From jayski.com...</P>


HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT TUESDAY: Speed Channel will interrupt regularly scheduled programming at approximately 9:30am/et on Tuesday morning, Jan. 20 to present a LIVE press conference from NASCAR's Media Tour at Lowe's Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C. Coverage is expected to last thirty minutes, and Speed will join regularly scheduled programming in progress at the conclusion of the press conference. The program will be repeated at 6:30pm/et on Tuesday. evening. Speed Channel's Ralph Sheheen will be on-site at the press conference and John Roberts will be in the studio.(Speed PR)
AND On Tuesday, NASCAR chairman Brian France and NASCAR president Mike Helton will be in Concord, NC, at the NASCAR Research and Development Center to unveil the new NASCAR Nextel Cup Series points system. The announcement will be available via a free LIVE Webcast on NASCAR.com, beginning at 9:30am/et.(NASCAR.com), see MUCH more, past news and rumors about the new system on my NASCAR Past News page(1-16-2004)
UPDATE from ThatsRacin.com "Here's what we know so far":
NASCAR's points plan? Based on NASCAR officials' public comments and conversations with The Observer, here is the likely basic structure of the new points plan for the Nextel Cup Series that will be announced Tuesday in Charlotte during the Lowe's Motor Speedway Media Tour:

• Championship series. There will be a number of races at the end of the season, probably 10, in which the champion will be determined.

• Who's eligible? At least the top-10 drivers in the standings after that first group of races, along with any driver within a certain number of points of the leader at that juncture. Look for that number to be around 400. One NASCAR official said that under the new plan Kurt Busch would have won the 2002 title. Busch was 361 points back with 10 races left in 2002.

• A head start. The driver in first place in the standings after the "regular-season" races will have an advantage over the driver who was second, with second ahead of third and so on. But that lead won't be large - the leader's head start over the 10th-place driver will likely be less than 100 points, a source told The Observer.

• Winning counts a little more. Under the system in place last year, if the driver finishing second in a race led the most laps that day, both he and the winner would get 180 points for that event. NASCAR spokesman Jim Hunter said that possibility will be eliminated. This year, it's likely a victory will be worth 180 points, plus five for leading a lap. If second is still worth 170 points, a runner-up who leads the most lap would still get 180 points - counting five-points bonuses for leading a lap and for leading the most laps. But the winner would get 185. A winner leading the most laps would get 190 points that day.

(see full columns at ThatsRacin.com: Here's what we know so far and Opposition won't torpedo plan to change the points system, and once again.......see MUCH more, past news and rumors about the new system on my NASCAR Past News page(1-18-2004)

AND NASCAR vice chairman Bill France Jr. flatly denies that television partners FOX Sports, NBC and TNT wielded any influence in the new points and playoff systems. "You don't let someone else drive your car, do you?" France says. But he warns the "doubting Thomases to beware" of passing judgment on the new systems too hastily. "Sometimes we're right, and sometimes we're wrong," he says. "And if it turns out that it's not the smart thing to do, then we'll fix it." France says the networks have persuaded NASCAR to start some races later and run more of them at night, but any changes in the points or playoff systems come from NASCAR.(Yahoo Sports/Sporting News)(1-19-2004)</P>



redriderbob</P>


</P>

 

What does everyone think of the changes...? I'll give it a try.

~Amanda

 

I think my points system would look better...</P>


- Only the top-25 cars to finish the race would be awarded points (this would make it more intresting/closer plus you wouldn't have wrecked cars coming back on the track to slow the race up and cause more problems)</P>


- Ten points would be awarded to the pole postion winner of each race.</P>


- Ten points would be added to the winners total... as a bonus for winning the race.</P>


I think my way would be alot better to use... the new way sounds stupid! What if a driver was only 5 points out of the top-10 when the playoffs came? He would not be a contender? That is stupid. The last race of 2003, Terry Labonte bumping Kurt Busch out of the top-10 at Homestead. The same went in the Busch Series when Mike Bliss bumped out Stacy Compton out of tenth spot, during the last race at Homestead.</P>


redriderbob</P><edited><editID>redriderbob</editID><editDate>38005.8793287037</editDate></edited>

 

I like your system! LOL! I definately don't like theway it is now, and the changes don't please me, but I'll watch NASCAR no matter what, LOL, but I agree it should count more to win... and to get the pole... although the Bud Pole AWard is a nice bonus. LOL!!

~Amanda

 

Yeah, the Bud Pole Award is nice... but rathier see some points added to it... since my boy Ryan Newman would being kicking some Cup Series butt, if that was the way it is!!!<IMG src=smileys/smiley2.gif border="0"></P>


<IMG src=uploads/redriderbob/2A238_ryanmichiganwin2.JPG border="0"></P>


redriderbob</P>

 

I know... he was excellent last season... 12 poles... Damn, that's good! LOL! Who else do you like? I root for any Dodge, especially Ryan Newman... and I like Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt Jr too.

~Amanda

 

All root for all my Dodge boys... was Sterling Marlin from 2001 to 2002... but Newman was really the only non-Dodge driver I liked (besides Rusty and Michael Waltrip) that I liked. So when Rusty and him moved to Dodge... it was a dream come true... Still a big fan of </P>


Chip Ganassi Racing...McMurray, Marlin, Mears...</P>


Evernham Motorsports... Kane, Mayfield, Elliott...</P>


Petty Enterprises... Green, Petty...</P>


Hate Bill Davis Racing... since all the contract issues and him and his manufacture problems<IMG src=smileys/smiley7.gif border="0"></P>


BAM Racing... Schrader</P>


Ultra Motorsports... Spencer (have to love Mr. Excitiment)</P>


Penske-Jasper Racing... Brendan Gaughan</P>


AJ Foyt Racing... Larry Foyt</P>


redriderbob</P>


</P>

 

I *HATE* Spencer... he's either a love him or hate driver... I hate him. LOL! Robbie Gordon... hate him with a blind red passion. LOL!

Sterling Marlin is great, I'll never forget two years ago him hopping out of his car to yank on the fender... LOL!

~Amanda

 

Sounds like how I hated Dale Earnhardt... absolutely couldn't stand him... now I can't stand Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, andKurt Busch***</P>


*** = really dislike him...</P>


heck Dale Earnhardt even flipped him of during the 2001 Daytona 500... just think Kurt you're the last person to be flipped off by the Intimidator!</P>


redriderbob</P>

 

I had a love/hate relationship with Dale Earnhardt... but when he died, it was a shock and I really realized I was a closet Earnhardt fan. And I love Jr... I absolutely hate Mark Martin, Matt Kensethand Kurt Busch too!!

How many races have you been to?

~Amanda