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Consistency key to points

It was 1985.

Bill Elliott had a NASCAR dream season: 11 victories, 11 poles and more than $2.4-million in 28 races. After winning the Southern 500 at Darlington Raceway, the small-town Georgia native made the cover of Sports Illustrated. He was named driver of the year by three racing organizations.

He won it all.

Well, not quite all.

Because NASCAR's scoring system puts a premium on consistency rather than victory, Elliott did not win the Winston Cup championship that season. He was second, by 101 points, to Darrell Waltrip, who won three races.

Say what?

Welcome to the cryptic workings of the oft-criticized points system, where the second-place driver can earn as many points as the winner, last place pays 34 and leading at least one lap -- any lap -- is critical, but winning the pole gets you nothing more than an unobstructed view of the pace car.

"It's just the way it's been," Elliott said. "I don't argue for it; I don't argue with it."

With four races left, this bizarre system is delivering a doozy of a championship battle. The top five drivers are separated by 177 points, the closest margin since the points system was adopted in 1975. Tony Stewart leads rookie Jimmie Johnson by 82, Mark Martin by 123, Rusty Wallace by 174 and rookie Ryan Newman by 177.

What does that mean?

If Newman wins Sunday's NAPA 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, and Stewart finishes last, he will gain at least 146 points. If Newman leads the most laps, he could gain 151, unless Stewart leads a lap, in which case it would be back to 146.

Confused? You should be.

Figuring how race results will affect the standings makes figuring the tip in your favorite restaurant seem like a snap. Hmmm, that's a thought: Maybe the points system should come printed on wallet-sized cards for easy reference, or plastic wrist bands like the ones quarterbacks use to keep plays straight in the huddle.

It definitely requires a calculator. Stewart's total through 32 races: 4,263.

The scoring system was devised by NASCAR historian and former AMS employee Bob Latford, who believes consistency is the truest mark of a champion.

The winner gets 175 points, with the next five drivers dropping in five-point increments. After sixth place, the next five decline in four-point increments. The rest of the field is separated by three-point increments. Latford wanted to reward drivers who tried harder, so five bonus points are given for leading at least one lap, five more for leading the most.

That's it.

The year Elliott won 11 races, a variety of broken pieces and parts resulted in several finishes of 30th or worse. Waltrip, though less spectacular, was more steady.

This season, the system is working because several drivers are bound by inconsistency, no one able to put together what in the past was referred to as a "championship season." Stewart has three victories, one fewer than series-leader Matt Kenseth, but has failed to finish six events, also tied for the series lead.

"To be leading the point standings after (six) DNFs, I think that is pretty impressive and shows what this team is really made of," Stewart said. "When we don't have a problem we have a lot of strength. As long as we don't have those major problems, we're producing good finishes and that is what has helped get us where we are right now."

If Stewart finishes third in each of the final four races, he wins the title, even if second-place Johnson wins and leads the most laps in every race. Johnson needs to finish five places better than Stewart in every race to have a chance, or 20 better in any one race.

"I think we're right on the edge of controlling our own destiny," Johnson said. "Tony is known to be able to hit top fives, and if we're able to win and he's fifth or sixth, we still have a chance."

Usually, one or two drivers pull away at the end of the season. Last year, Jeff Gordon led second-place Ricky Rudd by 380 points with four races left. This year, Rudd trails Stewart by 340, and he's ninth.

"I guess Bob Latford has taken some heat over the past few years because guys might clinch the championship two or three races from the end," 2000 champion Bobby Labonte said. "This year is totally different. ... It really has been kind of strange."

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