Are The Point Systems Too Complicated and Earnhardt, Jr. to Drive an IndyCar

IndyCar announced last week changes to the points system as follows:

The Triple Crown races (Indianapolis, Pocono, Fontana) are worth double points, so 100 for a win, 80 for second, 70 for third and the least amount of points that can be scored is 10, not five.

The Indianapolis 500 qualifying will have points awarded for both days. The thirty-three qualifiers that make the field on day one will each receive points. The fastest driver will receive thirty-three points, second-fastest will receive thirty-two and so on until thirty-third fastest receives one point. On day two, the nine drivers going for pole position will be award points nine down to one with the pole-sitter receiving nine and ninth receiving one.

Along with the additional points, a driver will now lose 10 points for an entrant-intiated engine change.

The manufactures' championship also sees a change. The top five drivers from each race will count toward the manufactures' title. For 15 races, the points will pay as follows: 50, 40, 35, 32, 30 and for the Triple Crown races: 100, 80, 70, 64, 60. The top five from each day of Indianapolis 500 qualifying will also count toward the manufactures' championship. Bonus points will also count toward the manufactures' title, 2 points for the manufacture that leads the most laps, 1 point if the manufacture leads a lap and 1 point for the pole winning at the 17 races outside of the Indianapolis 500. Manufactures will also receive ten points for each engine that reaches the minimum 2,500 miles. However, any engine that fails before the 2,500 mile threshold will result in a deduction of 10 points.

Do you follow?

After all my years following motorsports I have started wondering, are these increased point totals and increased ways to score points turning people from following a championship from start-to-finish? Think about how dedicated you have to be to know that St. Pete, Long Beach, Barber and the Grand Prix of Indianapolis will be scored one way but the Indianapolis 500 will be scored another and so will Indianapolis 500 qualifying but not the qualifying of the two other Triple Crown races that use the same system as Indianapolis. And look at the amount of dedication you need to follow the manufactures' title? I can't blame people if they can't keep up. I can barely keep up.

It's hard enough for me to get people to understand why the both teams in hockey receive a point if a game goes to overtime, how am I going to get them to understand that winning pole for Pocono is different than winning pole at Indianapolis but the points for the race are paid the same?

I have always liked the old Formula One system of 9-6-4-3-2-1. It's easy to remember and easy to add. No bonus points. No points for pole. Fans don't need to feel like they have to immerse themselves into every race of the championship to get it. If anything, the championship should be a little more open for fans to move in and out from and not feel like they will struggle to keep up if they miss a race or two. Points are becoming too much like participation trophies, all you have to do is show up and you get them. Points use to be earned through a top six or eight or ten. Now, congratulations, here are five points or 20 points, or in the Indianapolis 500's case, at least 11.

People went to Indianapolis 500 qualifying to see who would win pole, possibly a track record and who was going to be bumped, not who was going to score thirty-three points or who was going to score twenty or could driver X catch driver Y in the standings before the race itself. Making the Indianapolis 500 alone was enough of a reason to get drivers to go for it. Let's make one thing clear first, track records were never a gift from God guaranteed year after year at Indianapolis. They happened when a team and driver had all their ducks in a row and put together a four-lap run for the ages. People didn't go knowing it was going to happen but they held on for six hours knowing the possibility was there. IndyCar doesn't necessarily need to guarantee that fans will see a track record but tease the fans into thinking, "it could happen on this run."

Will points cause more fans to turn into Indianapolis 500 qualifying? They have been doing the Fast Nine format and handing out additional points for Indianapolis 500 qualifying since 2010. The qualifying crowd has looked good the past few years but the ratings haven't been something to do backflips over.

I stand by simplifying the points systems by awarding less points to less drivers and getting back to why people showed up for Indianapolis 500 qualifying in the first place.

Moving on...

Dale Earnhardt, Jr. is going to drive an IndyCar. Not in a race but he will swap rides with Graham Rahal at some point. Maybe this year, definitely by next year. Rahal was at the Fontana NASCAR race yesterday and tweeted the defending Daytona 500 asking what he thought and it appears Earnhardt, Jr. is interested. While Rahal suggested the IMS road course, Earnhardt, Jr. appears willing to try an oval. While not much as been flushed out on this idea, Earnhardt, Jr. said he was down to four tracks he'd be interested in doing the test at. He didn't say whether the tracks were ovals or road course or even a street circuit for that matter.

Earnhardt, Jr. was suggesting testing an IndyCar at Daytona or Talladega. If he does go to an oval, IndyCar current races at six (Indianapolis, Texas, Pocono, Iowa, Milwaukee and Fontana). There are twelve other ovals at which IndyCar have raced at that Earnhardt, Jr. has also raced at (Chicago, Homestead, Kansas, Michigan, Phoenix, Richmond, Atlanta, Charlotte, Kentucky, Las Vegas, New Hampshire and Dover). Sonoma is currently the only road course on both the IndyCar and NASCAR schedules while IndyCar last raced at Watkins Glen in 2010.

The two drivers are both sponsored by the National Guard.

I'd love to see Earnhardt, Jr. test an oval. Of course everyone would love to see him test Indianapolis. I think he would do well at Iowa or Milwaukee. If he tests a road course, I'd suggest Barber. It's in Earnhardt Country. The Alabama track would draw as many people for the test as they do for the IndyCar race and they would be completely different people who had never been to Barber Motorsports Park before.

Realize that if Earnhardt, Jr. is testing an IndyCar, than Rahal will have to test a stock car and most likely at the same place. Rahal expressed interest in running the Nationwide Series race at Mid-Ohio last year but a ride never materialized. I think Rahal would do well on a road course especially as seeing the success of drivers such as Allmendinger, Tagliani, Carpentier, Ranger, Papis and Villeneuve in NASCAR road course races.

I think this is going to happen. Both drivers are interested, the sponsor will love it, any race track that hosts it will love it. Chevrolet would be upset more than Honda but they'll have to get over it. It would be a positive for all parties. Now, whether it happens this year is another story but I think you can count on it happening. And NBC would be smart to cover it, especially since they will be broadcasting both series in 2015.