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NASCAR Points
 NASCAR Point Standings - NASCAR Point System
Now that you've got your NASCAR tickets we thought you might want to brush up on your NASCAR Sprint Cup Point standings and your knowledge of how the NASCAR Point system works. Learn all you need to know about the current Sprint Chase for the Cup leaders, NASCAR bonus points and the NASCAR points system right here.
NASCAR Point Standings |
Let's start with the Top 5 points leaders as seen on NASCAR.com.
|
| Rank |
Driver |
Points |
Behind |
| 1 |
Tony Stewart |
2719 |
Leader |
| 2 |
Jeff Gordon |
2539 |
-180 |
| 3 |
Jimmie Johnson |
2525 |
-194 |
| 4 |
Kurt Busch |
2414 |
-305 |
| 5 |
Carl Edwards |
2317 |
-402 |
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NASCAR Point System |
Now let's get into how they score those points.
Starting with the 2008 NASCAR Sprit Cup season, a driver now gets 185 points for winning a race. It doesn't matter which race, all races are worth the same amount of points, with the exception of the Budweiser Shootout and Sprint All-Star races, which are not Sprint Cup point races. So stay with us. The new 15-point spread between first and second now places even more emphasis on winning a race.
First Place = 185 Points
We'll get into how many points a driver gets for finishing the race in second place or one of the other 41 finishing positions in a bit. Right now let's cover bonus points.
5 Bonus points are awarded to any driver that leads a lap and 5 bonus points are awarded to any driver that leads the most laps. If one or more drivers are tied for most laps lead, they each get the bonus. Ready for a quiz? How many points does a driver get for finishing first, if they did not lead the most laps?
Answer: 190 points
First Place = 185 points + 5 points for leading at least the last lap of the race. Ready for quiz number two? How many points does a driver get for winning a race and leading the most laps?
Answer: 195 points
First place = 185 points + 5 points for leading at least one lap + 5 points for leading the most laps.
Leading A Lap = 5 Points
Leading The Most Laps = 5 Points
Now that we've got first place and the bonus points covered, let's move on to the other 42 positions. |
NASCAR Points By Position |
Here's a breakdown of points based on finishing position.
|
| Position |
Points |
Position |
Points |
Position |
Points |
| 1 |
185 |
16 |
115 |
31 |
70 |
| 2 |
170 |
17 |
112 |
32 |
67 |
| 3 |
165 |
18 |
109 |
33 |
64 |
| 4 |
160 |
19 |
106 |
34 |
61 |
| 5 |
155 |
20 |
103 |
35 |
58 |
| 6 |
150 |
21 |
100 |
36 |
55 |
| 7 |
146 |
22 |
97 |
37 |
52 |
| 8 |
142 |
23 |
94 |
38 |
49 |
| 9 |
138 |
24 |
91 |
39 |
46 |
| 10 |
134 |
25 |
88 |
40 |
43 |
| 11 |
130 |
26 |
85 |
41 |
40 |
| 12 |
127 |
27 |
82 |
42 |
37 |
| 13 |
124 |
28 |
79 |
43 |
34 |
| 14 |
121 |
29 |
76 |
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| 15 |
118 |
30 |
73 |
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Ready for one another quiz? How many points does a driver get for leading the most laps while being the only driver not to finish a race?
Answer: 44 points
Since the driver was in the only car not to finish, he finished in 43rd place which equals 34 points + 5 points for leading at least one lap + 5 points for leading the most laps.
What About Chase for the Cup Points?
We're glad you asked. Individual race points do not change for the remaining 10 Chase for the Cup races on the schedule. All drivers have the opportunity to win just as many points as they would in any of the previous 26 races.
The only difference is - the top 12 drivers at the end of the first 26 races get their points reset (boosted) to 5000 points for the season, plus an extra 10 points for any victory they had in the previous 26 races. That keeps the 12 Chase for the Cup qualifiers separated from the rest of the pack for the Chase and makes it even more important for them to go after the win in each of the previous 26 races.
Dare we offer a bonus quiz? How many Chase for the Cup points will a driver start the Chase with if they won 2 of the first 26 races?
Answer: 5020 points
Since the driver qualified for the Chase by being one of the top 12 points leaders at the end of the previous 26 races, their points total is set to 5000. Since the driver also won 2 of the previous 26 races they also get a 20 point bonus (10 points per win) for a total starting balance of 5020 points.
If you answered all four quizzes correctly, you're ready to score your next NASCAR race and track the top rubber-laying, oval-playing demons of danger and diligence through the 2008 Sprint Chase for the Cup series. We hope you found this information helpful and we hope it brings new joy to the next NASCAR race you attend.
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