“We need a little bit of hybrid”: Kurt Busch advocates for a five-race playoff to crown the NASCAR champion 

Kurt Busch has weighed in on the ongoing playoff debate. The Cup Series champion believes a ten-race chase might be too long and called for a five-race finale instead.

NASCAR's playoff format has attracted critics from all corners of the sport. From Hall of Famers like Mark Martin and active drivers like Denny Hamlin, many have questioned the elimination-style format and its viability.

The sanctioning body has listened to these qualms and will likely do away with the single-race title decider, given how Connor Zilisch's record-setting ten-win season didn't translate into a championship.

Reflecting on an ideal format, Kurt Busch spoke to SiriusXM NASCAR radio and said,

"I think we need a little bit of a hybrid of what we have currently, versus a full 36-race schedule versus a 10-race playoff format, which is what I won under."

"I think you need a five-race style format, and you keep some points from the regular season, but it's the five races, and you accumulate as many points as you can during those five. If you're lucky enough to have four or five points in the bank coming into the final race, you use that to your advantage," he added (via fanbuzz).

Kurt Busch also advocated for varying track styles during the five-race chase. On the other hand, he argued that a full-season points format will lead to waning excitement during the final few races.

NASCAR's Director of Racing Communications, Mike Forde, recently addressed the playoff rumours in an episode of Hauler Talk podcast. He shared that internal discussions are going on about the championship format, with an announcement expected anytime between the next two weeks to two months.

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Kurt Busch celebrates 23XI Racing's fifth anniversary

Kurt Busch recently praised 23XI Racing for completing five years in the Cup Series. The veteran driver initially drove the team's No.45 entry during its debut in 2020. He helped the team make its first playoff appearance in 2022, but retired from the sport after suffering a concussion the same year.

Busch took to X and shared a wholesome note of appreciation, writing,

“Hey everyone at 23XI. Congratulations and happy fifth-year anniversary. What an amazing journey in just such a short amount of time. It was prideful for me to help build that No. 45 car from the beginning. Thanks to Michael Jordan, Curtis (Polk), Steve (Lauletta), Denny (Hamlin).”

Kurt Busch made a special mention of Denny Hamlin for bringing him on board. The No.45 team, however, has paled in comparison to Bubba Wallace's No.23 outfit. Driven by Tyler Reddick, the team failed to secure a win this year. Although he made it to the playoffs through points, his winless streak continued in the postseason.

However, Reddick ended up ranking higher than Wallace. He stands ninth in the final standings, while Wallace sits at 11th.