Nascar 2012

[DanAllen]

Originally Posted by wxwax

Good lord! As if NASCAR's scoring isn't complicated enough! Personally, I think the complexity of the current scoring system is a small contributor to the disinterest in the series. As a fan watching, I need a calculator and a rulebook to see where my guy will end up in the standings. You ask me, it needs to be simplified, not complimuhcated more.

I agree 100% I would love to get more into nascar but I just dont have the time to run a spreadsheet trying to figure out the score.

[wxwax]

Originally Posted by geode

Or is figuring that out the complex scoring part that you think turns people off?

This. Racing divides into two parts. Each race, individually. And then how your favorite drivers or teams are doing in the season standings.

Obviously, everyone knows who won the race.

But figuring out the NASCAR standings is beyond the ability of most people. Could you describe NASCAR's point scoring system to me off the top of your head, without having to look it up?

F1 is simple. Points scored if the car completes 90% of the winner's laps. Half points for everyone if the race ends short of 75% of race distance. No points if fewer than 2 laps are completed.

1st : 25 points
2nd : 18 points
3rd : 15 points
4th : 12 points
5th : 10 points
6th : 8 points
7th : 6 points
8th : 4 points
9th : 2 points
10th : 1 point

[NC-Okie]

Pretty simple:

1st gets 43 points
2nd gets 42
3rd gets 41
4th gets 40
down through 43rd which pays 1 point

a bonus point for leading a lap
a bonus point for leading the most laps
and I think a 3 point bonus for the win
With an maximum point haul of 48 points if the winner leads the most laps also.

I believe this is correct with the system in place now.

[wxwax]

Thanks Okie. Why do they award bonus points to 1-3, in addition to the regular points?

I see they changed the scoring to something simpler last year. I'd not realized that. My error. So they're trying to do the right thing (at least, from my perspective, they are.)

[NC-Okie]

The bonus points are a move to break from the best average rewards of years past. With a new push to reward winning, leading and for wanting to lead the most laps.

If I had the power I would add a bonus point for Pole position and possibility a point for leading at halfway.

[wxwax]

Originally Posted by geode

???

Do you personally add up the points after each F1 race on a notepad beside your tv? Or do you just look up the standings and see where the drivers rank?

No need for a notepad. It's pretty easy for everyone involved -- including the commentators -- to tell you at any moment in a race where everyone stands in the points race. At the sharp end of the season, you can do it yourself as the race progresses.

Listen, if it's not an issue for you, that's cool. As I said, I wasn't aware that nascar had changed its scoring system. A couple of years ago I was watching a Sprint Cup race with a friend who's followed the series for years. I asked him how it was scored. He couldn't tell me off the top of his head. I sure didn't know, because it involved more than just where the cars finish.

[wxwax]

Watching the end of Martinsville. Pretty good action between Gordon and Johnson. Like last year's Atlanta in slow-motion. Gordon chased and chased and finally made the pass. Then they both get spun out on the restart with 2 to go and Gordon runs out of gas. Bumper cars!

[pbarmy]

Best time to watch a NASCAR"event"(not a race) is the last five laps,Hilarious!

[wxwax]

My point, perhaps not well made, is that the racing before the last 5 laps was pretty compelling, as Gordon stalked and finally passed Johnson.

[jmlmjmjm]

Originally Posted by wxwax

My point, perhaps not well made, is that the racing before the last 5 laps was pretty compelling, as Gordon stalked and finally passed Johnson.

The final 30 laps or so were pretty dammed good. Reutimann ruined it by not getting off track. That was garbage and he spoiled what may have been a great finish between Johnson & Gordon.

[wxwax]

Originally Posted by jmlmjmjm

The final 30 laps or so were pretty dammed good. Reutimann ruined it by not getting off track. That was garbage and he spoiled what may have been a great finish between Johnson & Gordon.

I agree. What was he thinking?

[Pantah]

Originally Posted by jmlmjmjm

The final 30 laps or so were pretty dammed good. Reutimann ruined it by not getting off track. That was garbage and he spoiled what may have been a great finish between Johnson & Gordon.

Like Wallace said in the booth, Reutimann was attempting to get enough laps so Danica Patrick would not have to qualify on speed in future races. There were two to go so he had a chance. Then he got the black flag, but the motor quit before he could get onto pit lane (or something like that). He's got a job to do too. He's got a boss in his headset telling him what it is! He was quite apologetic after and said; "I don't want to be THAT guy..."

Then there was the fact that the 24 and 48 did not take tires or gas while they were getting the 10 car off the track. Had they done that, maybe they would have had enough rubber to do their own dive bomb and maybe successfully. Instead, they were slow on the start and sitting ducks with the entire field behind them on fresh tires facing a 40mph restart.

Bowyer was there to win the race so you really can't blame him either. He had to dive down there because Gordon left the lane open and Bowyer had all the traction he needed to get in there pronto. I don't know if the bump he got from Ryan Newman actually caused the wreck, but it was plain that the guys in the 2nd and 3rd rows had a lot more acceleration than the two slugs up front on their old tires.

I'm a Jeff Gordon fan, but he hurt himself by not coming right in after the wreck and getting some gas and maybe even outside tires. He didn't get spun and was in good position to dive into pit lane without losing a lap. Instead he ran out of gas and had to wait for the wrecker!

I thought it was one of the best races in a long time. Several drivers and teams had a decent chance the way things unfolded. Remarkably, the drivers were pretty calm about what happened. They each had a story and there was no way the front two were not going to be runover by somebody on that restart.

I like that little track. Do they race open wheelers there too? Maybe sprinters or something?

[RedRocket]

Originally Posted by wxwax

I agree. What was he thinking?

Seeing his post race interview it had to do with the shape of the track that he couldn't get in sooner. He said it wasn't on purpose, and it wouldn't restart.

I think the crash was Johnson's fault. He squeezed down on them.

[wxwax]

Originally Posted by Pantah

I like that little track.

Me too. Provided the action that Bristol couldn't.

[Motorcyclist]

Martinsville is an awesome track for spectators. I have gone to the fall race a number of times, and it is the real deal, lots of muscling the cars around, and fighting off your competition.

I haven't watched the race yet, but I did see Wind Tunnel last night and heard several of the sides to the story. I can't see any blame going to Boyer either, he saw an opening and went for it. His car was under control, and he had every intention of making the corner. It wasn't some reckless, dive bomb, blatantly move them out of the way incident. I did notice Gordon took him out at the end of the spin, not sure if that was intentional or just him trying to accelerate to straighten the car out.

Bottom line - if you get a chance to go to Martinsville, go.