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The NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series is NASCAR 's top racing series. HISTORY Grand National From 1950 through 1971, the top tier NASCAR series was called the Grand National, not to be confused with the later Busch Grand National Series (now simply the Busch Series ), the second tier division of NASCAR. Winston Cup From 1972 through 2003, NASCAR's premier series was called the Winston Cup Series. It was sponsored by R.J. Reynolds Tobacco (RJR) as an Advertising Mechanism to bring attention to its Winston brand of Cigarettes . In its later years, RJR's sponsorship became more controversial in the wake of US legislation that sharply restricted avenues for tobacco advertising. NEXTEL Cup In 2003, RJR dropped its sponsorship of the top series, and NASCAR obtained a sponsorship from NEXTEL , a telecommunications company. Starting in 2004, the premier series was known as the NEXTEL Cup. The merger between Sprint and NEXTEL will potentially result in the series being renamed Sprint Cup in 2007 , although it is still being discussed and debated by all involved parties. (The name ''Sprint Cup'' might be confusing because there already is a class of racecars called Sprint Cars , which are quite different from Stock Cars .) CHASE FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP Short track racing, the grassroots of NASCAR, began experimenting with ideas to help the entry-level racer. In 2001, the United Speed Alliance Racing organisation, sanctioning body of the Hooters ProCup, a late-model series, devised a five-race playoff system where the top teams in their Hooters ProCup North and Hooters ProCup South divisions would participate in a five-race playoff, the Four Champions, named for the four Hooters Racing staff members (including 1992 NASCAR champion Alan Kulwicki) and pilot killed in an April 1, 1993 plane crash in Blountville, Tennessee. The system organised the teams with starting points based on the team's performance in their division (division champions earn a bonus), and the teams would participate in a five-race playoff. The five races, added to the team's seeding points, would determine the winner. The 2001 version was four races, as one was cancelled because of the September 11th Terrorist Attacks ; however, NASCAR watched as the ProCup's Four Champions became a success and drivers from the series began looking at NASCAR rides. When Nextel took over NASCAR's premier sponsorship for the 2004 season, they looked to USAR and the Hooters ProCup for two major changes in scoring. First, five additional points were added for a race win. Second, a new formula for declaring a series champion based on the ProCup system was devised. A cut was made after 26 teams, with the high ten drivers and teams plus ties, and anyone within 400 points of the leader placed in the Chase for the Championship (or simply "Chase"). The Chase participants have their points increased to a level mathematically unattainable by anyone outside this field (roughly 1800 points ahead of the first driver outside of the Chase), which usually is 5,050 points for the leader, with other positions dropping by five points per position, with a limit of 5,000 points after ties and the 400 point cut. Race layouts remain the same and points are scored the same way in the final 10 races. Whoever leads in points after the 36th race is declared the NEXTEL Cup champion. A special award is also given to the highest finishing non-Chase driver to encourage continued competition among all drivers -- which usually includes the final position on the stage for the awards banquet. This playoff system was implemented primarily to make the points race more competitive late in the season, and indirectly, to increase television ratings during the NFL season, which starts around the same time as the Chase begins. Furthermore, the Chase also forces teams to perform at their best during all three stages of the season -- the first half of the regular season, the second half of the regular season, and the Chase. Previously, the Cup champion may have been decided before the last race (or even several races before the end of the season) because it was mathematically impossible for any other driver to gain enough points to overtake the leader. From 2004-2006 the Chase was shown on NBC Sports and TNT . Beginning in 2007, ABC Sports has acquired the license to air the Chase, until 2014. CHAMPIONSHIP POINTS SYSTEM For all NASCAR series Championships, (including Busch and Truck ) driver points are given out for each race based on two categories: Final Position, and Laps Led. For points according to position, there are three different scales. First Place gets 180 points, with ten points separating first from second. It is impossible to win a race, without leading a lap, so the minimum for a winner to receive is 185 points. After second place (170 points), the