NASCAR Cup Series

New points system spices up season

Published Jan. 26, 2011 12:00 a.m. ET

foxsports

NASCAR’s decision to put two drivers into the Chase for the Sprint Cup based on their total number of wins could make racing more exciting this season — especially for those teams that have only that shot at making the field.

The new rule will allow the top two teams in wins that are outside of the top 10 — but inside the top 20 — in the standings to snare a Chase berth. It’s something that will allow in men like Jamie McMurray, who scored three wins last year but failed to make the Chase field. It's also something that could lay the groundwork for some creative crew chiefing in those final races before the championship field is set.

Crew chiefs say that while they are always going all out for the win, those final races leading into the Chase could offer some unique pit strategy. Could it be a case of anything goes, from exceedingly long runs on tires to pushing fuel mileage to the absolute limit to any variety of calls? After all, for the first time, the reward will seriously overshadow the risk.

That's not to say that teams will do anything dangerous, it's just that taking a gamble that could cost you 20 positions in the race if it backfires suddenly might appear a bit more attractive.

Nobody is saying drivers can race any harder or teams don't normally pull out the stops for that victory. But the fact is, under the old format, wins alone couldn’t lead to a championship run.

Now, they can.

So if a driver is a win short of the top two that are eligible in that category, he has nothing to lose by gambling on strategy to chase a victory now.

“Yeah, I believe so,” Marcos Ambrose crew chief Todd Parrott said when asked if crew chiefs could try even more strategies. “You’ve got to make sure that you’re in position in the points. It’s all about winning. That’s what we all want to do each week is win races. The points system, it ought to be interesting, when it does come out, if it is something different that’s going to add a new spice to our sport and it’s going to put more emphasis on winning races so being ready to do that is going to be key.”

And what will that cause?

“You’re going to take more chances,” he said. “I think you’ll see more teams and more people taking more chances. Oh yeah, without a doubt.”

NASCAR officials, though, aren’t worried about the possibility of things getting a little out of hand and don’t plan to watch competitors more closely.

“We will not change how we regulate, how we watch teams and things of that nature,” NASCAR vice president of competition Robin Pemberton said. “We’ll do it at the same high level as we always do, understanding that with a different type of format what’s at risk of the risk versus reward that teams will change up strategies and they will work harder to find ways to get what they need, wins, points and everything else. We feel that our teams will rise to the occasion.”

Pemberton, himself a former crew chief, does admit that there is potential for some rather unusual calls to be made in the closing laps of those final races leading into the Chase.

“It’s hard to predict any of that,” Pemberton said. “We just know that they’ll be very resourceful.”

Jeff Gordon crew chief Alan Gustafson agrees. He’s been in both positions in his career, that of trying to protect his spot and that of trying to overtake someone for a berth.

He sees all possibilities.

“The last three or four races, you will do anything you can as ludicrous as it might be, hoping it rains or hoping you get a bunch of cautions. I think there’s going to be about three or four guys that changes things for," Gustafson said.

“It’s just going to affect those guys that are the cusp. The reward is so (much) greater than the loss.”

How far will teams go? It will take being in that situation for ones to know for certain.

Part of the issue, points out Brian Vickers’ crew chief Ryan Pemberton, is getting into position to challenge for the win to begin with. The way he sees it, if one is far enough back in the points to be in this position, he might not have that many instances in which he can try to gain maximum impact of the system. He doesn't believe it will be that different than things have been in the past for teams trying to gain those few needed points to break into the Chase field.

“It will get to a point where you have to consider that,” he said. “You have to be able to say, normally anything you do at a risk for a win, not every race you can have that situation. Normally the risk is great and the reward is small. And if you get it, the reward is huge. Relatively speaking, the odds of hitting it are going to be tough. ... You still have that; you still have some of that. If you’re 13th trying to get to 12th, you’re going to have to say, 'Man I’m going to have to score some points here.' In that situation, you’re probably going to have to go for a win. …

"When that’s all said and done, you’re still going to have to beat the best cars … You’re really going to have to pull something off.”

The bottom line is, teams could be willing to risk even finishing a race, or finishing deep in the field, by gambling on unique strategies as they try to gain that needed win to break into the Chase.

How far they go with that has yet to be seen. What is clear is that the new rule could even further spice up that stretch of races leading into the Chase as teams jockey for position not only in the standings, but in total wins.

“It might be a little more excitement,” Kasey Kahne’s crew chief Kenny Francis said. “I kind of like the thought of it; I like the idea. It could definitely make things more aggressive the last few races, with pit strategy and things like that, with taking chances."