NASCAR: Using bipartisanship to crown a champion

The latest NASCAR Cup Series race at Martinsville Speedway has refueled the points system/playoff debate, thanks to Kevin Harvick missing the Championship 4.

It’s the same typical debate between NASCAR fans young and old.

“It makes consistency matter, especially when it comes to the round of 8”, younger fans say.

“If the top teams in the regular season flounder, even just a little bit, then they’re eliminated and thus not a champion. It’s just not a fair way to do it,” older fans claim.

Both of these arguments have a lot of merit. Let’s focus on what the older fans want first.

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Most of them want a return to the traditional, “Winston Cup” points format from 1975 to 2003. No Chase, no playoffs, no “gimmicks”, as the old like to say. The driver with the most points at the end of the season wins. Period.

While this is the fairest way to call a champion, is it exciting? Does it give a reason for fans to watch, especially during the final two races of the season? According to NASCAR YouTube “The Iceberg”, using the Winston Cup format and updating it after every race, Kevin Harvick would have clinched the 2020 championship under this format even before Sunday’s race.

Exciting? Not really. Fair? Absolutely.

The playoff format that has been used since 2017 is extremely entertaining, and watching Sunday’s race kept me glued to the TV screen all afternoon and into the evening.

But what about the fact that Harvick, 2020’s most dominant driver, did the most 2020 thing ever and was eliminated, all because of a terrible two races?

Again, exciting? Absolutely. Fair and legitimate? I think the jury is still out on that one.

Is there a points format that keeps the first 26 races just as intense to watch as the final 10?

Yes, by using a little bipartisanship and compromise, along with simply looking back at history.

First of all, throw away the eliminations. I think what happened at Martinsville Speedway on Sunday to Harvick is evidence enough. It doesn’t help our mission of compromising and creating a fair system.

Second, keep the stages and thus the stage and playoff points. They are a great way to keep the regular season important and make consistency matter to win a championship. Also, tweak the “win and in” rule by adding a “maybe”.

Third, cut the field that contends from 16 to 12. That’s where the “maybe” kicks in. Since the eliminator, bracket-style format was introduced in 2014, the average number of winners in a season is 13. If the playoff field consisted only of 12 drivers and there are more winners than that, then you better have been consistent enough to edge your rivals on points to qualify.

I know this sounds a lot of the “Chase” format used between 2007 to 2013. That’s because… well…it is that format just with stage points and playoff points mixed in.

Does it keep the regular season and consistency important? Yes.

Can it provide tight points battles right until the final race? If the field is just as equal as it was this year, then yes.

Next. NASCAR Playoffs: Pros and Cons. dark

Is this system I proposed the best compromise? What could be added or removed? The only certain thing is, I don’t see NASCAR changing the current format anytime soon. They like what they see, and to be honest, I like it too.

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