If you're just tuning into NASCAR as it comes to Kentucky Speedway this week, you're going to notice some changes to how the races are run.
The Quaker State 400 at Sparta marks the midway point of the season and a good time to look at how the new stage format influences each race and the season points standings.
Is it complicated? Yes.
Is it consequential? Possibly, but when NASCAR unveiled it ahead of the Daytona 500 this year, it said the four drivers vying for the title last season would have been the same under this configuration.
What the new system does, most certainly, is put a premium on running up front consistently throughout an entire race and throughout the entire season. And unlike past years, the bonuses drivers earn for winning races and stages don't get tossed until Final Four drivers reach the last race of the season.
Does it enhance the fan experience as NASCAR stated as one of its intended goals? You'll have to be the judge of that.
NASCAR hasn't released its attendance figures for years, so it's hard to gauge the impact at the gate. The system also offers television networks guaranteed commercial time where viewers won't miss any of the action, a peeve ever since auto racing began airing live, but there are no signs it has improved weekly TV ratings.
