bigbadbrother
01-30-2014, 07:55 PM
Brian France is going to get the "game-seven moment" he's long sought.
France, the NASCAR Chairman and CEO, announced a new winner-take-all Sprint Cup championship format Thursday afternoon during the final press conference of the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Per France, the 2014 Sprint Cup champion will be determined in the season-ending Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, with the top four drivers in points heading into the race each having an equal chance to win.
Under the new format, 16 drivers will qualify for the Chase for the Sprint Cup. The top 15 drivers with the most wins over the first 26 races will earn a spot in the NASCAR Chase Grid -- provided they have finished in the top 30 in points and attempted to qualify for every race (except in rare instances). The 16th Chase position will go to the points leader after race No. 26, if he/she does not have a victory. In the event that there are 16 or more different winners over 26 races, the only winless driver who can earn a Chase grid spot would be the points leader after 26 races.
If there are fewer than 16 different winners in the first 26 races, the remaining Chase grid positions will go to those winless drivers highest in points. If there are 16 or more winners in the first 26 races, the ties will first be broken by number of wins, followed by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver points.
Drivers differ on proposed changes to the Chase
As has been the case in recent seasons, at the close of the regular season, drivers who qualify for the Chase will have their point totals reset to 2,000 plus 3 points for each regular-season race victory. Winless drivers receive no bonus points.
After the first three races of the Chase -- known as the Challenger Round -- the bottom four Chase drivers in points will be eliminated from championship eligibility, leaving 12 drivers to fight for the title. Any driver who wins a Chase race automatically advances to the next segment. Points will be reset after this round to 3,000 points for each driver.
Following the next three races of the Chase -- the Contender Round -- the bottom four remaining drivers again will be eliminated, cutting the title hopefuls to eight. Points will be reset to 4,000 for each driver after this round.
After another three races -- the Eliminator Round -- the bottom four remaining drivers will be axed, leaving four drivers to contend for the championship, each with 5,000 points.
"The new Chase will be thrilling, easy to understand and drive competition to a new level," said France.
FOX Sports Go to live stream the Daytona 500
At the season finale, the final four drivers will have their point totals reset so all four are tied prior to the Ford 400. Whichever of the four drivers does best at Homestead will be the series champion for the year. There will be no bonus points for laps led.
After using a single points system from 1975 to 2003 that determined the Sprint Cup champion based on results for the entire season, NASCAR has now changed how its champion is determined four times in the last 11 years.
NASCAR adopted the 10-race, season-ending Chase for the Sprint Cup in 2004. The sanctioning body expanded the Chase field from 10 to 12 drivers in 2007, and revamped the points system in 2011. The 2011 season ended with Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards tied in points, but Stewart taking the title by virtue of a tiebreaker for winning more races than Edwards.
France, the NASCAR Chairman and CEO, announced a new winner-take-all Sprint Cup championship format Thursday afternoon during the final press conference of the 2014 NASCAR Sprint Media Tour hosted by Charlotte Motor Speedway.
Per France, the 2014 Sprint Cup champion will be determined in the season-ending Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway, with the top four drivers in points heading into the race each having an equal chance to win.
Under the new format, 16 drivers will qualify for the Chase for the Sprint Cup. The top 15 drivers with the most wins over the first 26 races will earn a spot in the NASCAR Chase Grid -- provided they have finished in the top 30 in points and attempted to qualify for every race (except in rare instances). The 16th Chase position will go to the points leader after race No. 26, if he/she does not have a victory. In the event that there are 16 or more different winners over 26 races, the only winless driver who can earn a Chase grid spot would be the points leader after 26 races.
If there are fewer than 16 different winners in the first 26 races, the remaining Chase grid positions will go to those winless drivers highest in points. If there are 16 or more winners in the first 26 races, the ties will first be broken by number of wins, followed by NASCAR Sprint Cup Series driver points.
Drivers differ on proposed changes to the Chase
As has been the case in recent seasons, at the close of the regular season, drivers who qualify for the Chase will have their point totals reset to 2,000 plus 3 points for each regular-season race victory. Winless drivers receive no bonus points.
After the first three races of the Chase -- known as the Challenger Round -- the bottom four Chase drivers in points will be eliminated from championship eligibility, leaving 12 drivers to fight for the title. Any driver who wins a Chase race automatically advances to the next segment. Points will be reset after this round to 3,000 points for each driver.
Following the next three races of the Chase -- the Contender Round -- the bottom four remaining drivers again will be eliminated, cutting the title hopefuls to eight. Points will be reset to 4,000 for each driver after this round.
After another three races -- the Eliminator Round -- the bottom four remaining drivers will be axed, leaving four drivers to contend for the championship, each with 5,000 points.
"The new Chase will be thrilling, easy to understand and drive competition to a new level," said France.
FOX Sports Go to live stream the Daytona 500
At the season finale, the final four drivers will have their point totals reset so all four are tied prior to the Ford 400. Whichever of the four drivers does best at Homestead will be the series champion for the year. There will be no bonus points for laps led.
After using a single points system from 1975 to 2003 that determined the Sprint Cup champion based on results for the entire season, NASCAR has now changed how its champion is determined four times in the last 11 years.
NASCAR adopted the 10-race, season-ending Chase for the Sprint Cup in 2004. The sanctioning body expanded the Chase field from 10 to 12 drivers in 2007, and revamped the points system in 2011. The 2011 season ended with Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards tied in points, but Stewart taking the title by virtue of a tiebreaker for winning more races than Edwards.