TC Daily Pit Stop: Jeff Burton Denies NBC is Reason for NASCAR Playoff Format; Goodyear Bringing Richmond Tire Compound to Loudon

TC Daily Pit Stop: Wednesday, September 17, 2025

Sep 17, 2025

Jeff Burton says NBC is not to blame for the NASCAR Playoff Format and that television doesn't dictate what format NASCAR uses. — Craig White | TobyChristie.com

As NASCAR has yet to confirm the championship format for the 2026 NASCAR National Series schedule, many fans within the sport have continued to call out the TV partners, as they feel the TV partners have dictated the elimination-style Playoff format that NASCAR is using to determine a champion.

On this week’s edition of Door Bumper Clear, Jeff Burton, a former racer and current on-air talent at NBC Sports, took exception to this and said that TV doesn’t make decisions related to NASCAR’s Playoff format.

“Hold on a second. I hear that all the time, and I want to be clear about something, and I’m in these meetings. TV doesn’t make these decisions,” Burton stated emphatically. “NASCAR makes these decisions. When this format that we are currently racing under was created, I was in every damn meeting. TV didn’t make this decision. They had a seat at the table, as did drivers, as did car owners, as did NASCAR, as did the tracks, and TV didn’t say, ‘Here’s your format, this is what we are doing.’ That’s not how that happened, and the fact that people think that’s how it happened, I don’t know where that’s coming from. And if anyone thinks TV wrote a prescription, here’s how you’re going to do this, that’s bullshit.”

While Burton claims NBC doesn’t make the decision on NASCAR’s Playoff format, Jeff Gluck of The Athletic, who is part of NASCAR’s Playoff Committee, reported back in July that the initial mood in the room within the committee was that the Playoff format would change for the 2026 season. However, Gluck said NBC was the hold-up, and with where things stood in July, Gluck felt we were on a path to no Playoff changes for 2026.

In recent weeks, there have been rumors of potential changes to the Playoff format next season, including a championship round, which would consist of four races, instead of one, but it’s all fluid until an official announcement comes from NASCAR.

Goodyear Bringing Tire Compound Used at Richmond to New Hampshire

Goodyear reveals the tire compounds for NASCAR Race weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway — Buddy Ghi | TobyChristie.com

Goodyear will bring the same tire compound, which produced better than expected racing at Bowman Gray, Martinsville, North Wilkesboro, and Richmond, back for this weekend’s NASCAR Cup Series Mobil 1 301 at New Hampshire Motor Speedway.

This means we should see significant tire falloff on the stopwatch this weekend, which has the opportunity to create more comers and goers throughout the 301-lap contest at ‘The Magic Mile’.

Teams will have nine sets of tires in their allocation this weekend, including seven new sets for Sunday’s race, one set for practice, and one set for qualifying, which can be transferred as a scuffed set to the race.