Three controversial seasons in my points system.
A few weeks ago, I proposed a new NASCAR Nextel Cup points system that goes as follows:

Pos       Points
1 200
2 180
3 160
4 140
5 120
6 100
7 90
8 80
9 70
10 60
11 50
12 40
13 30
14 20
15 10
16-43 0

Bonus Points

Lead 5% of Laps:
5
Lead Most Laps:
5
Qualifying on Pole:
5

I gave a number of reasons for proposing this new system. It would reward teams that perform at the highest levels most often: the teams that score the most wins, lead the most laps, and score the most top-5s, rather than the teams that are consistently just "solid" or "good," score lower top-10s and top-15s regularly, and grab the occasional win or two while staying out of trouble and having the least mediocre finishes. In too many seasons, teams like this have been rewarded with championships, while teams that perform at a truly dominant level on on a fairly regular basis are relegated to runner-up finishes. It eliminates the ability to stay out a lap while other cars are pitting in as a basis for scoring bonus points, and it instead makes teams have to compete hard and fight for bonus points, a tactuc the "solid" teams used in their advantage to beat the dominant teams. Also, in this system, you would see more volatility in the standings: teams that start off the year great and tail off to solid or mediocre the rest of the year would fall, while teams that get off to a rough start and reach dominant level mid-season shoot up the standings, with high fluctuation depending on good and bad stretches within seasons.

I have gone back to three seasons in which the final standings were controversial and sparked wide debate over the fundamentals of the points system: 1993, 1996, and 2003. In each of these seasons, a driver won the most races by a wide margin, scored the most top-5s, and was either 1st or 2nd in the series in laps led. (Rusty Wallace in 1993, Jeff Gordon in 1996, Ryan Newman in 2003) All three drivers lost to drivers (Dale Earnhardt in 1993, Terry Labonte in 1996, Matt Kenseth in 2003) who had significantly less wins and laps led, and in 1993 and 2003, less top-5s. Below are the results of each season under my poitns system:

Position Driver Points



1 Rusty Wallace 3565
2 Dale Earnhardt 3385
3 Mark Martin 2690
4 Dale Jarrett 2490
5 Ernie Irvan 2455
6 Kyle Petty 2035
7 Ken Schrader 1915
8 Ricky Rudd 1900
9 Morgan Shepherd 1690
10 Bill Elliott 1680
11 Jeff Gordon 1525
12 Jimmy Spencer 1335
13 Darrell Waltrip
 1285
14 Davey Allison
 1275
15 Harry Gant 1225
16 Geoffrey Bodine 1020
17 Sterling Marlin 965
18 Brett Bodine 955
19 Terry Labonte 915
20 Bobby Labonte 655
21 Wally Dallenbach, Jr. 580
22 Ted Musgrave 530
23 Michael Waltrip 495
24 Rick Mast 485
25 Alan Kulwicki 400
26 Hut Stricklin 315
27 Kenny Wallace 240
27 Phil Parsons 240
29 Rick Wilson 220
30 Jimmy Hensley 210
30 Dick Trickle 210
32 Lake Speed 190
33 Derrike Cope 175
34 Bobby Hillin, Jr.  170
35 Greg Sacks 150
36 Joe Ruttman 120
37 P.J. Jones 80
38 Bobby Hamilton 70
39 Scott Lagasse 30
39 Jeff Purvis 30
41 Dave Marcis 10
41 Mike Wallace 10

In this season, Dale Earnhardt held a 325 point lead entering the second Richmond race in my system. It was at this point that Rusty Wallace went on a tear, winning 5 of the last 8 races and finishing top-5 in 2 others. Earnhardt's problems at Dover and Martinsville brought Wallace right back into the hunt, as Wallace took the lead at Martinsville and held it the rest of the way. The deficit was 30 heading into Atlanta (which is a small enough deficit to possibly be eliminated by beating an opponent by one track position), which would have made for a much more thrilling finale.

