How does the Nextel Cup points system work?
Most sports are all or nothing endeavors. If you’ve played sports, you’ve probably heard the expression “There’s no points for second place.” That saying doesn’t hold true in NASCAR’s Nextel Cup Series, where every car driver who starts a race is guaranteed at least 34 points for finishing last. In NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing), points are compiled over a 36-race season, beginning in February and ending in November. The driver with the most points at the end of the season is declared the Nextel Cup champion. There are two basic ways to score points in a NASCAR Nextel Cup race: • Finishing position • Bonus points The previous point system, the Winston Cup, was in use from 1975 until the current system, the Nextel Cup, was announced in January 2004. Under the current system, the winner receives 180 points. The runner-up receives 170 points and the next four finishers are separated by five points each. Then, the seventh through tenth place finishers are separated
Most sports are all or nothing endeavors. If you’ve played sports, you’ve probably heard the expression “There’s no points for second place.” That saying doesn’t hold true in NASCAR’s Nextel Cup Series, where every car driver who starts a race is guaranteed at least 34 points for finishing last. In NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing), points are compiled over a 36-race season, beginning in February and ending in November. The driver with the most points at the end of the season is declared the Nextel Cup champion. There are two basic ways to score points in a NASCAR Nextel Cup race: • Finishing position • Bonus points The previous point system, the Winston Cup, was in use from 1975 until the current system, the Nextel Cup, was announced in January 2004. Under the current system, the winner receives 180 points. The runner-up receives 170 points and the next four finishers are separated by five points each. Then, the seventh through tenth place finishers are separated
