NASCAR created something of a playoff system on Tuesday–though officials refused to call it that–in the first major change to its championship format in 28 years.
After the first 26 of this season’s 36 races, the top 10 drivers in the points standings will be placed almost on equal footing statistically going into the final 10 races. The accumulated point margins will be removed and only 45 points–a deficit surmountable in a single race–will separate first place from 10th as the “Chase to the Championship” begins.
Only those 10 drivers plus any others within 400 points of the leader will be eligible for the title, but, “This is not a playoff system,” NASCAR Chairman Brian France said, meaning there will be no eliminations–all drivers still will race through the season finale at Homestead-Miami.
Chicagoland Speedway officials expect to benefit at least moderately from the plan, though the July 11 Tropicana 400 won’t be part of the late frenzy for the Nextel Cup.
Chicagoland will get some ripple effect, general manager Matthew Alexander predicted Tuesday.
Marking the halfway point in the season, “the Tropicana 400 will be nine races from [the final 10,]” Alexander said, “which will make teams on the cusp of making the `chase’ be more aggressive,” in trying to make the top 10.
“The importance of scoring points at Chicagoland Speedway will increase,” Alexander continued, “and therefore the significance and excitement of the race will increase.”
