Starting watching NASCAR in 1986, but bailed on it a few years back. I always thought the Chase was an idiotic way to decide a champion, and a "winner take all" season finale made it even more idiotic. Hypothetically speaking, a driver could win 35 races, then finish second at Homestead, and lose the championship.
Motorsports don't need playoffs, because unlike other sports, everyone competes against each other all season long. No unbalanced schedules.
As far as the new race rules go, sounds like another loser to me. If you don't want people to complain about drivers "riding around", have them run heat races. Then, a B-main, and an A-main. Just like they do at every dirt track. It's not rocket science.