Trying to understand NASCAR a little better?

Question

I have been watching NASCAR racing for the past month or so. I would like to understand it a little better. I know that the drivers recieve points for beening in the lead the most laps. I would like to know more details of how they score the drivers. What is the points system to NASCAR racing.

Answer 1

For all NASCAR series Championships, driver points are given out for each race based on two categories: Final Position, and Laps Led.

For points according to position, there are three different scales. First Place gets 185 points, with fifteen points separating first from second. It is impossible to win a race without leading a lap, so the minimum for a winner to receive is 190 points. After second place (170 points), the first scale starts, with five points separating second through sixth place. After sixth place the second scale starts, separating drivers by four points for positions seven through eleven. After that, the third scale is in effect, separating the rest of the field by three points (see chart on left). This is why cars will sometimes go back on track after a wreck, even if they have no chance of winning. By moving up three positions, they gain nine more points.

For points according to laps led, if a driver has led at least one lap in the race, they are awarded an extra 5 points on top of what they earned based on position. In addition, the driver who leads the most laps earns an additional 5 points, for a maximum of 10 points. Lap leadership is determined at the finish line on each lap. A driver cannot simply lead part of a lap on the back stretch; the driver must be the first across the line to be considered the leader for that lap, or is declared the leader by crossing the last scoring loop as the leader when a caution is signaled.

Drivers’ points are assigned to the driver who starts the race. It is legal (though rare) to change drivers during a race (usually due to injury or fatigue), but the replacement driver gets no points. When Martin Truex, Jr. replaced Dale Earnhardt, Jr. during a 2004 Nextel Cup race at New Hampshire International Speedway (while Earnhardt was recovering from an injury), the points counted towards Earnhardt's total. The same incident occurred when Ricky Rudd, a driver who was "retired" since the end of the 2005 season, replaced Tony Stewart at Dover International Speedway while Stewart was tending to a broken shoulder at the 2006 Neighborhood Excellence 400.

Points are also given to the owner of a car. For a car that makes the field, the owner points are the same as the driver points for that race. Cars that fail to qualify for a race gain owner points based on how well they qualified, continuing the 3 points per position so that the 44th car in qualifying gets 31 points, the 45th gets 28 points, and so forth, to a minimum of one point below 54th.

Since 2005, the top teams in owner points (35 in Nextel Cup, 30 in Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series, must be full time teams) earn an exemption into the starting field. If weather conditions prevent qualifying from occurring, the starting order for the race is set using owner points (top 35/30), then former series champions, then the defending race winner, then current year race winners, and then by most qualifying attempts with owner points breaking ties. For the first five races in each year, the owner points from last year are used instead. This can affect the strategy of new or lower ranked teams.

For example, Hall of Fame Racing had Terry Labonte in their #96 car in the first five Nextel Cup races in 2006. As a former champion, Terry Labonte was entitled to start in each race, even if the car encountered a difficulty in qualifying. With five guaranteed starts, the #96 car was easily able to gain enough owner points to place it in the top 35 and thus give regular driver Tony Raines a guaranteed starting spot in each race when he took over for the rest of the year. Lower ranked teams sometimes use a road racing specialist when the race is one of the few each year held on a road course to maximize the owner points of the car.

Each race the points go like this:

Position Points
1st 185
2nd 170
3rd 165
4th 160
5th 155
6th 150
7th 146
8th 142
9th 138
10th 134
11th 130
12th 127
13th 124
14th 121
15th 118
16th 115
17th 112
18th 109
19th 106
20th 103
21st 100
22nd 97
23rd 94
24th 91
25th 88
26th 85
27th 82
28th 79
29th 76
30th 73
31st 70
32nd 67
33rd 64
34th 61
35th 58
36th 55
37th 52
38th 49
39th 46
40th 43
41st 40
42nd 37
43rd 34
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I hope this helps you out.

Answer 2

Great question and Nascar Rocks. I think we hear more about the drivers receiving points when it's top drivers. I'm not even sure not well known drivers receive points. Seems like the well known drivers are always the ones running first and getting points for laps. I don't know how Nascar does the point system. But I think the ones that have the most points get paid for each race. Ok I have the answers now. Drivers get five points for leading a lap. Points for posotion and points for winning the race. Whomever has the highest ponts after twenty six races go to the race for the chase and those twelve drivers are the only ones that can win the championship.

Answer 3

The winner of each NASCAR race receives 180 points. The runner-up in each event scores 170. From there, the point total declines in five-point increments for places two through six, points awarded drop four points per driver for positions seven through 11 and three-point increments separate drivers' points for finishers in 12th place or lower. The 43rd, or last-place driver, gets 34 points.

There are also bonus points up for grabs at each event. Drivers receive five points for leading a lap and an additional five points for leading the most laps.

Answer 4

Go to Nascar.com and Points. Know that there is driver competition and owner competition (points). All drivers get points (5) for leading a lap. Also for Pole Position and positions moved.

Answer 5

Here is how points are awarded:
1-185
2-170
3-165
4-160
5-155
6-150
7-146
8-142
9-138
10-134
11-130
12-127
13-124
14-121
15-118
16-115
17-112
18-109
19-106
20-103
21-100
22-97
23-94
24-91
25-88
26-85
27-82
28-79
29-76
30-73
31-70
32-67
33-64
34-61
35-58
36-55
37-52
38-49
39-46
40-43
41-40
42-37
43-34

Drivers get 5 bonus points for leading at least one lap. One driver gets another 5 bonus points for leading the most laps.

For teams who do not qualify (DNQ), they are awarded points for attempting to qualify. This helps them accumulate owner points, so they could possibly get a locked-in spot (The top-35 cars in owners points are GUARANTEED a spot in the field). Points are awarded as to where you qualify and are as follows:
44-31
45-28
46-25
47-22
48-18
49-15
50-12
51-9
52-6
53-3
54 and higher recieve 1 point.


Hope this helps!!

Answer 6

Good answer dbarnett,nice explanation for a new NASCAR fan,keep up the good work!

Answer 7

you get points for leading laps, for winning the race, for being the poll sitter, and for how you do in qualifying.

Answer 8

i could name all the different points values for you but instead ill give you this link.....it should be able to answer any and all of your present and/or future NASCAR questions
www.jayski.com

Answer 9

All I know about NASCAR is just keep turning left.

I prefer Formula One. Faster cars, and they are not turning left all of the time.

Answer 10

Faith covered it all!