The V8 Supercars drivers’ and teams’ titles are decided through a simple system of point scoring at each race. Here’s how it works over the season…
Drivers Championship
The current V8 Supercars points system was introduced in 2008.
V8 Supercars Australia amended the scoring after it was felt the previous system, which only awarded points down to 15th place, prevented too many competitors from getting points on the board.
The emphasis is on rewarding race victories, but points are awarded down to the last place if the driver (or drivers) of a car have completed 75% of the race distance, provided they are running at the completion of the final lap and have a final lap time within 200% of the race winner’s fastest lap. Non-finishers will not be awarded points for that race.
If a race is stopped after more than half the scheduled race distance/duration has been completed by the leading car and cannot be restarted, full race points will be awarded.
If a race is stopped before half the scheduled race distance/duration has been completed by the leading car and cannot be restarted, no points will be awarded.
Different points scales are assigned to rounds having one, two, three or four races, ensuring a maximum 300 points for winning all races at any one event.
For single, double and triple-header rounds, the system gives race winners a bigger points gain against second place, then equal graduations between second and sixth, seventh to 11th, and then from 12th onwards. The quadruple header – a new four-race sprint format introduced for 2013, again gives race winners a bigger points gain against second place, but presents a slightly more complicated points allocation further down the order (see below).
Single-header rounds:
Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000
The Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000 systems give the race winner 300 points, a 24 points advantage over second place, then equal graduations of 18 points between second and sixth, 12 points from seventh to 11th, and then six points from 12th onwards.
Double-header rounds:
Clipsal 500 Adelaide, Sucrogen Townsville 400, Armor All Gold Coast 600 and the Sydney 500
A race winner gets 150 points, 12 points more than second place, then the graduation is nine points per place to sixth, six points down to 11th and three points thereafter down to 28th.
Triple-header rounds:
Tasmania Microsoft Office 365, Chill Perth 360, SKYCITY Triple Crown, Coates Hire Ipswich 360, Winton 360 and the Phillip Island 360
The race winner receives 100 points, eight points over second place, this then decreases by six points per place to sixth, then by four points to 11th and two points per place thereafter down to 28th.
Quadruple-header rounds:
ITM 400 Auckland and the Austin 400
The scoring system for four-race rounds gives the race-winner 75 points for each race. This then decreases by six to 69 for second place, by five to 64 for third place and by four to 60 for fourth place. Fifth place decreases by five to 55 and sixth place by four to 51. The graduation then decreases three points per place to 11th, two points to 12th and one point to 13th. After that the points allocation decreases in alternating values – a two point decrease for 14th place, one point decrease for 15th, a further two point decrease for 16th and another one point for 17th,and so on down to 28th.
| Format | 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | 8th | 9th | 10th | 11th | 12th | 13th | 14th | 15th | 16th | 17th | 18th | 19th | 20th | 21st | 22nd | 23rd | 24th | 25th | 26th | 27th | 28th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Single-race | 300 | 276 | 258 | 240 | 222 | 204 | 192 | 180 | 168 | 156 | 144 | 138 | 132 | 126 | 120 | 114 | 108 | 102 | 96 | 90 | 84 | 78 | 72 | 66 | 60 | 54 | 48 | 42 |
| Two-race | 150 | 138 | 129 | 120 | 111 | 102 | 96 | 90 | 84 | 78 | 72 | 69 | 66 | 63 | 60 | 57 | 54 | 51 | 48 | 45 | 42 | 39 | 36 | 33 | 30 | 27 | 24 | 21 |
| Three-race | 100 | 92 | 86 | 80 | 74 | 68 | 64 | 60 | 56 | 52 | 48 | 46 | 44 | 42 | 40 | 38 | 36 | 34 | 32 | 30 | 28 | 26 | 24 | 22 | 20 | 18 | 16 | 14 |
| Four-race | 75 | 69 | 64 | 60 | 55 | 51 | 48 | 45 | 42 | 39 | 36 | 34 | 33 | 31 | 30 | 28 | 27 | 25 | 24 | 22 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 12 | 10 |
In the event of two (or more) drivers scoring equal points at the end of the season, the driver with the greater number of first places will be deemed the winner. If this should fail to produce a result, then the driver with the greater number of second places will assume the higher place in the series order and so on until the tie is broken.
Teams Championship
Teams also compete for the Teams Championship. Created in 2005, the Teams Championship is decided in the same manner as the Drivers Championship, by simply adding together the points of the team’s drivers.
The two car teams with the highest combined point score from both its cars at the end of the season will be determined the Champion Team.
For scoring purposes, teams with four cars are separated into a pair of two car teams. Three car teams must nominate which two cars will be counted towards the Team Championship prior to race one. The third car will then be eligible for the Single Car Teams Championship.
In the event of two or more teams tying for the championship at the end of the season, the team with the greatest number of first places will be deemed to be the winner. If this should fail to produce a result, then the team with the greater number of second places will assume the higher place in the series and so on until the tie is broken.
