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.
The scoring was amended after V8 Supercars Australia 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 extended to the last place, if, a driver (or drivers) has completed 75% of the race distance and is running at the completion of the final lap; and, provided a car has a final lap time within 200% of the race winner’s fastest lap time for that race. 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.
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.
Different points scales are assigned to rounds having one, two, three or four races, ensuring a maximum 300 points for a driver 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 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).
For 2014, V8 Supercars has revised its race formats with just three types of events making up the season’s calendar – the SuperSprint, the SuperStreet and the Enduro Cup formats. However, this simplified structure brings with it a variation in how the points are awarded over the three-race SuperSprint and SuperStreet events.
Whereas previously 100 points per race were up for grabs at the equally-distanced three-race events, the SuperSprint format which comprises of two 100km races and one 200km race and the SuperStreet format which comprises of two 125km races and one 250km race award 75 points for a win for each of the two shorter races and 150 points for the longer race. The exception to this rule is the Auckland SuperSprint event. This round includes an additional 100km race to mark ANZAC Day, meaning 50 points for a win are on offer in each of the three shorter races.
Enduro Cup:
Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000
The Sandown 500 and Bathurst 1000 points system gives the single-race round winner 300 points, a 24 points advantage over second place. The points are then graduated down the list 18 points between second and sixth, 12 points from seventh to 11th, and then six points from 12th onwards.
Gold Coast 600
Each of the two 300km races offer the winner 150 points, 12 points more than second place, then equal graduations of nine points per place to sixth, six points down to 11th and three points thereafter down to 28th.
SuperStreet:
Clipsal 500 Adelaide, Townsville 500, Sydney 500
For each of the two 125km races there are 75 points for the taking. 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 30th.
For the 250km race a race winner gets 150 points, 12 points more than second place, then equal graduations of nine points per place to sixth, six points down to 11th and three points thereafter down to 28th.
SuperSprint:
Tasmania 400, Winton 400, Perth 400, Darwin 400, Ipswich 400, Sydney Motorsport Park 400, Phillip Island 400
Both of the 100km races are worth 75 points to the winner. Like the SuperStreet format, 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 30th.
For the 200km race the winner nets 150 points, 12 points over second place, then the graduation is nine points per place to sixth, six points down to 11th and three points thereafter down to 28th.
Auckland 500
The scoring system for four-race round 50 points, four points over second place, this then decreases by three points per place to sixth, then by two points to 11th and one point per place thereafter down to 30th.
For the 200km race the winner nets 150 points, 12 points over second place, then the graduation is nine points per place to sixth, six points down to 11th and three points thereafter down to 28th.
V8 Supercars 2014 Points System
Scroll horizontally to see the entire table| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| SUPERSTREET 125km 125km 250km | 75 75 150 | 69 69 138 | 64 64 129 | 60 60 120 | 55 55 111 | 51 51 102 | 48 48 96 | 45 45 90 | 42 42 84 | 39 39 78 | 36 36 72 | 34 34 69 | 33 33 66 | 31 31 63 | 30 30 60 | 28 28 57 | 27 27 54 | 25 25 51 | 24 24 48 | 22 22 45 | 21 21 42 | 19 19 39 | 18 18 36 | 16 16 33 | 15 15 30 | 13 13 27 | 12 12 24 | 10 10 21 |
| SUPERSPRINT 100km 100km 200km | 75 75 150 | 69 69 138 | 64 64 129 | 60 60 120 | 55 55 111 | 51 51 102 | 48 48 96 | 45 45 90 | 42 42 84 | 39 39 78 | 36 36 72 | 34 34 69 | 33 33 66 | 31 31 63 | 30 30 60 | 28 28 57 | 27 27 54 | 25 25 51 | 24 24 48 | 22 22 45 | 21 21 42 | 19 19 39 | 18 18 36 | 16 16 33 | 15 15 30 | 13 13 27 | 12 12 24 | 10 10 21 |
| SUPERSPRINT Auckland 500 100km 100km 100km 200km | 50 50 50 150 | 46 46 46 138 | 43 43 43 129 | 40 40 40 120 | 37 37 37 111 | 34 34 34 102 | 32 32 32 96 | 30 30 30 90 | 28 28 28 84 | 26 26 26 78 | 24 24 24 72 | 23 23 23 69 | 22 22 22 66 | 21 21 21 63 | 20 20 20 60 | 19 19 19 57 | 18 18 18 54 | 17 17 17 51 | 16 16 16 48 | 15 15 15 45 | 14 14 14 42 | 13 13 13 39 | 12 12 12 36 | 11 11 11 33 | 10 10 10 30 | 9 9 9 27 | 8 8 8 24 | 7 7 7 21 |
| ENDURO CUP Single-race: Two-race: | 300 150 | 276 138 | 258 129 | 240 120 | 222 111 | 204 102 | 192 96 | 180 90 | 168 84 | 156 78 | 144 72 | 138 69 | 132 66 | 126 63 | 120 60 | 114 57 | 108 54 | 102 51 | 96 48 | 90 45 | 84 42 | 78 39 | 72 36 | 66 33 | 60 30 | 54 27 | 48 24 | 42 21 |
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 split and treated as two separate two-car teams. Teams must nominate which cars will be paired together to be counted towards the Team Championship prior to race one.
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.