NASCAR legend Richard Petty, the seven-time Cup Series champion, recently voiced his concerns about the current points system in NASCAR.
Petty's Critique
Petty expressed dissatisfaction with the current playoff format, stating, "The thing I don’t like is that they award people for running up front instead of winning races...it’s how you finish in the race. Not how good you run. But how good you finish."
The Evolution of the Points System
Despite winning several championships under the points system devised by Bob Latford before the 1975 NASCAR season, Petty is not a fan of how it has evolved over time. He believes the system should reward race winners rather than those who consistently perform well.
Petty used the example of Martin Truex Jr, who, despite qualifying for the 2023 season’s playoffs from the top of the table and being a favorite for the championship, has been struggling at every track since. Petty stated, "If they hadn’t had the bonus points, the 19 would have went out the very first 4 cars. So that’s the reason I don’t like that kind of point system."
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