If you're a fan of NHRA Full-Throttle drag racing or NASCAR Sprint Cup stock car racing, you're probably aware of (and have an opinion about) the "Chase"-style points formats that has helped determine champions in each series for the last few years.

While I don't remember who I was talking to, I "called it" at the end of last season. What is "it," you ask? It's the 2009 NMRA Keystone Championship Race for the Ring Points Challenge presented by Nitto Tire--the sanction's new, chase-style points format...something that I knew was bound to happen.

Find out more about "it" after the jump...

The new points structure has been put in place to boost the high level of excitement and drama that we've come to expect each year as the NMRA season draws to a close.

According to info posted on the sanction's Web site, the '09 NMRA Keystone Drag Racing Series will feature a four-race regular season, followed by a three-race NMRA Race for the Rings Countdown. Fields for "The Race" will be set following the NMRA/NMCA Super Bowl event in Joliet IL on July 16-19th, and they will consist of the Top-16 points-earning racers in each class (Pro Outlaw 10.5, Super Street Outlaw, EFI Renegade, Hot Street, Drag Radial, Real Street, Pure Street, Factory Stock, Modular Muscle, Open Comp, Truck & Lightning, and Super Stang) following the Super Bowl.

Here's more on "The Race" format:

Following the Super Bowl of Street Legal Drag Racing a 100-point bonus will be awarded to every competitor who has officially teched in and earned points at all of the first four races.

After the Super Bowl and following the allocation of the 100-point, perfect-attendance bonus, points leaders for each class will start their points chase. Number 2 points earners will be separated from the points leaders by no more than 150 points. The Number 2-16 points earners will be separated by no more than 100 points.

In the event that the Number 2 points earners have earned enough points to be less than 150 points behind the top points earners, the points will not be adjusted. The same will apply for the 100-point increments for positions 2-16.

The first four events of the regular season in the NMRA Keystone Drag Racing Series schedule will now be referred to as the "Countdown to 3," with the Race for the Ring rounds beginning at the NMRA/NMCA All-Star Nationals event scheduled for August 6–9 in Concord North Carolina. The rest of the championship raceoffs will include the NMRA Keystone Nationals in Columbus, Ohio on September 4-6 and the season-ending Nitto Tire NMRA World Street Car Finals in Bowling Green, Kentucky October 1-4, 2009.  Following the conclusion of the season the remainder of the bonus points will be awarded and each competitor will be required to drop their worst race from the last three events which makes it a six out-of-seven-event "Race for the Rings."

At the end of the season, champions in each NMRA class will be able to proudly display the #1 permanent numbers for the entirety of the 2010 NMRA season, and competitors in each class that finish in positions 2 through 10 will be awarded #2 through #10 permanent numbers for the 2010 NMRA season.

Confused? If you answered, "yes," we suggest you consult the NMRA's Web site for more information: www.nmraracing.com.