NASCAR Reveals Little In Daytona News Conference; More Answers Next Week

NASCAR’s long-scheduled “competition update” to the media at preseason Daytona testing could be summed up in five words: We’re still thinking about it.

Changing the points system? NASCAR President Mike Helton hinted at changes, but added “We’re in the middle of conversations.”

Adjust the rules for how drivers make the Chase? “We do have models around the Chase...that we’re tweaking through these conversations,” Helton said.

Scrapping standardized start times this season? Helton said there’s likely to be “a little bit of tweaking” and added, “We’re still working on that.”

Altering the Rookie of the Year eligibility criteria? “I believe we’ll make some adjustments...” NASCAR’s Robin Pemberton said. “...But we’re in the middle of the talks for that.”

You get the idea. There weren’t a whole lot of answers, though there will have to be by Brian France’s “State of the Sport” speech on Wednesday.

Helton said NASCAR couldn’t confirm much because officials were still meeting with teams about the rules for next this season. You know, like the one that starts in less than a month.

The one thing Helton could confirm for certain was some news so old it was hardly “news” at all: Drivers must pick only one series in which they wish to earn championship points.

This news had already leaked out a couple weeks ago, but was made officially official today.

The idea of allowing drivers to only collect points in one series is good in theory: NASCAR wants to put more of a spotlight on the Nationwide-only drivers.

There’s only one problem: Whether they’re collecting points or not, Sprint Cup drivers have dominated the Nationwide Series of late. And as The Sporting News’ Reid Spencer noted, full-time Cup drivers won 33 of the 35 races last season.

So will the new rule help the cause for up-and-coming drivers or make a joke of whoever wins the championship?

Said Helton: “You can debate that and argue, ‘OK, if I win 10 or 12 races and don’t win the championship, what’s the championship worth?’ Well, it’s still the championship.

“It’s still a big old trophy, still a nice check. ... It’s still a NASCAR national series championship, which I think is valuable and credible.”