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Playoff Shake-Up Looming, Hamlin Wants Out (Just for a Vacation), Hendrick Still Believes in Bowman—and Oh Yeah, McDowell Isn’t Retiring

Playoff Shake-Up Looming, Hamlin Wants Out (Just for a Vacation), Hendrick Still Believes in Bowman—and Oh Yeah, McDowell Isn’t Retiring

Gowtham Ramalingam
November 14, 2025

Welcome to Hoot in the Oval — your all-access pass to everything NASCAR. From Denny’s clutch finishes to Ross’ wild moves, Chase Elliott fandom to Bubba’s bold takes — we’ve got the stories that fuel the track and the timeline. Fast, loud, unfiltered. Buckle up, y’all. 🏁

The latest edition of our newsletter covers:

NASCAR Managing Director Mike Forde on when to expect long-awaited Playoff format news
Denny Hamlin longing for a vacation after a hectic and heartbreaking 2025 season
Hendrick Motorsports still keeping faith in Alex Bowman’s capabilities
Michael McDowell’s future in NASCAR

🏁Inside the Oval

Playoff Format: NASCAR Official Says Decision Coming “Sooner Than Later”

Reports had come out in September that the NASCAR playoff committee had convened for its last session, and the only thing left to do was for a final decision to be made on how the playoff format would change. This decision was expected to be announced after the 2025 season finale.

However, it has been over a week since drivers returned home from Phoenix, and the bells haven’t rung yet. With the motorsports community eagerly anticipating some kind of news coming out, Mike Forde (NASCAR’s managing director of communications) provided an update in an episode of the Hauler Talk podcast.

The update, however, was nothing earth-shattering. Forde just said that a timeline cannot be put on when the announcement will be made. It could be two days from now or two months from now. The idea he gave was that NASCAR wants to be extremely thorough.

“I don’t think the playoff committee is going to meet again. I think we have gotten all the feedback that we needed from them… Now, it’s in NASCAR’s hands… There are announcements to come. Honestly, I don’t know where it is. It could be in two weeks, it could be in two months. We clearly want to make sure that we have been very thorough on this one,” said Forde.

The one assurance Forde provided was that the decision would be uncovered before the Clash at the Bowman Gray Stadium in 2026. “Obviously, it will be before Feb. 5 in The Clash, but it could be sooner than later. It could be in January… I don’t think anyone knows just yet,” he added.

The debate over the playoff format has raged on for over a decade now. The current system allows short-term luck to play a big role in deciding who the champion is. The fans and many from the racing fraternity do not appreciate this.

The discontent with the format reached a peak in 2024 after Team Penske’s Joey Logano won the title despite putting on average performances throughout the year. Many have been asking for NASCAR to go back to the full-season points-based format that was in place before 2004. But such a massive change is highly unlikely.

What does appear likely is a multi-race championship round deciding the title winner instead of a single race. These are all but speculation, though.

🗣️ Pit Politics

Between a Lawsuit and a Heartbreak, Denny Hamlin Just Wants a Vacation

Denny Hamlin has had little time to rest after his heartbreak in the Phoenix Raceway. The trial date (December 1) for the antitrust lawsuit that his team, 23XI Racing, filed against NASCAR is approaching fast.

Caught between the need to recover from the disappointment of missing out on the championship the way he did and his duties as a team owner, Hamlin wants nothing but to spend some time with his family.

He told Racing America in a recent interview that he would most certainly be going on a vacation. When and where depend on how the lawsuit pans out.

“I don’t have any plans. Usually, I have some kind of plans at some point, but obviously, with the pending litigation and stuff, I don’t know whether I’ll be in town or not,” said Hamlin.

“So, that stuff is obviously kind of fluid. But I’m going to take some time and go on a vacation at some point. I certainly need it very, very badly. Other than that, just spending more time at home,” he added.

NASCAR Cup Series professionals travel extensively. They get very little time with their families and typically use the offseason to make up for the lost time. Hamlin has the same plan.

From going to his daughter Taylor’s volleyball games to watching his second kid, Molly, perform gymnastics, Hamlin wants to just be around as their fan.

