2010 Sprint Cup Season on New Points System

Here's how last season would have turned out using the new points system...

Chase Qualifiers:
-------Name-----------Points-------Wins
1 Kevin Harvick ------911------------3
2 Jeff Gordon --------852----------- 0
3 Kyle Busch ----------841 -----------2
4 Jimmie Johnson ---804 ----------5
5 Tony Stewart -------830-----------1
6 Jeff Burton ---------834 -----------0
7 Carl Edwards ------848 -----------0
8 Matt Kenseth ------830 -----------0
9 Denny Hamlin -----781 ----------6
10 Kurt Busch --------791 ----------2
11 Jamie McMurray -710 -----------2
12 Greg Biffle ---------760 ----------1

Going into the final race (Richmond) before the start of the 2010 Chase there were 3 drivers beside Greg Biffle with one win each during the regular season (David Reutimann, Juan Pablo Montoya and Ryan Newman) any one of which with a win in the 26th cup race of the season could have won their way into the Chase. Without that happening Greg Biffle would make the Chase on the strength of his one win plus the 760 regular season points he had accumlated. Unfortunately we didn't have this type of intrigue last season under the old points system.

Chase Seeding:
-------Name------------Win
--------------------------Points
1 Denny Hamlin -------18
2 Jimmie Johnson ----15
3 Kevin Harvick --------9
4 Kyle Busch ------------6
5 Kurt Busch ------------6
6 Tony Stewart ---------3
7 Jeff Gordon -----------0
8 Jeff Burton ------------0
9 Carl Edwards ---------0
10 Matt Kenseth --------0
11 Jamie McMurray ----0
12 Greg Biffle ------------0

Just as the new rules specify, the final two Chase qualifiers did not get to use their race victory points in the Chase seeding accounting.

Chase Points Plus Seeding Points to Final Standings
-----Name------Chase Points (includes Laps Led, Most Laps Led & Win Points)
1 Jimmie Johnson --------------------------------------------------------------403
2 Denny Hamlin ----------------------------------------------------------------398
3 Kevin Harvick ------------------------------------------------------------------396
4 Carl Edwards ------------------------------------------------------------------340
5 Jamie McMurray --------------------------------------------------------------315
6 Matt Kenseth ------------------------------------------------------------------314
7 Greg Biffle ----------------------------------------------------------------------293
8 Tony Stewart -------------------------------------------------------------------290
9 Jeff Gordon ---------------------------------------------------------------------279
10 Kyle Busch ---------------------------------------------------------------------273
11 Kurt Busch ---------------------------------------------------------------------271
12 Jeff Burton --------------------------------------------------------------------232

Yessireee! Good old (robot) Jimmie Johnson still comes out on top...

Kind of boring isn't it...

BTW, here's how last season would have turned out based strictly on the money won racing...

1 Jimmie Johnson ------$6,975,473
2 Jamie McMurray ----$6,737,408
3 Kevin Harvick --------$6,506,567
4 Kyle Busch ------------$6,088,551
5 Denny Hamlin --------$5,624,770
6 Kurt Busch ------------$5,593,972
7 Carl Edwards ----------$5,546,540
8 Jeff Gordon ------------$5,526,570
9 Matt Kenseth ---------$5,494,548
10 Tony Stewart --------$5,491,897
11 Kasey Kahne -----------$5,106,227*
12 Jeff Burton -----------$5,060,142

*Kahne's earnings were across all 36 races even though he drove for RPM and then Red Bull...

Yeah, yeah, yeah...
Just about every way you cut it with a Chase involved, Jimmie Johnson just keeps coming up on top...

I don't like to wish ill on anyone, and I've found that it doesn't work on JJ anyway...