Newz Forum: AUTO: NASCAR new scoring system

In a bid to add excitement and put more emphasis on winning, NASCAR changed its scoring system by setting up a showdown for the Nextel Cup championship over the season's last 10 races. The structure of the new points plan for the Nextel Cup Series, were Revealed Tuesday.

CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES: There will a 10-race "Chase for the Championship" at the end of the season to determine the champion.

WHO'S ELIGIBLE: The top 10 drivers in the standings after the first 26 races, along with any other driver within 400 points of the leader at that juncture, qualifies for the 10-race "Chase for the Championship." Everyone in the top 10 at the end of the season will get at least $1 million from the points fund, with the champion getting at least $5 million.

A HEAD START: The driver in first place in the standings after the 26 races will begin the final 10-race "Chase for the Championship" with 5,050 points. The second-place driver will start with 5,045, third with 5,040 and so on in five-point increments for all drivers who qualify.

WINNING COUNTS A LITTLE MORE: Under the system in place last year, if the driver finishing second in a race led the most laps that day, both he and the winner would get 180 points for that event. This year, a victory will be worth 180 points, plus five for leading a lap. Second is still worth 170 points, and a runner-up who leads the most lap would still get 180 points - counting five-point bonuses for leading a lap and for leading the most laps. But the winner would get 185. A winner leading the most laps would get 190 points that day.

Story link AP wire

[Edited on 1/23/2004 by TRD]

When will this go into effect?

It seems like a good idea on paper to increase the activity of NASCAR, and make more people interested in watchingt his sport. But it has to have its flaws somewhere.

gonna have to disagree on this one, as i said in another post this looks like a made for tv system to me, an artifical points race to try and win back some of the viewers from football late in the year. nascar should leave well enough alone and stop tinkering with the rules almost weekly. to race well enough for 26 races to lead the standings and then be put back with nothing to show for it but a 5 point cushion is ludicrus.
the history of nascar has always been the drivers, the pearsons, and the petty's, i say let the drivers once again be the story and let the BEST man over the long haul win.....

Perfectly said toejam. I couldn't say it better myself. NASCAR needs to just let the drivers show case their abilites and not have some TV promote them.