NASCAR agate from AP

So after reading the responses on here, my question is does ANYBODY use the driver's rating?

 

I junk it ... until someone from the Daytona Beach Mafia spills the actual formula used to come up with this so-called "driver rating," that's how it will be ...

 

From NASCAR.com, and definitely more than you want to know.

SECTION 1 -- Primary Statistics

The "Primary Statistics" are those that are most important to the formula -- and therefore awarded the most points.

In the formula, the first place driver earns 180 points and the 43rd-place driver earns 34, with the increments in between the same as NASCAR's points distribution scale. Each statistic is then "multiplied" or "weighted" depending on its importance to the formula. All ties in the "Primary Statistics" are broken by finishing position.

Primary Statistic Max. Min. Multiplier
Finish 180 34 1
Avg. Running Position (1) 360 68 2
Avg. Speed (2) 180 34 1
Fastest Lap (3) 20 3.8 1/9
1 -- Average Running Position are while on the lead lap and under a green flag.
2 -- For restrictor-plate races average speed in turns is used instead of overall average.
3 -- Fastest Lap is the average of the fastest three laps by that driver.

Example: At Darlington, Jimmie Johnson's Average Running Position ranked fourth. His point total would be 160, the point total of a driver who finished fourth in a race. In the Driver Rating formula, Average Running Position is important, and multiplied (or weighted) by two. Johnson's total for that particular Primary Statistic would be 320.

SECTION 2 -- Fixed Bonus Points

Bonus points are given for reaching certain goals. Below are the goals and the bonus points for each. (Note: All ties in "fixed bonus points" result in the bonus being added to all applicable drivers.)

Each "Fixed Bonus Points" total is then added together.

Fixed Bonus Points

Category Pts.
Win 20
Top-15 Finish 10
Leading Most Laps 10
Lead Lap Finish 5
Avg. Running Position
(better than 10.0) 5
Avg. Running Position
(better than 6.0) 5
Avg. Running Position
(better than 2.0) 5
Average Running Position are while on the lead lap and under a green flag.

SECTION 3 -- Variable Bonus Points

These are bonus points that are dependent on two statistics a driver earns in a given race -- green flag laps led and green flag fastest laps.

The two stats are added together and then divided by the total green flag laps the driver has run in the race. The resulting number is then multiplied by 100.

The maximum number of points a driver get can in this section is 100.

Example: At Darlington, Greg Biffle led 94 green flag laps and had 33 green flag fastest laps run. He ran 217 green flag laps in the race. The formula here is 94 + 33 = 127. Then: 127 / 217 = .585. Then: .585 x 100 = 58.5.

Max. Min.
Total Possible Points 900 139.8
Adjusted Driver Rating 150.0 23.3

OVERVIEW

When all three sections are tallied, the points from each section are added together (the maximum number possible is 900 points) and then adjusted by dividing by six, which makes a perfect Driver Rating 150.0.

• If a given race has less than 43 participants -- the points awarded are adjusted accordingly to prevent inflated ratings. This is by design with reference to the Truck Series which has a standard field of 36 trucks.