As Motorsport.com reports, the weight of stage points in the NASCAR Chase has sparked debate among drivers, with points leader Kyle Larson openly questioning their purpose. The format brings back the Chase after thirteen years away, dropping into an era of racing that never originally featured stages. Larson recently became the first driver to earn maximum points in a single round at Kansas, collecting fifty-five points for the win, twenty for sweeping the stages, and one for the fastest lap.
That haul highlights just how potent these mid-race bonuses can be. Under the current math, a single stage point equates directly to one position on track, meaning twenty stage points and a twenty-second place finish matches a clean runner-up result with zero stages to your name. Speaking at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Larson pointed out how this impacts drivers who grind out consistent results without ever tasting the front row.
Take Ryan Preece, for instance. Larson noted that Preece has stacked up three top-ten finishes in the last four races, yet sits stranded because he has only managed around five stage points during the Chase. When rivals bag heavy stage points and then suffer a rotor failure or a crash, their damage is cushioned to the point where they still outpoint a driver executing a clean race from deep in the field.
While acknowledging that stages reward running up front, Larson didn't mince words about his broader view of the system. He called them little participation awards handed out in competition, even though he happens to be the driver who has scored the most stage points by a wide margin.
Looking at the raw numbers across the first four races of the ten-week championship battle, the scoreboards show Larson leading the stage points table with fifty-eight, followed by Denny Hamlin on forty-six, and Ryan Blaney and Joey Logano both tied on forty-five. Further down, drivers like Daniel Suarez sit on zero, while Preece has managed just eight.
Yet, strip those stage points away entirely, and the standings refuse to undergo a massive earthquake. Preece wouldn't actually gain any ground in the overall order due to his hundred-point deficit from the staggered postseason reset, though the gap between Larson and Hamlin at the top would shrink from a twenty-six-point margin down to fourteen. Blaney stands out as the only driver shifting more than a single position without stage points, dropping two spots from fifth to seventh to show that consistency still rules the day, even if the math remains a hot topic in the garage.
