10 drivers, 1 title
LOUDON, N.H. — So much for the preliminaries. After seven months and 26 races, NASCAR’s Nextel Cup series is ready to get down to the business of deciding a champion.
The new 10-man, 10-race playoff chase — the change fostered by new NASCAR chairman Brian France to keep fan interest high in the face of fall competition from the NFL and baseball’s pennant races — begins with the Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway.
So, will drivers’ nerves be frayed and anxiety be at a critical level when the green flag waves on Sunday?
Not if you believe the guys involved in the new championship format. They insist the hard part was getting into the top 10 and now it’s going to be business as usual.
“It’s kind of a relief to be done with that and be ready to race for a championship,” said four-time series runner-up Mark Martin. “I’ve never been through anything as agonizing as these last few weeks trying to make sure we got into this thing.”
Jeremy Mayfield, who won the race last Saturday night at Richmond — his first victory in Ray Evernham’s No. 19 Dodge — and was the only driver to bump his way into the top 10, echoed Martin.
“Going to Richmond, we knew it would take a special race to get into the top 10. Now we’re in and we’re ready to get after it at Loudon. We’re pumped up about it. What a great way to start the first race for us, to come off our first win and get in the top 10.”
Under the new format, the points have been reset, with all of the drivers in the top 10 separated by increments of five points and series leader Jeff Gordon just 45 in front of 10th-place Ryan Newman.
In between are Jimmie Johnson, Dale Earnhardt Jr., Tony Stewart, defending series champion Matt Kenseth, Elliott Sadler, Kurt Busch, Martin and Mayfield.
All of them are veterans of at least three years in NASCAR’s top stock car series and three of them — Gordon, Stewart and Kenseth — are former series champions.
“We’ve got to go about it like we have the past five years this team has been in existence, and that’s to take it one race at a time,” said 2002 champ Stewart. “These next 10 races are the same 10 races we had last year. You go to the track, you race, and you get points for it. Wherever we are at the end of these 10 races is where we are.
“That’s how we won a championship in 2002 and that’s how we’re going about it this year. It’s still about racing and which team consistently does the best job. So, in my opinion, not a whole lot has changed.”
Stewart does agree, though, that the new points system — replacing the format that had been in place since 1975 — is doing what it was intended to do
“I’d never seen as much excitement surrounding the fall Richmond race as I did this past weekend,” he said. “As far as going up against football, I never really paid too much attention to how many people watched what on television. But if we put on good races and more people are watching because of the Chase, then it’s tough to argue that it’s not working.”
The champion will take home at least $5 million, while the other nine drivers in the title battle are guaranteed at least $1 million apiece.
But there is still plenty for the drivers who missed out on making the top 10 to shoot for, too.
For each of the final 10 races there will continue to be a full 43-car field and a victory by a non-contender would still give that driver and team a big boost.
Then there is the minimum of $1 million in prize money NASCAR has promised to the driver who finishes 11th.
Jamie McMurray, who missed out on the top 10 by 15 points, has his sights set on that prize.
“Just because we’re not in the top 10 doesn’t mean we’re just going to ride around these last 10 races,” last year’s top rookie said. “Our goals now are to win races and hold down 11th place in points. If we can do that, then I feel like we can look back on not making the playoffs and still feel like we’ve had a successful season.”