And now, for a much less drammatic season; 1996:

Position Driver Points



1 Jeff Gordon 4205
2 Terry Labonte 3695
3 Dale Jarrett 3570
4 Mark Martin 3050
5 Dale Earnhardt 2695
6 Rusty Wallace 2315
7 Ernie Irvan 2290
8 Ricky Rudd 1880
9 Bobby Labonte 1670
10 Sterling Marlin 1635
11 Jeff Burton 1470
12 Bobby Hamilton 1290
13 Michael Waltrip 1125
14 Ken Schrader 1090
15 Ted Musgrave 955
16 Jimmy Spencer 950
17 Geoffrey Bodine 885
18 Ricky Craven 750
19 Rick Mast 660
20 Morgan Shepherd 625
21 Johnny Benson 580
22 Bill Elliott 545
23 Wally Dallenbach, Jr. 480
24 Ward Burton 460
25 John Andretti 425
26 Jeremy Mayfield 370
27 Robert Pressley 360
28 Hut Stricklin 325
29 Lake Speed 310
30 Kyle Petty 300
31 Derrike Cope 295
32 Kenny Wallace 250
33 Darrell Waltrip 230
34 Steve Grissom 225
35 Joe Nemechek 190
36 Todd Bodine 130
36 Dick Trickle 130
38 Brett Bodine 110
39 Bobby Hillin, Jr. 90
40 Mike Skinner 70
41 Dave Marcis 60
42 Jeff Purvis 40
43 Dorsey Schroeder 30
44 Tommy Kendall 5

As you can see, this season had a much less drammatic conclusion than 1993. In this season under my system, Jeff Gordon takes the lead at the first Pocono race and never relinquishes for the remainder of the season. His 10 wins and more than 1000 more laps led than anyone else propel him to a lead of 835 points after his 10th win of the season at North Wilkesboro, from which he is able to coast to a championship clinch at Rockingham with two races remaining. He finally wins the championship by a whopping 310 points.

And now, for the year on everyone's mind, the one that most recently ignited talk of points reform, the infamous 2003 season under my system:

Position Driver
Points
1 Ryan Newman
3445
2 Matt Kenseth
3205
3 Dale Earnhardt, Jr. 3115
4 Jimmie Johnson
3085
5 Jeff Gordon
2995
6 Tony Stewart
2680
7 Kevin Harvick
2655
8 Bobby Labonte
2580
9 Kurt Busch
2285
10 Bill Elliott
1680
11 Michael Waltrip
1670
12 Jeff Burton
1545
13 Jamie McMurray
1490
14 Jeremy Mayfield
1360
15 Rusty Wallace
1305
16 Terry Labonte
1190
17 Mark Martin
1160
18 Robby Gordon
1155
19 Sterling Marlin
1065
20 Ricky Rudd
965
21 Ricky Craven
930
21 Elliott Sadler
930
23 Greg Biffle
855
24 Dale Jarrett
825
25 Joe Nemechek
750
26 Johnny Benson
575
27 Ward Burton
535
28 Jimmy Spencer
515
29 Dave Blaney
470
30 Todd Bodine
350
31 Steve Park
320
32 Scott Pruett
185
33 Ken Schrader
180
34 John Andretti
170
34 Mike Wallace
170
36 Jerry Nadeau
160
37 Tony Raines
150
38 Kenny Wallace
120
39 Scott Wimmer
110
40 Boris Said
105
41 Jeff Green
95
41 Ron Fellows
95
43 Kyle Petty
80
44 Mike Skinner
55
45 Kevin Lepage
30
45 Brian Vickers
30
47 Jack Sprague
20
47 Bobby Hamilton, Jr. 20
49 Casey Mears
10
50 Buckshot Jones
5

And, as expected, Ryan Newman is your 2003 Winston Cup Champion under my system. This season presented interesting trends. there were 5 different points after the first Dover race (Michael Waltrip, Kurt Busch, Matt Kenseth, Dale Earnhardt, Jr., and Bobby Labonte, in that order, had all led). Matt Kenseth took the points lead at the first Pocono race and held it for a long time, maximizing it at 395 points after the second Richmond race. But starting at Richmond, it was Ryan Newman's championship. 3 wins and 8 top-5s in the final 11 races shot him up the standings, while problems at Talladega and Kansas stalled Kenseth's run. Newman took the lead at Kansas and never relinquished, clinching the championship at the fall Rockingham race with a race to go and winning the championship by 240 points.

Soon to be reported: one other controversial year (1973, in which Benny Parsons won the championship with a one-win season), several close calls (1988-1990, 1992, 1997, and possibly others), and the two Chase seasons. In any event, I would say that the results of these seasons under my system indicate that my system more accurately reflects and rewards the true dominant performers of the season who are worthy of being champions.
Posted: 9/7/2006 6:06:00 PM
Comments:
Well gosh it is pretty easy to go back and change the points system to make almost any you want win the championship(but I don't live in the past).
Posted On: 9/7/2006 6:06:00 PM

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