Food for thought - NASCAR is modifying their "Chase" by awarding more points for wins and opening it up to a larger number of competitors. Details are still being "modeled."
The biggest problem with their original points system was that it rewarded participation as much as it did winning, so it was possible to win the title without winning any races. Instead of fixing that by rewarding winning more than mere participation, they created an artificial "Chase" that turned most of the season into qualifying races and excluded many of the popular drivers from the championship well before the end of the season. Instead of making the end of the season more exciting, as was intended, they succeeded in turning off sponsors and fans alike, as evidenced by the falloff in NASCAR TV rating after the first year of the "Chase".
Just stirrin' the pot...
The biggest problem with their original points system was that it rewarded participation as much as it did winning, so it was possible to win the title without winning any races. Instead of fixing that by rewarding winning more than mere participation, they created an artificial "Chase" that turned most of the season into qualifying races and excluded many of the popular drivers from the championship well before the end of the season. Instead of making the end of the season more exciting, as was intended, they succeeded in turning off sponsors and fans alike, as evidenced by the falloff in NASCAR TV rating after the first year of the "Chase".
Just stirrin' the pot...