico, however, he has struggled for most of the season in his first full-time Cup Series campaign and sits 30th in the standings as a result.

Despite being 30th, though, he is now locked into the playoffs, and some do not believe this should be the case, including Petty.

"The way they got this thing fixed, if, you know, you win and you're in, that can't be right," the seven-time Cup Series champion said on the Petty Race Recap.

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Richard Petty issues verdict on controversial NASCAR rule

The NASCAR legend continued: "From the standpoint that you got somebody like you say that's 30th in the points, that's gonna make the playoffs.

"Hey man, what happened to the guy that's 15th or 16th or 18th? You know, been running good everywhere, finished good everywhere?

"You're making a championship situation by winning a road course, which is not really NASCAR to begin with.

"So from that standpoint, I think they're gonna have to jockey around and change some of this kind of stuff."

10 drivers are now locked into the 2025 playoffs, with six spots remaining up for grabs via points at this stage.

However, there are 10 regular-season races to go, and should there be a new winner in any of those 10 races, the number of playoff spots up for grabs via points will decrease.

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