Stages:
Each race in Cup, Xfinity and Trucks will have three stages in each race. Points will be awarded to those who finish in top 10 in first two segments, in addition to points handed out at end of third and final segment. Goal is for teams to run hard against each other all race, not hang back (like at plate tracks), if they want to get max points.
Points paid out for each segment:
In each race, driver who wins segment 1 or segment 2 gets 10 points, and on down to 1 points for 10th place. Winner of third segment (and the race) gets 40 points for leading final segment (for 60 total points available). There are no longer points given out for just leading one lap or for leading most laps.
More playoff points:
Winning a stage during a race = one bonus point in playoffs (if you make it); Each race win gets you five bonus points in playoffs; Also new is that points carry over to every round, other than final four, and aren’t just there at onset of the playoffs. Regular season champ will also get 15 playoff points.
My take:
I understand NASCAR is trying to attract more viewers and wants to shake things up to get new fans, and in theory these format changes will increase competition. But at the same time it seems gimmicky and convoluted. It does reward winning races and leading laps more, which is good, I’m just curious if the fans will notice much difference on track.
To speak to the topic of intensity: I’m pretty sure that most drivers in past years were not slacking off until the end of the race, unless we’re talking about plate racing. And there, I don’t blame them. Why risk a wreck early due to hard racing, which is especially true now with new damaged car rules?
We’ll also see impacts on how teams compete. For example, instead of using pit strategy to try to lead one lap, smaller teams unlikely to win a race may gamble on pit or tire strategy to get extra points in early segments by finishing up in the top 10 in those parts of the race.
These format changes may end up producing some of the best racing we’ve ever seen, as Brad Keselowski and others have suggested upon their announcement. And I hope these drivers are right in their assessment. My goal every season is for NASCAR races to provide quality racing that is exciting to watch – and in my book that means hard, side-by-side racing for position throughout the field.
But if not much changes in terms of fan enjoyment, it will have all been for show, and not for any significant gain to the fan or the sport.
The creation of known breaks in the races will be interesting, and help fans plan their bathroom or sandwich breaks while watching, and I’m curious to see how intense the battles are in the two early segments for the “win”.
I won’t join the chorus of “old school” fans who don’t ever want to see changes to the sport, as I don’t want to be that guy. I’m always open for a change, as long as it improves the sport in some way. I welcomed the Chase, for example, which helped to prevent the type of runaway championships I saw early in my time following the sport.
But if this turns out to be change for change’s sake, I’ll be the first to let NASCAR know they dropped the ball on this one.
Until we run the races, there’s no way to tell whether that’s the case, and I’m rooting for their instincts to be correct – as I don’t know any NASCAR fan who doesn’t want to see intense racing for the lead and through the field. If these changes increase that, I’m all for them.
Matt Myftiu can be reached on Twitter @MattMyftiu. AutoTechReviews is on Twitter @AutoTechReview. On Facebook, follow facebook.com/nascarbeyond and facebook.com/AutoTechReviews
