New NASCAR Point System... (?)

[RTKar]

NASCAR considering 10-race championship hunt
Dec. 9, 2003
SportsLine.com wire reports

CHARLOTTE, N.C. -- NASCAR is considering a radical change to its point system that would create a 10-race championship chase between the top 10 drivers in the standings.


The plan would lock in the top 10 drivers after the 26th race of the 2004 season. They would then compete over the final 10 races -- with their standings possibly being reset to zero -- for the Nextel Cup championship.

"The goal is to cast a bigger spotlight on the drivers in the championship hunt, specifically in the top 10," NASCAR spokesman Mike Zizzo said Tuesday. "This plan would let them battle it out and give us the drama of a playoff stretch like other sports."

NASCAR hopes to make a decision concerning the points system by the middle of January, Zizzo said. The season-opening Daytona 500 is Feb. 15.

In studying the changes, NASCAR applied the system to the past 10 years and found it would have changed the champion six times. Jimmie Johnson would have won it this past year and Matt Kenseth, who was crowned champion last week, would have finished seventh.

There's been much debate over changing the points system this season because of the way Kenseth earned his first title. His Roush Racing team was consistent all season, racking up a series-high 25 top 10 finishes while winning just one race. Ryan Newman, meanwhile, won a series-best eight races but finished sixth in the points.

Kenseth's lead in the standings was overwhelming by mid-July, eliminating any drama over the second half of the season.

"These proposed changes in no way are meant to diminish what Matt accomplished this season. He was a model of consistency," Zizzo said.

"Every year we review the points system and really felt we wanted to look at some type of stretch that it really casts the spotlight on the championship chase at the time of the year we are going up against the NFL, Major League baseball playoffs, college football and the start of the NHL and NBA seasons."



AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2003, The Associated Press, All Rights Reserved

[JoeBob]

Why not just replace the walls with ropes, and put turnbuckles in the corners?

[Ankf00]

cage match. 2x4's, tire irons, torque wrenches, gas cans.

[RTKar]

Originally posted by JoeBob
Why not just replace the walls with ropes, and put turnbuckles in the corners?

LOL..The first thought that came to my mind was WWF...

[Lizzerd]

That whole plan is crazier than the current system. This topic comes up every year for one reason or another (but I'm not being critical of it being brought up now). The way the points are awarded now is that second place earns as many as the winner if second leads the most laps. That's insane. I've always thought that getting points for making the grid was kinda stupid, too.

On the other hand, in the NBA, nearly half the teams make the playoffs and they don't even need to have a .500 season record.

Jeez, Louise, I just noticed something. 36 races...???

[devilmaster]

Originally posted by Lizzerd
I've always thought that getting points for making the grid was kinda stupid, too.

Giving points to every car in the race was a direct contributor, IMO, to the recent spat of deaths in Nascar.

When you build your cars stronger, and more able to take a hit, so that you can send it back out to 'gain valuable' points, something had to give. And that something was basalar skull fracture.

Its quite obvious, that the points system, (developed in a bar and written on a cocktail napkin, true story) is a failure.

Not every car needs points in a race. Hell, if they only let the top half of the field get points its still too many cars getting points. But basically, cut the list of point getters down, and make a larger point difference between positions. It will still reward consistency but will improve the chances for repeat winners.

Steve

[DaveL]

That proposed change has got to be the dumbest idea I've ever seen. And I think that it was Kenseth and Rousch that did the dominating that is sparking it. If Earnhardt had done the same exact thing noone would say world one about it. But because it's Rousch who came to NASCAR from sports cars and doesn't have roots in stock car racing, and it's Kenseth aka Mr. Boredom from Wisconsin everyone wants to talk about how bad the points system is. I don't like the system either. I think it should change to put more value in wins. But noone was crying about the injustice to Kenseth last year when he had the most wins.

[RTKar]

Originally posted by devilmaster
Giving points to every car in the race was a direct contributor, IMO, to the recent spat of deaths in Nascar.

When you build your cars stronger, and more able to take a hit, so that you can send it back out to 'gain valuable' points, something had to give. And that something was basalar skull fracture.

Steve

Good point Steve, I've always disliked sending cars back out minus parts and duct taped together especially when a winning car whose driver stood on the roof during the victory celebration is questioned in tech because the car doesn't conform to the template, while some others without hoods and fenders score "valuable points".

[cartcanuck]

So basically they want a playoff.

I wonder how long it would take them under this modified point system to reschedule the last 10 races to include some of the most popular tracks? A playoff should include the best of the best and a good variety of tracks.....road course, short track (Bristol), small oval, regular oval (Charlotte), and superspeedway (Daytona) to make it effective. This could play some real havoc with their schedule because i"m sure there'll be a lot of track owners wanting in on the playoffs!

[JoeBob]

The more I think about this idea, the dumber it sounds. How'd you like to be the guy 11th and back in the standings, driving around playing "blocker car" knowing that you can drop in the standings, but you can't improve.

In "playoffs" the teams who aren't contenders go home. I don't see NASCAR starting only 10 cars.

The Oliver Stone in me wonders if they cooked up the craziest idea they could think of, so that the current system looks wonderful in comparison.

[Andrew Longman]

The ruggedness of the cars is driven more by trying to make them stiff and more responsive to changes in set up.

That stiffness certainly must play a part in injuring drivers.

They also certainly send ripped up race cars back out to get those points, but I don't think that's why they make them rugged.

To another point...

Yes this is the dumbest idea I've ever seen, but not much more contrived than the wacky rules they make up each year for the Winston.

Yes too NASCAR is right that come September interest in NASCAR takes a back seat to the NFL and MLB playoffs, but their season is too long, they have too many races, and their point system too giving to sustain interest in the championship.

And yes too, when Texas Terry Labonte won his second championship he too won only one race (I believe), no one complained about the point system then. They talked about the difficulty of avoiding DNFs, qualifying and finishing well week to week. Roush and Kenseth being outsiders definitely hurts them, but is not the entire reason for this.

But you know, NASCAR knows their audience. And they sell out nearly every race, even late in the season. I bet their fans love it.

[Ziggy]

One win = One point

that should clear things up for the trailer park set.

Ziggy

[pchall]

Idiots. Congenital idiots.

[XFT]

It would be easier to have a 10 race season between 10 identical cars.:eek: