NASCAR unveils new points system for determining title

CONCORD, N.C. -- Good thing for Matt Kenseth that NASCAR's new points system wasn't around last season. The champion would've finished sixth.

In a bid to add excitement and put more emphasis on winning, NASCAR changed its scoring system Tuesday by setting up a showdown for the Nextel Cup title over the final 10 races.

Kenseth took the 2003 championship despite winning just one race. He was rewarded for his consistency -- 25 finishes in the top 10.

That wouldn't happen under a new system that readjusts drivers' points after the first 26 races in NASCAR's top series, which has had many recent championships decided early in the season.

The top 10 drivers and any others within 400 points of the leader will be included in the "Chase for the Championship." No driver ranked outside the top 10 with 10 races to go has ever gone on to win the championship.

"We think when our fans and drivers and everybody else, when it all shakes out, when all the details are understood, they're going to love it because more drivers are going to have an opportunity to compete for a championship late in the year," NASCAR chairman Brian France said.

He said the changes to a system in place since 1975 are also aimed at increasing attendance and TV ratings, which usually drop in the fall because of competition from the World Series, college football and the NFL.

Some drivers are not so sure the old system needed to be revamped. Kenseth said the changes could actually discourage drivers from trying to win until the final chase.

"I think a lot of the guys will have the feeling of not wanting to make a mistake and just concentrating on getting a good finish to make sure they're in the top 10," he said. "I think it takes the emphasis away from winning."

Dale Earnhardt Jr., the son of a seven-time Winston Cup champion, was concerned future titles might be viewed differently.

"The only thing, personally, that is important to me is, if and when I win a championship, how is it going to be compared to championships that my father won?" he asked. "Will it be the same, better, not as good?"

Kenseth led the standings most of last season, built a huge lead and ran away with the championship -- the final Winston Cup title. Ryan Newman was sixth despite winning a series-high eight races.

Under the new system, Jimmie Johnson would have won the title by 55 points over Jeff Gordon instead of finishing second. Newman would have been third, followed by Earnhardt, Kevin Harvick and Kenseth, 406 points behind the champion.

Those drivers, of course, would have changed their strategies if they had been racing under different rules. For example, Kenseth used an experimental engine in the season finale at Homestead, Fla., and finished last when it failed.

The first-place driver will now begin the final 10 races with 5,050 points, the second driver 5,045 and so on, with incremental drops of five points for all those involved in the championship showdown.

Drivers also will get a new five-point bonus for winning a race, beginning with the season-opening Daytona 500 on Feb. 15.

"It does give everybody new hope with 10 races to go, particularly the guys who might be a couple of hundred points behind," Earnhardt said. "This is going to force you to change the way you win championships, your strategies."

The champion will be guaranteed a minimum of $5 million, while each of the other drivers who finish in the top 10 will earn $1 million. The 11th-place finisher will get a $250,000 bonus.