There has been a lot of talk amongst the fans about how hard the points system has been to understand since I started watching the sport. Trying to explain the system to new fans required a degree in algebra, a scientific calculator, and the student had to be versed in quantum physics, or at least that is how it was explained to me when I first started tuning in weekly to the races. Even after watching for over 15 years I still had no idea of all the intricacies of the points system. Well those days are gone as the powers that be FINALLY listened to the fans and made it into something that we can better understand.
Here’s how it works now. There are 43 cars in the field. You get one point for each position. If you are the race winner you get 43 points, second place gets 42, third gets 41 and so on down the line to the 43rd position getting one point.  In addition to the points allocated:
* Any driver who leads a lap during a race receives one bonus point.
* The driver who leads the most laps receives an additional one bonus point.
* The race winner receives three bonus points.
Essentially now if a driver wins the race, and leads the most laps they are looking at a total of 48 points. Easy math now. I can put my scientific calculator away now while trying to determine who is where in the points after the race has concluded.
As usual when you want to know what the fans are thinking … ask the fans. I put this question to the people who follow the Fans Of Dale Earnhardt Jr page I run on Facebook to get some of their responses.
” Should’ve been done like this a long time ago!”
“I won’t be happy till they dump the chase completely. Hear that? Thats the sound of tv ratings going further down”
“It will be easier to keep up with the points”
Just some of the initial reactions of people within a few moments of posing the question. The fans have been asking for a points change since before the chase was designed. In fact I am willing to bet that if the chase format had never been implemented and this points system put into place instead there may have been more buts in the seats over the past few years. How could I possibly be of that opinion you ask? Simple, no points reset with 10 to go and the points you worked hard to earn all season are still yours. No longer is there 10 or 12 guys battling it out, but the entire field still has a chance to gain on the points leader every time they head out. This means that for fans of guys like Jamie McMurray and Juan Pablo Montoya there is no being left out of contention with 10 races to go. Sure we would still run into the issue of a champion being crowned weeks before the season ended, but the chase format didn’t put an end to that happening either. 2010 was the first season where we had the possibility of multiple winners taking the championship home all the way to the final race of the season and yet ratings still fell.
NASCAR is trying everything that they can it seems to bring press to the people and get the word out there that they are still on TV. Let hope that this little change will bring a few more viewers back to them so that the sport we love can continue. There has been talk of shortening the races by some including Dale Earnhardt and Rick Hendrick. Shortening the races would obviously change what some of the outcomes may be, but in the end the race itself always determines the winner, no matter what the Jimmie Johnson haters may say.
I say this would be another great idea. Limiting the time to equal that of say a Hockey game or an NFL game would make it much easier to sell to today’s limited attention span audience. With so many options to watch no one really wants to sit for 6 hours to watch anything these days. I like the idea of shortening the races to get them into a 3 – 4 hour time slot. It would allow the average watcher more time to themselves or with their families instead of listening to Rusty or Kenny ramble on about the good old days. (Not that I don’t find that entertaining too, but I really watch for the racing action)
Here’s hoping NASCAR will listen to the fans some more and fix a few more of the things that fans have told them are driving us away. Want to make more of an impact on the sport you love? Try joining the NASCAR Fan Council and fill in a survey after each race. That’s where they got the idea for th e points system.. maybe it will effect everything else eventually too.
I guess they can't change it back to the good old days all at once.
This point system makes sense, finally!
we spent our last dollar on a natin wide race tired of watching any!!!!!!!!!!!!! sprint driver drive in the series!! it's for up coming drivers not sprint drivers or has beens We attent 8 races a year from michigan to fla spend over 20 grand to do so but will not ever attend another nation wide or truck race untill the rules are changed!! if no rules change we will stay home and watch the sprint on tv .Wake up nasar as fans we are feed up with sprint drivers in nationwide races!!
Randy and sue from michigan
you are right at least the sprint cup point system makes sense!!! now if they would only get every sprint cup drivers out of all natin wide races and let the up coming stars just race it out for a chance to get in the sprint cup line up!! we as fans spent our last dollar on any nation wide race untill the rules change. tiried of sprint cup big buck teams taking the spot light from up coming kids not to mention the big share of the purse!!
I too am glad for the new points system. Like you I want them to do away w/ the chase. I have never liked it. Athough I am to old to go to the races I still like to watching them pn tv. love them even more when I worked at cms. Will always be a Earnhardt fan nomatter which e/h is driving.
Line them up run em and the winner of the most races is champ,so damn simple.
Absolutely! Second is the first loser and this is the way it should be. Would make for some exciting races when nothing matters but taking the checkered flag. The way racing should be.
thats what I'm talking about
How about tires or gas under the yellow flag. All race fans would like to see pits under green flag conditions.
I would like to see the chase eliminated. So many drivers get screwed and some get an easy change of circumstances. It's BS!
I liked the point system and I didnt find it hard to figure out, and I barely got through basic math in high school to graduate. I love the chase and I find it exciting Jimmie didnt get handed his trophy this yr, he had to earn it, I guess Im the minority here on this one, dont hate me guys, Im just sayin'
If you couldn't understand the old points system, you don't deserve to walk this Earth. Each position got a set number of points and there were two ways to earn 5 additional points. It was math on a 3rd grade level. Geez.
I'm glad the points system has been simplified. Now I won't have to remember how many points finishing position 5 – l0 gets, then ll – 20, etc. As for the chase. Do away with it. I think NASCAR loses viewers during the Chase if their favorite Driver didn't make that Top 10 and there's not anyway for a Driver to advance after that stupid chase starts. It should go all the way down to the checkered flag at Homestead. Like the old times, it's more exciting. I also think this would help sponsorship opportunities because the last 10 races focuses only on that Top 10 group. Then there's the TV competition with Football Season going into full swing, which causes loss of interest. But don't shorten the races!!!!!That's part of the athletic ability of these Drivers – Endurance – Jimmie Johnson was voted #2 Male Athlete of the Year, only to be beat by Saints Quarterback, Drew Brees. I think that really says a lot for NASCAR, so let's not have that set back by shortening the races. It will take Team Endurance out of the picture.
The point system is easy just don't like the chase. Best man wins without no chase!
Chrissie Grotts
It wasn't the points that drove people away it was all of the rules. You can't touch. You can't go below the yellow line…blah, blah, blah! They made it into a sissy sport. We watch Nascar for the fights and the excitement. If I want to watch boring races I'll tune into the IRL. Let the guys go at it on the track. That's what will bring people back, it's called CONTROVERSY!!!!
The point were all ways easy to understand, if you are a true Nas car fan ,and the chase that people are asking to take away sorry but that makes the season for the year it is like the Superbowl,World serious . Dale have a good year hammer down go go go ,be safe good luck looking forward to Daytona and the shoot out
The new point system sounds good to us also and we too would like to see theChase eliminated so all drivers have a chance at the championship instead of 10-12 being allowed to race for the championship. I personally don't watch much of the chase races if the 88 is not running or my husband's 24 driver is not in the final 10-12 positions.
the points system is fine, but the chase sucks !! These drivers risk their lives every week for our entertainment & they should all get the chance to win at the end of it all. There is no chase in Formula 1,or any other Car Racing series. It cannot be compared to other sports like Superbowl or World Series !! Hated the Chase when it started & still hate today !!!
LET'S GO RACING …CAN'T WAIT . THIS WILL GIVE SOME GUYS A REAL CHANCE NOW .LET'S GET TO IT .
I'M READY FOR YOU JR !
nice one