What Is the Significance of Leading Laps in NASCAR?

The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing has developed its championship point system -- the system that determines a season's overall winner -- over several decades to get to the system that it has today. While the system strongly emphasizes winning races as the best way to accumulate points, it also includes bonus points when a driver leads a lap during the race.

  1. NASCAR Point System

    • To understand the importance of leading laps in a NASCAR race, you first must understand the NASCAR point system. The current point system originated in 1975, replacing a system that awarded points based on the size of the race's purse. As of the 2011 season, points are awarded to a driver and an owner based on the place that the car finishes in the race. The latest version of this point system, introduced in 2007, gives the race winner 185 points and second place 170 points. Each successive finisher gets five points less than the next highest finisher down to sixth place. After sixth place, each successive finisher gets four points less down to 11th place. After 11th place, each successive finisher gets three points less.

    Qualifications of Leading a Lap

    • To qualify as leading a lap, a driver must cross the start/finish line in first place. It doesn't matter if a driver was in first on a different part of the track; it only matters who was first when the cars cross the start/finish line. The recognition of a lap leader also occurs during a yellow flag, when drivers are forced to slow down because of a disturbance on the track. Drivers may skip a pit stop on a yellow flag so they get to run in first place for one lap during the caution to earn the bonus points.

    Benefits of Leading a Lap

    • Leading a lap in a NASCAR race has one major benefit, apart from the obvious benefit of leading the race. Each driver that led at least one lap gets 5 bonus points at the end of the race. In addition, the driver who led the most laps gets another 5 bonus points. These points are no different than the points that are awarded for finishing the race, and can have an impact on the standings. If the third-place finisher earned an additional 10 points for leading the most laps, he could earn more total points than the second-place finisher.

    Chase for the Cup

    • Drivers accumulate points during the season with the goal of making the Chase for the Cup. After 26 of the 36 NASCAR races have been completed, the top 12 drivers in points have their point totals reset to 5,000, plus 10 bonus points for every victory in the first 26 races. For the remaining 10 NASCAR races, only those 12 drivers remain in the hunt for the championship. The difference between 12th and 13th place after 26 races usually is only a handful of points, so those 5- and 10-point bonuses for leading laps can mean the difference between racing for the championship or being left out.