NASCAR is one of the most prominent motorsports in the world. The sports showcase the rich dominance of the American racing heritage to the world. Fast cars and curving tracks made the sport more sophisticated and interesting. Unlike Formula 1, drivers of NASCAR are also awarded points after finishing every race on the tracks, and these points are held to determine the one championship-winning driver for the National Cup.
But analyzing the points system might be critical and a bit confusing when NASCAR comes into play. It is not as similar to championship points in Formula 1 but vast from it. So here in this article, we will give an insight and overview of how the scoring and points system works in the NASCAR race.
How are NASCAR points awarded?
In the NASCAR season, three different national tier races take place, and in all these tiers, like the Cup Series, Xfinity, and Truck Series, championship points are awarded based on the current position of the drivers achieved after the race.
In the NASCAR Cup Series, a total of 36 races take place in a season. A total of 26 races are regularly held, and the last 10 races are accommodated as the season playoffs. There’s no question that every point counts to win the drivers titles. The following steps will help you understand how drivers are awarded in the NASCAR Cup Series.
Step 1: The Basic Race Finish Points
How NASCAR points are awarded based on position?
In each race, points are awarded based on the driver's finishing position.
The winner typically receives 40 points.
Second place gets 35 points, third gets 34, and so on.
Even drivers who finish towards the back of the field receive a small number of points. The points are then now decreased from position third to the back of the grid.
For positions 36-40, every driver is awarded 1 point.
Step 2: Stage Racing Points
In every NASCAR National Series, 3 different races are conducted annually, and all these tiers serve a special purpose in the performance of the team and drivers.
How are NASCAR stage points awarded?
To make racing more entertaining and exciting, the three stages of the race were inducted with each NASCAR racing league.
Stage 1: Points are awarded to the top 10 drivers at the end of this stage.
Stage 2: Points are awarded again to the top 10 drivers at the end of this stage.
Final Stage: The final stage determines the overall race winner and the remaining point distribution.
The first two race stages are shorter when compared with the final stage finish race.
Stage Points: After every stage race ends, the stage winner receives 10 points, followed by the second place gets 9, and so on down to 1 point for 10th place.
Step 3: Playoffs Race Points
To determine the NASCAR championship drivers, playoff points were introduced in each racing tier. Even in a stage race series, the drivers are compelled to score points during playoffs to move on to another stage.
How are NASCAR playoff points awarded?
Regular season wins: With each race win, the drivers earn 5 points in playoff finishes.
Stage Wins: Each stage win earns the driver 1 playoff point.
Regular Season Championship: The driver who leads the points standings at the end of the regular season receives bonus playoff points (15 for first, 10 for second, and 8-1 for positions 3-10).
How are NASCAR playoffs classified?
To determine the race champions in the final 10 remaining races of the season, a NASCAR playoff is executed to judge and finalize the most talented and deserving drivers on the grid. Among 40 drivers, only 16 drivers each from their respective teams qualified for the last season's playoff.
The NASCAR Playoffs consist of different rounds, which are as follows:
Round of 16: The 16 drivers compete in three races. The top 12 talented drivers advance to the next round.
Round of 12: The 12 remaining drivers compete again in three races. From those, only the top 8 move to the final round.
Championship 4: The final four drivers compete in a single race to determine the NASCAR Cup Series champion, and this is the driver badged as the NASCAR Cup Series driver’s championship title.
I hope you got an insight into the aspects of the NASCAR points and scoring system. It's a bit complicated, but still, the legacy of NASCAR depends on it. Please do let us know in the comments below which part of the NASCAR points system you would like me to explain.
Follow us more for such motorsport updates.
