Fans’ Opinions Drive NASCAR’s New Policies

The fans have spoken and NASCAR has listened.
Fans have clamored for a simpler points system, emphasis on victories and a distinctively different Nationwide Series. NASCAR rewarded their loyalty with all three during Wednesday’s State of the Sport address from the NASCAR Hall of Fame in Charlotte, North Carolina.
The major announcement, made by NASCAR CEO Brian France, was the change to the points-paying system starting at February’s season-opening Daytona 500.
As previously reported, a race winner will now receive 43, plus three bonus points for each victory. The system -- which applies to all three touring series -- will award points in one-point increments. Second place will receive 42 points with each subsequent position receiving one less point. 43rd position will receive just a single point. Winners can also earn an extra point for leading a lap and leading the most laps, bringing their total to a possible maximum of 48 points.

The Chase for the Championship will remain largely the same in nature with 12 drivers making the season-ending playoffs. The top-10 in standings after the 26th race, Richmond, make the Chase. The 11th and 12th positions are ‘wild cards’ spots reserved to the two drivers with the most wins not in the top 10 of points. To make the Chase, those drivers must be in the top 20 to be eligible. If three or more drivers are tied with the same number of wins, the two highest in points would get in.
In the case that drivers are tied in points, then a tie-breaker would be decided by the most seconds, thirds, fourths, etc. At the end of the regular season, points are reset to 2000, plus three points per wins for seeding purposes. Wild card drivers are not eligible for seeding and must start 11th and 12th in the standings.
The Chase has not as of yet made its way to the Nationwide or Camping World Truck Series.
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“The fans tell us that winning matters the most with them, so we’re combining the tradition of consistency in our sport with the excitement that comes along with winning,” said France. “This makes every race count leading into the 26th race of the season at Richmond, when we set the field for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.
“Many of our most loyal fans don’t fully understand the points system we have used to date. So, we are simplifying the points system to one that is much easier to understand. Conceptually, it is comparable to our previous system, but it is easier to follow.”
Comparisons have been made about how the 2010 Chase would have finished under the new format. The finishing order looks very familiar, especially at the top:
#48-Jimmie Johnson: 388
#11-Denny Hamlin: -5
#29-Kevin Harvick: -7
#99-Carl Edwards: -63
#1-Jamie McMurray: -94
#17-Matt Kenseth: -89
#16-Greg Biffle: -110
#14-Tony Stewart: -113
#24-Jeff Gordon: -124
#18-Kyle Busch: -127
#2-Kurt Busch: -132
#31-Jeff Burton: -171
The change is not as drastic as some have thought and are actually quite simpler than in years past. The old system was put into effect beginning with the 1975 season.
“The fundamentals of our sport are still the same,” NASCAR president Mike Helton chipped in. “It’s still race cars on race tracks vying for race victories. We’re always going to make adaptations to it so we make the sport better. We don’t ignore a change or make a change just for the sake of ignoring it or making it. We do things when we do it for the betterment of our entire community.”
NASCAR has always had a fascination with modeling itself after the NFL and baseball. Wednesday night moved the sport one step closer to that goal.
“Just look at the discussion in Major League Baseball and the NCAA Tournaments to expand their post-seasons,” France said. “We have an obligation to meet the championship standards of today’s sports world.
“NASCAR enters 2011 with positive momentum and a great sense of excitement and optimism,” France said. “We’re extremely excited for the launch of the season. Leading the season off with Daytona, Phoenix and Las Vegas, we believe our fans are in store for some of the best racing the sport has to offer.”
Other competitive enhancements announced Wednesday:
Drivers can run for only one Championship Season - Drivers in all three national touring series now must select the series where they’ll compete for a driver championship. Drivers are still eligible to compete in multiple series and help their teams win owner titles in whichever series they’re not competing for a driver title. The move should help further establish the Nationwide and Truck Series as a valid and useful ladder series. For the first time in recent memory, the Sprint Cup Series will run without a full-time rookie competing for Raybestos Rookie of The Year Award honors.
New Qualifying Procedure - The qualifying order will be set based upon slowest to fastest practice speeds. If bad weather cancels qualifying, the final starting lineup will be determined by the most recent practice session speeds. The same rule book procedures will be used to determine eligibility to start a race. If weather cancels practice sessions, then the starting lineup will be set by points, per the rule book.
Tire Rules Revision - NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams now are allowed five sets of tires for practice and qualifying instead of six. They must return four of those sets to Goodyear in order to receive their race allotment, and may keep one set of practice/qualifying tires. Tire allotments for race weekends will vary according to historical performance data.
Closed Loop Fueling System - First introduced in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, this goes into effect for all three national touring series in 2011. It combines a more efficient fueling system with the elimination of the catch-can man, considered the most “vulnerable” pit-crew member. Teams now will use six, rather than seven, over-the-wall pit-crew members. The latter is moved designed to cut costs and eliminate unnecessary human-clutter in the garage.
Evolution Of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Car - NASCAR continues to work with the manufacturers and teams to enhance the look of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car. The cars have new front noses this season and the body makeover will continue to help appeal to fans and aid manufacturer identity. The Nationwide Series received new cars in 2010 much to the delight of longstanding fans.
Shorter Race Lengths - Another rumor included a FOX-pressed change to the average length of race days. On Wednesday, France offered concessions that NASCAR is looking to shorten some televised race windows.
“Kentucky and Atlanta are 400 miles now and it’s something we’re exploring for future seasons,” France said. “Some fans appreciate the tradition of some of our longer races. Even subtle changes like cutting 100 miles do reflect on the complexions of a race. We have to be careful when doing this but we are looking into that for all three of our top series.”