Hamlin was recently seen at the Amelia Motor Raceway in rural Virginia, along with Taylor. The track is where he began his racing career as a kid, and the visit is being talked about a lot on social media as the first step towards his journey of redemption

🗣️ Pit Politics

Hendrick Motorsports Hasn’t Given Up on Alex Bowman Yet

Alex Bowman is seen as the most easily replaceable driver on the Hendrick Motorsports roster, which consists of him, Kyle Larson, William Byron, and Chase Elliott. But even after a winless 2025 Cup Series season, the top brass at the team hasn’t yet lost faith in Bowman's ability to be a top driver.

Speaking to the press ahead of the season finale at Phoenix, Rick Hendrick once again expressed his confidence in Bowman.

“They had a good start to the year. There have been some tracks where Alex was our best car. So, no different than trying to work on the short track program. That team is working hard on getting better everywhere. I think they’re showing great signs,” said Hendrick.

Every team has a driver who plays catch-up at one time or the other. For instance, Elliott wasn’t putting up great performances a year ago. But he has turned his form around now.

There is no reason to believe that Bowman can’t do the same. The benefactor’s belief is further reinforced by the focus that he sees from the entire No. 48 crew. Jeff Gordon, too, holds Bowman and his team on a similar pedestal. The team’s vice chairman used key data and insight to throw light on Bowman and Co.’s immense contribution to Hendrick Motorsports.

“We know that they’re very valuable, but we also know there are things that need to be improved there. A big part of our focus this off-season is giving Alex and Blake [Harris] the tools that they need,” said Gordon, who trusts that if Bowman’s team gets the right resources, it could fill the gaps and strengthen them.

“I’m with Rick, I don’t think they’re that far off,” Gordon declared.

Being a driver for Hendrick Motorsports comes with high expectations. So far, Bowman has been living up to the confidence put in him. But this patience from the leaders might not last forever.

At the end of the day, hard results are what matter. Bowman needs to reach Victory Lane more than once in 2026 to justify the faith that Hendrick and Gordon have in him.

🏁 Trackside Trivia

NASCAR’s home of the championship weekend, Phoenix Raceway, was originally designed for IndyCar

Phoenix Raceway, opened in 1964, was designed keeping open-wheeled racing in mind. The quirky layout—especially the dogleg—was meant for creating passing zones for IndyCars. NASCAR didn’t run at the Avondale, Arizona, track until 1988.

🎙️ Hoot’s Radio Chatter

Michael McDowell Shoots Down Retirement Talk

Michael McDowell, 40, who has spent two decades in the NASCAR Cup Series, is at that stage of his career where many drivers would have already begun thinking about retirement. But the thought hasn’t crossed McDowell’s mind even once, simply because he still isn’t satisfied with what he has achieved in the sport.

Speaking to the press at Phoenix during the Championship Weekend, the Spire Motorsports driver said, “Do I see that [retirement] in the future? Not in the near future.” McDowell, who ran his first Cup Series race in 2008, then detailed how the first 10 years of his career in the top flight were an absolute struggle.

He has gotten to where he is now, building from those struggles. So, McDowell wants to win a few more accolades to do justice to those efforts. “I’m still very excited about showing up to the race track, knowing we can run well, and challenge for wins. For me, that’s what motivates me to keep going,” he added.

After a long stint with Front Row Motorsports, which began in 2018, McDowell raced for Spire in the No. 71 car this season and finished 22nd. The flashes of speed he displayed are enough proof that he could add on to the two Cup Series wins he has earned thus far in his lengthy career.

Those two wins came in the 2021 Daytona 500 and the 2023 Indianapolis Road Course race. Regardless of all the optimism and motivation, McDowell does understand the reality of the sport when it comes to handling age.

“I don’t see [retirement] in the near future, but you know how this sport is — it’s just a matter of time before the next fast guy comes to replace me, and it’s just when is he ready and am I still performing at that point,” said McDowell,who will turn 41 next February.

🏁 Lap Back in Time: NASCAR Stat of the Year
(One stat. One year. Every edition.)

1958: NASCAR once shared the same venue as Michael Jackson and Pink Floyd

The 1958 Jim Mideon 500 was held at the now-demolished Exhibition Stadium, Toronto. It was a 100-lap race on a 0.333-mile oval. The venue was also used by the likes of Michael Jackson and Pink Floyd during its existence (1948-1999).