How Matt Kenseth's 2003 Title Changed NASCAR Championship Format Forever

• Up until 2003, the NASCAR Cup Series driver with the most points at the end of the season was declared the champion.

• After Matt Kenseth won the 2003 championship with just one race win, new NASCAR CEO/Chairman Brian France devised a revolutionary system that it was believed would create increased attention and popularity.

• Sadly, the fan hatred or simply indifference to the new Chase format in 2004 eventually contributed to the downturn of popularity of the series and the fervent following of fans.

For the most part, at least at the outset, NASCAR fans hated the Chase format, feeling it was an artificial way to crown a champion

The 2004 NASCAR Cup season saw significant changes that continue to impact the sport to this very day.

The two most notable changes were:

• With Winston and R.J. Reynolds having ended their 33-year sponsorship of NASCAR’s Cup Series at the end of the 2003 season, a new company took over as the series’ primary entitlement sponsor: Nextel.

• RJR’s departure also prompted a major change in how teams qualified for the Cup championship. Up until 2003, teams finished each season the way NASCAR had originally set its standings up back when it formed in 1948. Simple. The driver with the most points at the end of the season earning the championship, while drivers with fewer points would finish in numerical/sequential order.