first scale starts, with five points separating second through sixth place. After sixth place the second scale starts, separating drivers by four points for positions seven through eleven. After that, the third scale is in effect, separating the rest of the field by three points. (see chart on right) This is why cars will sometimes go back on track after a wreck, even if they have no chance of winning. By moving up three positions, they gain nine more points. For points according to laps led, if a driver has led at least one lap in the race, they are awarded an extra 5 points on top of what they earned based on position. In addition, the driver who leads the most laps earns an additional 5 points, for a maximum of 10 points. Lap leadership is determined at the finish line on each lap. A driver cannot simply lead part of a lap on the back stretch; the driver must be the first across the line to be considered the leader for that lap, or is declared the leader by crossing the last scoring loop as the leader when a caution is signaled. Points are also given to the owner of a car. For a car that makes the field, the owner points are the same as the driver points for that race. Cars that don't qualify to run gain owner points based on how well they qualified, continuing the 3 points per position so that the 44th car in qualifying gets 31 points, the 45th gets 28 points, and so forth. Since 2005, the top teams in owner points (35 in Nextel Cup, 30 in Busch Series and Craftsman Truck Series, must be full time teams) earn an exemption into the starting field. If weather conditions prevent qualifying from occurring, the starting order for the race is set using owner points (top 35/30), then former series champions, then the defending race winner, then current year race winners, and then by most qualifying attempts with owner points breaking ties. For the first five races in each year, the owner points from last year are used instead. Since the top drivers usually race the same car in every race, this has little effect on the championship, but this can affect the strategy of new or lower ranked teams. For example, in 2006, Hall of Fame Racing had Terry Labonte in their #96 car in the first five Nextel Cup races of the year. As a former champion, Terry Labonte was entitled to start in each race, even if the car encountered a difficulty in qualifying. With five guarenteed starts, the #96 car was easily able to gain enough owner points to place it in the top 35 and thus give regular driver Tony Raines a guaranteed starting spot in each race when he took over the driver's seat for the rest of the year. Lower ranked teams sometimes use a road racing specialist as driver when the race is one of the few each year held on a road course, so as to maximize the owner points of the car, especially with the top 35 exemption. NASCAR POINTS SYSTEM DEVELOPMENT From the beginning of championship series until 1967 championship points were based on prize money purses. Races with lesser purses paid fewer points than races with bigger purses.
From 1952 till 1967 NASCAR point system was based on linear scale for first 25 positions: 25-24-23-... Coefficients changed, but were always depending on prize money. From 25th place down there were awarded the same number of points. In 1968 NASCAR started to award points depending on race distance, not prize money. Point system was 50-49-48-... multiplied by 1 for events to 249 miles, 2 for events 250-399 miles and 3 for events 400 miles and more. System stopped from 50th place. This system was in use until the end of 1971 season. In 1972, together with shortening the schedule, point system was also modified. Basic points of 100-98-96-... were awarded for each race. Additionally, lap points were awarded for the number of laps completed. Tracks under 1 mile, 0.25 points a lap; 1-mile tracks, 0.50; 1.3-mile track (Darlington), 0.70; 1.5-mile tracks, 0.75; 2-mile tracks (Michigan), 1.00; tracks 2.5 miles and over, 1.25. This system was also used in 1973. In 1974 points system was simple: Total money winnings from all track purses (qualifying and contingency awards did not count), in dollars, multiplied by the number of races started, and the resulting figure divided by 1,000 determined the number of points earned. By the end of the season Richard Petty had such a big lead in points, that he increased it even by finishing 30th while his main rival Cale Yarborough made a top-5 (Remember - the money was multiplied by the number of races started. Even if Cale made more money in one particular race, when the total money was multiplied by e. g. 27, the difference between the two leaders could also increase in comparison with situation after race 26). Current NASCAR's points system was developed in 1975 following years of trouble in trying to develop a points system -- from 1949 until 1971, six different systems were used, and in 1972, NASCAR used a different system each year