If #18-Bobby Labonte finishes 15th in each of the remaining three races and leads a lap in one, or finishes two races 15th and one 14th, he will clinch the 2000 NASCAR Winston Cup Series Drivers Championship, regardless of any other driver’s performance. How to figure this? #3-Dale Earnhardt is 2nd in drivers points with 4444 points. If he wins the final three races and leads the most laps, he would get 185 points a race(total 555) for a season ending total of 4999. Bobby Labonte has 4645 drivers points, so he would need to score 354 points to get 5000, an average of 118, a 15th place finish is worth 118 points. Labonte would tie Earnhardt in points in this scenario, but Earnhardt would win as he would have five wins to Labonte’s four. So Labonte’s ‘Magic Number’ is a 15th place finish and leading at least one race to get the five bonus points(Earnhardt presently has two wins, Labonte has four), or to make it simple, if Labonte finishes 14th or better, none of the above matters(10-22-2000)
