DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — It used to be that a NASCAR race didn’t need explaining, that even a child could put it all together. Take a whole bunch of cars, put ‘em on a track and spin ‘em around for an even number of laps; the one that crosses the finish line first, wins. It was so blissfully straightforward.
But then in advance of the 2017 season, the sanctioning body decided this time-tested premise needed a rethink. So in December it was decreed that all NASCAR races would henceforth be divided into thirds. The leader at the end of each of the first two segments would earn 10 points, the winner would take 40, and all scores would be reflected in the overall standings.