Listening to the announcers during the race it sounds like it could be confusing, but that's because they are watching real-time updates of where drivers will stand based on where there are at any particular moment within that race ( (i.e., "if that #47 car can finish 3rd, and neither #2, #48, or #88 cars finish higher than 6th, then he's into the next round."). Here is an
explanation. It's pretty straightforward.
What really throws lugnuts into the oil pan is that some non-Chase qualifier could muck the whole thing up.
Some don't like the reset at the end of each round, arguing that prior good performance should be rewarded. But this is no different than the regular season in baseball merely determining who moves on to the post season. They all start off at 0-0 at the beginning of division, league, and world series.
What I don't get is why they reset those that do NOT advance to the next round back to 2,000 points. What's the point (no pun intended) in that? I don't think it is mathematically possible to add 2,000 + regular season wins bonus points + Chase points and still challenge. Or is it? Honestly, I haven't done the math, but there must be some reason.
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THE SEEDING
Each of the 16 drivers who qualifies for the Chase Grid starts with 2,000 points, plus three points for each win earned during the first 26 regular-season races. After the bonus points for wins are added, drivers are ranked in order of the reset points. See the
updated standings.
THE ROUNDS
Challenger Round: The 16 drivers will battle at
Chicagoland Speedway,
New Hampshire Motor Speedway and
Dover International Speedway for the 12 spots available in the next round (Contender). A win at any of the three races equals advancement into the next round. The rest of the field of 12 will be determined by order of points scored in the three races. After this round, each advancing driver will be reset to 3,000 points.
Tiebreaker: If any position comes down to a tiebreaker, only the three races in the Challenger Round matter. Wins and finishes in the regular season won't, so these nine drivers will need to run up front to challenge for the win. If they can't win, they'll need to have more second-place finishes, third-place finishes, etc. than their competitors in order to break the tie and advance. If two drivers have the exact same finishes, the tiebreaker then goes to the driver who scored the best finish first.
Points note: Drivers who don't advance to the next round will have their point totals reset to the Chase-start base of 2,000 (with any regular-season wins bonus points), plus the additional points they've earned during the Chase.
Contender Round: The 12 drivers will battle at
Kansas Speedway,
Charlotte Motor Speedway and
Talladega Superspeedway for the eight spots available in the next round (Eliminator). A win at any of the three races equals advancement into the next round. The rest of the field of eight will be determined by order of points scored in the three races. After this round, each advancing driver will be reset to 4,000 points.
Tiebreaker: If any position comes down to a tiebreaker, only the three races in the Contender Round matter. Wins and finishes in the regular season won't, so the drivers will need to run up front to challenge for the win. If they can't win, they'll need to have more second-place finishes, third-place finishes, etc. than their competitors in order to break the tie and advance. If two drivers have the exact same finishes, the tiebreaker then goes to the driver who scored the best finish first.
Points note: Drivers who don't advance to the next round will have their point totals reset to the Chase-start base of 2,000 (with any regular-season wins bonus points), plus the additional points they've earned during the Chase.
Eliminator Round: The eight drivers will battle at
Martinsville Speedway,
Texas Motor Speedway and
Phoenix International Raceway for the four spots available in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship. A win at any of the three races equals advancement into the next round. The rest of the field of four will be determined by order of points scored in the three races. After this round, each advancing driver will be reset to 5,000 points.
Tiebreaker: If any position comes down to a tiebreaker, only the three races in the Eliminator Round matter. Wins and finishes in the regular season won't, so the drivers will need to run up front to challenge for the win. If they can't win, they'll need to have more second-place finishes, third-place finishes, etc. than their competitors in order to break the tie and advance. If two drivers have the exact same finishes, the tiebreaker then goes to the driver who scored the best finish first.
Points note: Drivers who don't advance to the next round will have their point totals reset to the Chase-start base of 2,000 (with any regular-season wins bonus points), plus the additional points they've earned during the Chase.
THE NASCAR SPRINT CUP CHAMPIONSHIP
The highest finisher among the four finalists at Homestead-Miami Speedway will win the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship.
Points note: In all but the final race, bonus points for laps led will still be awarded in the Challenger, Contender and Eliminator Rounds. However, at the NASCAR Sprint Cup Championship, the four drivers will start the race tied and there will be no bonus points for laps led, etc. The highest finisher among that group will be the champion.