Chase for the Championship

Chasing the Cup A glance at the 10 drivers competing in NASCAR's Chase for the Nextel Cup, in order of points. • Click here for glance.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) -- NASCAR implemented a new system for crowning its Nextel Cup series champion after abandoning the traditional points system used since 1975. The 10-race playoff system begins Sunday at New Hampshire.

How the champion will be decided:

What it is: A 10-race shootout, called "NASCAR's Chase for the Nextel Cup Champion" that covers the final 10 events of the 36-race schedule.

Who's eligible: All 43 teams raced as usual over the first 26 events of the year. The top 10 in the standings after last Saturday's race at Richmond, and anyone else within 400 points of the leader, were eligible.

Only 10 drivers met the criteria: Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Elliott Sadler, Kurt Busch, Mark Martin, Jeremy Mayfield and Ryan Newman.

What happens: The 10 drivers are the only ones eligible to race for the championship. Their point totals were reset in five-point increments, with Gordon, the leader, getting 5,050 points. Second-place gets 5,045 points and down the line to 10th place Newman, who has 5,005.

They will race as usual under the same scoring system used all year: A win earns 180 points, a last-place finish gets 34 points. Five-point bonuses are given to any driver who leads a lap, and an additional five-point bonus is awarded for leading the most laps in a race.

The points earned after each of the 10 events will be added to each of the eligible drivers' totals, and the champion will be crowned after the season finale at Homestead, Fla., on Nov. 21.

What's at stake: Aside from the Nextel Cup title, each driver in the top 10 will be paid a minimum of $1 million from the points fund. The champion will get at least $5 million.

What's left: The remaining 33 drivers in the field still have something to race for -- 11th place. NASCAR has guaranteed a $1 million payout to the 11th driver as incentive for the rest of the field. That driver will also be invited to the season-ending awards ceremony in New York, which has traditionally included only the top 10 drivers.