[glock rocks]

no one has complained over the years about the point system, while earnhardt senior and gordon where taking advantage of it, but now that a ford team has one it now becomes a problem hey?

that may or may not have anything to do with the France (eeek) family's love of prestige and cash money.

Now, with that out of the way... I was wondering last night when I first read this (and I think the new system sucks) whether Dale Sr. and the King would maintain their 7 respective championships were we to go back and recalculate the old stats by the new rules. curious, huh? I've gotta go study for a few hours, but it's an interesting question in my view.

My first blush opinion is that Dale might have more than 7... and Harry Gant and Martin might have won a championship.

[tubebender]

I wonder how much influence the net works had in this lame system. These are the things that piss off drivers and cause them to form a "union". If that happens then there goes the uniqueness of Nascar Racing...

[NormsRevenge]

Just keep the beer coming.. We'll get thru this season somehow.. ;-]

Beer balloon : A Budweiser beer glass hot-air-balloon is flying over 2,391 meters high mountain Wilder Kaiser located in Tirolian Alps. (AFP/Joe Klamar)

[#3Fan]

My first blush opinion is that Dale might have more than 7

Yeah, Earnhardt was a strong finisher. Seems like this may favor large teams with more organization and resources. Some teams start running out of momentum around midseason and have a hard time preparing week to week.

[steveegg]

Here's some food for thought; take a look at the 2002 season. That year, your top 10 after 26 races (using either the old or the new system; adding 5 for wins and taking 5 away for poles doesn't matter in the order) were:

Sterling Marlin
Mark Martin
Jimmie Johnson
Jeff Gordon
Tony Stewart
Rusty Wallace
Bill Elliot
Matt Kenseth
Ricky Rudd
Ryan Newman

Also in the 400-point club were Dale Jarrett and Kurt Busch (11th and 12th respectively). Applying the "new math" to the last 10 races that year, the top ten looks just a "wee-bit" different from what it actually was:

1. Kurt Busch - 6563 points (had 3 wins, 1 pole in the last 10 races; ended up 3rd)
2. Tony Stewart - 6504 points (no wins/poles; was the 2002 champ)
3. Ryan Newman - 6425 points (1 win/4 poles; was 6th)
4. Mark Martin - 6372 points (no wins/poles; was 2nd)
5. Dale Jarrett - 6316 points (no wins/poles; was 9th)
6. Rusty Wallace - 6301 points (no wins/1 pole; was 7th)
7. Jeff Gordon - 6300 points (1 win/no poles; was 4th)
8. Jimmie Johnson - 6278 points (1 win/no poles; was 5th)
9. Matt Kenseth - 6246 points (1 win/no poles; was 8th)
10. Ricky Rudd - 6142 points (no wins/poles; was 10th)
11. Bill Elliot - 5933 points (no wins/poles; was 13th behind Dale Earnhardt Jr and Jeff Burton)
12. Sterling Marlin - 5304 points (no wins/poles; was 18th behind Earnhardt, Jeff Burton, Elliot, Michael Waltrip, Ricky Craven, Bobby Labonte and Jeff Green after a crash cut his season short)

With results like that (and the yellow-flag lottery; we have to get DW and company to use that term), you can only wonder if the "third-generation" curse is in the midst of striking NASCAR.