Hot 20 – As in 2003, the season’s dominant driver might not be our 2014 champion

My grandfather might have fought on the front lines in World War I from the time he was 18 until he turned 22, but he did not invent NASCAR. My father might have turned limited educational opportunities in World War II Saskatchewan into a career in public works, but he never ran NASCAR. My cousin Michelle might currently be vacationing in France, but we still are no relations to a certain family. Thus, I have no championship to bestow to any driver. What I do have is an idea to allow us to determine just who is the best driver of 2014, even if they fail to win the “championship” in Miami.

One need not try to re-invent the wheel. In fact, NASCAR almost came up with the best solution all on their lonesome. The current points system is right on the money, but still fails to fully reward victories. After all, winning is everything and second is just the first loser. So, I would make only two changes. First, increase the victor’s spoils from 47 to 48 points up to 69 or 70 points. That would give the winner a gap of between 22 and 25 points up on the runner up. Second, I would toss the Chase.

The champion over the past three seasons would still be the champion, while back in 2003 eight race winner Ryan Newman would have taken the crown from single race winner Matt Kenseth. Still, Kenseth would have had a shot of taking it heading into Homestead, and isn’t that all what we should really ask for? Okay, other than to have a champion declared we all might agree is actually the true king of the season.

Still, after more than 30 years with the same system, Kenseth was indeed the legitimate king that season. Even with the ten race Chase, and a field cluttered with non-contenders, enough events were run that we could grudgingly accept that the leader after Homestead should have his name engraved on the trophy. A single race with four survivors surrounded by 39 also-rans, the best among the four getting the prize, might be a bridge too far.

So, for those of us who want to keep our eye on who was the most dominant over the course of the season, we abandon the Chase and reward each race winner with 22 additional points. I submit that this might be a more legitimate, less contrived way, of deciding who, if not the champion, was the best over the course of the season. That season begins on Sunday.