for the next three years. That type of inconsistency, which included a system which rewarded most mileage for the entire season, and then another year where mileage and finishing positions were counted, favoured larger circuits, and some fans complained about a champion who only won one race. That resulted in a 1974 ill-fated attempt at basing the points system on money and starts. Even though one driver won consecutive races, his opponent who had won the big money races had scored more points. Bob Latford, a former public relations official at Lowe's Motor Speedway , devised NASCAR's most popular points system, which was adopted in 1975, which NASCAR used two different versions for their series from 1982 until 1998. In the system, the winner received 175 points, second 170 points, and other positions exactly the same as the current points system. Until 1998, the Busch Series points system offered 180 points for the winner, but no bonuses for leading laps. The same was true for the Craftsman Truck Series until the end of that season, when NASCAR decided to standardise the points system for their series. One complaint about the points system was how a driver could finish second and receive an equal number of points as a race winner, which was possible if the driver who led the most laps finished second. NASCAR fixed the problem in 2004 by adding five points to the winner. NEXTEL Cup Driver's Championship After the 26th race with ten races to go, the Driver's Championship points are changed in accordance with the "Chase for the Cup", with the leader in championship points having their total altered to 5050 points, second place altered to 5045, and so on for all eligible drivers. One important note is that the points system does not change after the 26th race. (during the "Chase for the Cup") While the only drivers eligible for the championship are those in the chase, all points are awarded in the same manner. Another important note is that only the NEXTEL Cup standings points are altered, not for any other series in NASCAR -- Busch, Craftsman Truck, or the regional series -- AutoZone Elite Division series (four, Northwest, Southwest, Southeast, Midwest), Grand National Division series (two, North and West), or Whelen Modified Tours (two, North and South). NEXTEL Cup Owner's Championship The NEXTEL Cup Owner's Championship operates in the same manner as the Driver's Championship, but with one addition. In the event of more than 43 cars attempting to qualify, owner's points are awarded to each car in the following manner: the fastest non-qualifier (in essence, 44th position) receives 31 points, three less than the 43rd position car. If there is more than one non-qualifying car, owners' points continue to be assigned in the manner described, decreasing by three for each position. A 2005 rule change in NASCAR's three national series affects how the owner's points are affected. The top 35 (Nextel Cup), or top 30 (other series) full-time teams in owner points are awarded exemptions for the next race, guaranteeing them a position in the next race. These points can decide who is in and out the next race, and have become crucial since the exemption rule was changed to its current format. In some circumstances, an owners' points system will be different than a driver's points. In 2005, after Kurt Busch was suspended for the season because of conduct, the #97 team continued to earn owner points, and finished in eighth place overall when Busch was tenth. In 2002, when Sterling Marlin was injured, the #40 team finished eighth when Marlin was 19th because of the substitute drivers who kept earning owner points for the #40. Manufacturer's Championship NASCAR does have a Manufacturer's Championship in their national series, although the Driver's Championship is considered more prestigious. In the past, when manufacturers championships were very prestigious because of the number of manufacturers involved, this was more prestigious for the manufacturer, and is a major marketing tool. In the Busch Series, the championship is known as the Bill France Performance Cup. Points are scored in a 1960-1990 Formula One system, with the winner's manufacturer scoring nine points, six for the next manufacturer, four for the manufacturer third among makes, three for the fourth, two for the fifth, and one point for the sixth positioned manufacturer. LIST OF CHAMPIONS Previous NASCAR season champions and earnings ( USD ): Nextel Cup NOTE: Wins refer to total wins in the season. Chase wins are in parentheses. Seeding refers to a team's points position starting with the Chase. Prior Years (without Chase system) NEXTEL CUP TRACKS MANUFACTURER HISTORY Ford Fusion 2006- Chevy Monte Carlo 1995- Dodge Charger 2005- Pontiac Grand Prix ?-2003 Ford Taurus 1998-2004 Dodge Intrepid 2001-2004 CHAMPIONSHIPS WON poses with the Winston Cup trophy (used prior to 2004 )]]
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