Before the playoff era, NASCAR’s Winston Cup Series was defined by a straightforward points system that emphasized consistency and rewarded drivers for their performance across the entire season. This system was beloved by fans who appreciated the clarity and fairness it brought to the championship race. For instance, the race winner earned 175 points, with each subsequent position receiving progressively fewer points down to 34th place, which earned 34 points. This approach meant that a driver who consistently finished in the top positions had a significant advantage, regardless of whether they won races. But in 2004, everything changed.

NASCAR introduced a playoff-system format, known as the “Chase for the Nextel Cup,” later renamed to “Chase for the Sprint Cup” and finally the “NASCAR

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