NASCAR’s Director of Racing Communications, Mike Forde, recently shed light on a concerning “nightmare scenario” faced by NASCAR President Steve O’Donnell regarding the current playoff format. According to Forde, O’Donnell fears that the sport’s unpredictability could drive away emerging talents, warning that the next “Connor Zilisch type” driver might turn away from NASCAR altogether.

Connor Zilisch’s rookie season was nothing short of historic. Despite overcoming two injuries, the 19-year-old secured an impressive ten wins and twenty top-5 finishes over 32 starts. He entered the finale as the favorite for the championship but ultimately lost the title to his best friend and Richard Childress Racing driver, Jesse Love. This outcome sparked considerable uproar among fans and analysts.

Back in October, O’Donnell expressed his concerns over the current single-race title decider format. He revealed a personal conversation with Christopher Bell, who shared worries that the format might discourage aspiring drivers. Bell said,
“Let me look at F1, let me look at IndyCar, let me look at this other—I have this driving talent that can translate into other forms of racing. I’m going to move to this because I feel like this championship format is a little more legitimate, and I’m not going to go to NASCAR.”
O’Donnell described this as his nightmare scenario.

Despite this setback, there is good news for Zilisch fans. He will make his full-time Cup Series debut next year, driving the No. 88 Chevrolet for Trackhouse Racing. Team owner Justin Marks recently spoke about the signing, expressing strong confidence in Zilisch’s future, calling him a potential “huge star.”

### NASCAR’s Leading Contenders in the Next Gen Era

Since the introduction of the Next Gen package, Team Penske has dominated by winning every driver’s championship—until this year. Hendrick Motorsports’ Kyle Larson is the only driver outside of Penske to claim the championship in the last five years.

On the team front, Joe Gibbs Racing has maintained supremacy. Their four-car lineup narrowly leads Hendrick Motorsports in most laps led, with Team Penske trailing in third place. On the other end of the spectrum, Rick Ware Racing is the least competitive, leading just 0.2% of laps.

Individually, Kyle Larson stands out with 16 wins under his belt, making him the clear leader. Denny Hamlin and William Byron share the second spot with 14 wins each; however, Hamlin edges out Byron by securing five more second-place finishes.

As NASCAR continues to evolve with the Next Gen era, these dynamics highlight an exciting and highly competitive landscape moving forward.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/nascar/news-that-s-nightmare-scenario-nascar-s-mike-forde-says-steve-o-donnell-fears-losing-next-gen-stars-current-championship-format