The NASCAR points system has long been a topic of contention, but the 2025 season has brought this debate to the forefront again in a striking manner. Joe Gibbs Racing’s Christopher Bell, who is behind the wheel of the No. 20 Toyota Camry, has been displaying remarkable dominance in the early season with three victories out of the initial four races and maintaining the best average finish. However, in a surprising twist, he doesn’t hold the top spot in the points standings. NASCAR journalist Jeff Gluck didn’t miss the chance to subtly criticize this apparent contradiction on social media.
This instance brings to the surface a question that has been simmering in the NASCAR community for years: does the points system truly reflect the skills of the drivers? Critics of the current system argue that it occasionally fails to reward consistent dominance, as demonstrated by Bell both in the previous season and the early part of 2025. The inability to translate statistical superiority into leadership in the points standings raises fundamental questions about the system’s design and objective.
Bell’s situation becomes even more ironic when one recalls his disappointing exit from championship contention just a few months ago at Martinsville. A contentious wall-riding penalty ended his championship dream despite his statistical supremacy throughout the 2024 season. Despite claiming three victories in the four race weekends so far, Bell finds himself second in the leader boards, behind William Byron who leads the charts with a Daytona 500 win. The reason? Stage points.
Even though both drivers have won a stage, the HMS driver has better stage finishes. Over the four races, Byron has accumulated 49 stage points and leads Bell, who has only 26 stage points, by a 12-point margin. In most motorsports series around the globe, the driver with the most wins would be leading the charts. However, NASCAR seems to operate on a different principle, a fact that caught Jeff Gluck’s attention and led to his social media commentary.
Despite increasing calls for reform, NASCAR officials confirmed in January 2025 that there would be no modification to their playoff format for the current season. John Probst, NASCAR Executive Vice President, stated during the preseason rules briefing, “Could we have adjusted a little bit here or there? Maybe, but I don’t think we want to get in the habit of making small little tweaks every season for the playoffs.” Instead, NASCAR has introduced a new “Xfinity Fastest Lap” bonus point for 2025, awarding an extra point to drivers who record the fastest lap during races.
Bell’s exclusion from the 2024 championship race highlights the perceived flaws in the system. Despite leading the playoff standings entering Martinsville, a controversial penalty following a chaotic final lap dashed his title hopes. This incident incited intense scrutiny on the system, as NASCAR acknowledged race manipulation by other drivers at Martinsville and fined Ross Chastain, Austin Dillon, and Bubba Wallace for their actions, yet still disqualified Bell.
As Bell continues his outstanding performance in 2025 without the corresponding points, the argument heats up about whether NASCAR’s scoring system truly highlights the sport’s best talent or merely generates artificial drama. Historically, NASCAR has always had issues with devising an effective system to recognize excellence. Criticism has been leveled at the Chase format introduced in 2004 and the current elimination process implemented in 2014.
There have been numerous instances of system irregularities in NASCAR history. Richard Petty’s 1979 championship win despite fewer race victories than Darrell Waltrip and Tony Stewart’s 2011 championship win on tie-breakers are two such examples. Last year, Joey Logano only needed one win in the regular season and two more in the final four playoff races to clinch his third Cup Series championship. This seems to suggest that consistent drivers aren’t rewarded for their performance in regular season races and are forced into high-pressure situations in the playoffs.
While NASCAR claims to be listening to fans’ outrage, the 2025 season may see another instance where the best driver may not emerge as the champion. If Bell’s current scenario repeats in the postseason, it could lead to further questions about NASCAR’s contentious format in the modern era.