NASCAR set to alter points structure, expand Chase

	Should NASCAR choose to expand the Chase field, top drivers such as Tony Stewart should have a little more room to take some risks without falling out of title contention. Jason Smith/U.S. Presswire

It's about time.

On Monday afternoon, at it's R & D Center, NASCAR announced a series of rules changes that will award more points to race winners and increase the number of drivers to be included in the Chase for the Nextel Cup this year.

The buildup to the changes began in the summer, when NASCAR CEO Brian France said there would be some tweaking of the Chase rules. Curiously, though, nothing was announced during Champions Week in New York, where, in the past, NASCAR has held news conferences detailing what changes could be expected in the coming New Year.

Finally, a little more than two weeks ago, Jim Hunter, NASCAR's vice president of corporate communications, let it be known that there would be a forthcoming announcement of changes in the points and numbers of drivers in the Chase.

That day is here.

The changes weren't too dramatic, as it included as much as a a 25-point bonus for a checkered flag; NASCAR officials are a cautious bunch.

As suggested in a previous column, handing the winner 200 points and second-place 175 points is only a 14 percent bump. Yet, it should make a difference. Tony Stewart might have made the Chase under just such a system thanks to his two non-Chase victories.

Stewart, a.k.a. Smoke, even said that he and crew chief Greg Zipadelli would have never gambled on a fuel strategy like they did at Kansas if they were in the title hunt because the points would have been more important than a win. "We didn't have the goal of trying to win a championship anymore," Stewart said at the time. "So [we are able] to do what we did tonight, which was go out and try to win races." Yet, by gambling on fuel and costing himself the checkered flag, he did notch that win.

Racing is about calculated risks. If NASCAR wants to shore up sagging ratings the product has to improve, and that entails more than just a change of networks. Exciting finishes will insure that.

NASCAR will also award an additional 10 points for a win, a modest number because officials don't want to see drivers taking unnecessary risks.

Take the fall Talladega race, where Brian Vickers, running in third place in the closing laps, tagged Jimmie Johnson when the 2006 champion failed to overtake Dale Earnhardt, Jr. for the win, wrecking both of them while he finally got his first Cup victory. Of course, that brought outrage from the Earnhardt camp, You Tube notoriety and some backhanded comments from the 48 team.

On the other hand you have to consider that Johnson wasn't there to settle for second place, and Vickers, who previously announced he was leaving Hendrick Motorsports for Team Red Bull, desperately wanted to get that first win and a parting gift to the memory of Ricky Hendrick, who brought him to that team.

That is drama. NASCAR didn't penalize Vickers because, in its opinion, he didn't take an unnecessary risk at the time. But if he was in the Chase, he probably would have tucked in behind Johnson and the outcome would have been different.

That's why it's about time to award more points to winners.

Also on tap for a change is the number of drivers in the Chase. By limiting the field the 10 drivers during the Chase' first three years, some of NASCAR's biggest draws have found themselves on the outside of the playoffs, highlighted by the exclusion of both Earnhardt, Jr. and Jeff Gordon in '05.

The series is blessed with more than 10 top level drivers, and that's why the number had to go up. But 15 is too many. Moreover, the story of drivers who fail to make it one year and are fired up the next is another area that will flame fan interest. Indeed 12 was the magic number this year.

Stewart again offers a clear example of the need to change the rule. Having not qualified for the Chase last year, Stewart produced three wins, a second- and a fourth-place finish. That's a performance unmatched by the Chasers. On the other hand, using the antiquated points system, he wouldn't have won the title anyway.

While we're at it, NASCAR ought to restructure the points system to make the Chase a pure playoff.

Nah, that'll never happen -- until it's time.