I am well aware that this is a controversial opinion, but it is just that, an opinion. I’m also not saying that the points format is perfect, because it’s not, there are many things that I would change. But I’m not here to tell you how I’d fix the current points format, I’m here to try to sell you on it, and if my efforts prove futile then so be it. It’s the off-season after all, we can have a little fun, right?
Does It Actually Dilute “Game 7” Moments?
If we look back at the last four years or so, two moments stand out. The first and, by far, best one being the Hail Melon. No description is really necessary here, it is one of the most iconic moments in NASCAR history, it broke the internet. Even if just a day or two, NASCAR and Ross Chastain were the talk of the sports world. Not the NFL, not the NBA, not the MLB, nothing, it was NASCAR. It was Number 1 on ESPN’s Sportscenter Top 10 for crying out loud. That moment does not exist without this current points format. Without the current format, there is no situation where Chastain is 2 points back from the cut line coming to the white flag. There’s no Championship on the line if he were to get those 2 points. Those 2 points in a NASCAR Playoffs-less universe effectively mean nothing. But in our universe, they did matter. Ross knew that, his team knew that, and every single one of the 2,541,000 people watching at home knew that. That combination of one of gutsiest drivers the sport has seen in recent years and the against all odds scenario that the points format put him in led to one of the greatest “Game 7” moments the sport has ever seen.
The second moment that I want to mention is from Chase Elliott’s Championship run in 2020. However, it’s less of a major moment and more of a minute detail, and admittedly, this does not hold nearly the amount of weight as the Hail Melon did at a glance. When you dig a little deeper though, you realize that this mistake turned incredibly clutch decision by one of Chase Elliott’s pit crew members could have snowballed and ended up costing Elliott the Championship. On lap 354 of the final cutoff race at Martinsville, before the Championship 4, Chase Elliott led the field down pit road under caution. As Elliott entered his pit box, his Jackman left the wall noticeably early, which of course is a penalty. But the Jackman made the decision to go back to the wall to essentially reset his position, which worked. NASCAR let Elliott’s pit stop stand without penalty. Elliott would take advantage and go on to cap off that evening with a win and would win his first title just one week later.
Now, I’m going to go against my thesis for a moment to say that the points format does take away from clutch, late-season wins, especially so when a driver isn’t able to close it out and win the Championship. I’d point to Christopher Bell in 2022. Bell went on one of the most clutch runs in recent memory. Being in a must-win scenario entering the Charlotte Roval in the Round of 12 and winning. Then finding himself in yet another must-win scenario entering Martinsville and out dueling Chase Briscoe late, for the win, in an epic battle, only to get over shadowed by the aforementioned Hail Melon.
So I’d argue that the points format does not actually take away from “Game 7” moments as a whole, it just takes away from walk-off or clutch wins, because those wins are almost expected at this point. But what is never expected is for a driver for put their foot to the floor entering Turn 3 at Martinsville and never lift.
It Is A 200MPH Pressure Cooker
The amount of pressure put on drivers, crew chiefs, spotters, pit crew members, all the way down to mechanics back at the shop, to perform is comparable to just about any sport in the world. NASCAR is asking these people to be perfect. If one of those team members makes the slightest mistake, it could cost the driver and team everything. The drivers are entering these elimination races with not just a win on the line, but a Championship and a legacy. These drivers are competing to be immortalized amongst some of the greatest to ever sit behind the wheel of a racecar, and with one small mistake, it could all be ripped away.
This format rewards being cool under pressure. Cole Custer showcased this to its fullest extent in the waning laps of the 2023 NASCAR Xfinity Series Championship at Phoenix Raceway. Custer led the field to green for overtime surrounded by all three of his Championship 4 competitors, John Hunter Nemechek to Custer’s inside, Sam Mayer and Justin Allgaier behind. Custer got a poor restart and dropped back to 3rd, but he held strong and held his position in the inside middle of a four-wide situation exiting turn 2, with Nemechek and Allgaier to his outside, and Mayer to the inside. Mayer would slip back into fourth, leaving Nemechek, Allgaier, and Custer, three-wide, to settle it. As Nemechek and Allgaier made contact down the backstretch, slowing their momentum, Custer pulled out in front coming to the white flag and would hold on to win the race and the Championship. Custer never put a foot wrong, he never touched another car, he just did what he needed to do win. He was conservative when he needed to be and was aggressive when he needed to be and executed it to perfection. A masterclass in staying calm under pressure and not making a single mistake.
A Championship Is Still A Championship
People say that this points format diminishes championships, but I push back against that because at the end of the day, a Championship is still a Championship. The drivers, coming into the season, know what they’re getting into, they know what’s on the line. At the end of the season, when the final flag has flown, you see what it means to these drivers. The emotion, the jubilation, it can’t be overstated. It doesn’t matter how you get there. At the end of the day, it’s still a Championship. You still get to be on top of the sport for the next 365 days until the next Champ is crowned. You still get the trophy, you still get the money, you still get the notoriety because a Championship is still a Championship.
Header Image: MARTINSVILLE, VIRGINIA – OCTOBER 29: Denny Hamlin, driver of the #11 FedEx Toyota, and Ryan Blaney, driver of the #12 Discount Tire Ford, race during the NASCAR Cup Series Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway on October 29, 2023 in Martinsville, Virginia. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
