In NASCAR, the King’s crown was earned with the grit of a full season, not the luck of a lottery. Richard Petty’s 7 championships, tied with Dale Earnhardt and Jimmie Johnson for the all-time record, were all earned under traditional, full-season scoring systems, primarily the one introduced in 1975 that prioritized consistent top finishes over a long schedule.

With points now being dramatically reset for a select number of drivers near the end of the year, a driver can have a statistically superior regular season, only to have their advantage erased. The evolution of NASCAR’s scoring system from a season-long accumulation of points to the modern elimination-style Playoff format has prompted Petty to reflect on how such a change would have altered his unparalleled career.

Richard Petty o

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