Finishing last in a NASCAR race isn't as awful as it seems. Everyone gets a piece of the action in some way, shape or form. Points are awarded to every driver who competes in a NASCAR race."
The winner of a NASCAR race pockets 175 points. From
there the points given decline in five-point increments
for places two through six, points awarded drop four
points per driver for positions seven through 11 and
three-point increments separate drivers' points for
finishers in 12th place or lower.
2nd place: 170 points 3rd place: 165 points 4th: 160
points 5th: 155 points 6th: 150 points 7th: 146 points,
and so on.
The 43rd-place finisher gets 34 points. Drivers who
lead a lap earn five bonus points. The driver who leads
the most laps in a single event earns 10 bonus points.
The official results of the Daytona 500 help
illustrate how the points are doled out:
Michael Waltrip, who won the 2001 season-opener, led
27 laps of the 500, earning five points in addition to
the first-place 175 points. His total points earned for
the race: 180.
Second-place finisher Dale Earnhardt Jr., who netted
170 points for his position, also earned five points for
leading laps. His total points: 175. Rusty Wallace
earned 165 points for finishing third.
He didn't lead any laps. Fourth-place finisher Ricky
Rudd led no laps either. He took home 160 points for his
effort. Bill Elliott, in fifth, led one lap and jumped
from 155 points to tie with Rudd at 160.
Mike Wallace earned 150 points for his sixth-place
finish. Sterling Marlin, who finished seventh, earned
146 for the effort and picked up five more for leading a
lap. His total points earned: 151, one point better than
the guy who finished in front of him.
Ward Burton, who finished 35th, earned 58 points for
his effort and another 10 for leading a race-record 53
laps. Total points for the elder Burton brother: 68.
That's better than 34th-place finisher Jason Leffler (61
points) and 32nd-place Jerry Nadeau (67).
Owners are rewarded in the points race in much the
same fashion but, unlike drivers, they earn points for
merely attempting to make a race. If Joe Gibbs Racing
shows up with Tony Stewart and Bobby Labonte, but
Stewart fails to qualify, Joe Gibbs Racing earns points
based on Stewart's non-qualifying speed.
For instance, if Stewart is the fastest non-qualifier
on race day, Joe Gibbs Racing is awarded 31 points,
three down from the 43rd-place points. The scale
continues downward from there for all non-qualifiers,
with the lowest possible point(s) awarded being one.
Manufacturers have a points race of their own. The
car maker who has a driver take first place in a race
earns nine points for that race. Second-best performance
by a manufacturer gets six points, third place earns
four points and fourth place, three points. At Daytona:
Chevrolet, nine points; Ford, six points; Dodge, four
points; Pontiac, three points.
