As we hit the unofficial halfway point of the season, it's a good time to take a look at how the major format changes are playing out.
In my opinion, pretty good.
I understand that the points are a lot harder to keep track of than they were when we went to the one point per position format. But, I really like what the stages and playoff points have produced on the track.
Do the stages always produce a wild run to the end of the stage? No. But they do generate harder racing throughout the race than we had in the past. Along with that, we have seen varying strategies playing out in attempts to grab playoff and regular season points.
Speaking of playoff points, it's been interesting to watch as teams have gradually realized the value of those points. Some, like Martin Truex, Jr. and the Furniture Row team have understood it all along, and are going to carry a healthy passel of points into the post-season.
Bottom line, based on what I've seen so far, I'm really looking forward to the rest of the year, especially as tensions elevate as the playoffs near.