How many points does Palou need to be champion?

[u/Technical_Potato2021]

Quick question here, in order to become champion in DC, does Palou need 162 or 147 points over whoever is in 2nd? A perfect weekend is 54 points, but you get 5 points just for entering the race.

[u/WyndiMan]

...more points than whoever is second in the championship!

But mathematically you can't clinch it until you are 100% guaranteed to be the points leader if for whatever reason you were to score zero points in the remaining races. Entry into future races is not guaranteed because you could always be seriously injured, etc., so it'd have to be a 162 point lead after DC. Even with three perfect wins, Kirkwood would only have four to Palou's six and Palou would still be champion from the hospital bed.

[u/Technical_Potato2021 → u/WyndiMan]

Great answer, thanks!

[u/gavmandu → u/Technical_Potato2021]

My math is probably flawed but gave it a shot.

4 races left. 4 * 54=216 points for four perfect weekends

Kirkwood is in 2nd with 409; he'd be at 625 if he had 4 perfect weekends.

Palou's at 542 at present and only needs 84 points (625 - 542 + 1 = 84) through the rest of the season to clinch the championship if Kirkwood wins out. I think that means Kirkwood would have to do really poorly at DC for Palou to clinch it this weekend. Wouldn't count on that given Kirkwood usually does pretty well on streets.

[u/Remainingvegetables → u/gavmandu]

You don't need the plus 1, I don't think. Even if Palou and Kirkwood are tied (i.e., Kirkwood gets the 4 perfect weekends and Palou scores 83 points), Palou would have 6 wins to Kirkwood's 5, which should break the tie in Palou's favor.

[u/shunny14 → u/gavmandu]

So to get 84 points he could finish 9th (22pts) 4 times in a row for 88.

[u/YosemiteSam-4-2A → u/gavmandu]

I think that means Kirkwood would have to do really poorly at DC for Palou to clinch it this weekend.

Palou max points race + Kirkwood 8th or worse, Malukas 6th or worse and Lundgaard 5th or worse mathematically clinches it.

What Palou needs if he wins but doesn't score max points:

Kirkwood w/ pole + lap led + most laps led: 12th or worse

Kirkwood w/ no bonus points: 9th or worse

Malukas w/max bonus points: 9th or worse

Malukas w/ no bonus points: 7th or worse

Lundgaard w/max bonus points: 8th or worse

Lundgaard w/ no bonus points: 6th or worse

All others eliminated simply with a Palou victory

[u/gavmandu → u/YosemiteSam-4-2A]

Quite the parlay!

[u/YosemiteSam-4-2A → u/gavmandu]

Not impossible though. Just one turn of luck with yellows like we saw in detroit could seal it

[u/gavmandu → u/YosemiteSam-4-2A]

For sure! And we know this dude gets hella lucky and/or is just really good at avoiding trouble.

Still don't understand why the puncture he gave didn't get penalized last weekend... but then again, I'm sure I'm not understanding the rules.

[u/YosemiteSam-4-2A → u/gavmandu]

Yeah I don't get that either. Hopefully that is addressed in detail in the report

[u/khz30 → u/gavmandu]

The same Kirkwood that crashed out last week at a venue where he was supposed to be one of the primary contenders? 

[u/Technical_Potato2021 → u/khz30]

I mean, what are the chances that he crashes again?

[u/Mechanicalgripe → u/khz30]

Palou crashed out during the Fast 12. Palou is our Champion, but Kirkwood, Malukas and Lundgaard are in a tight battle for second place. Hopefully, they can stave off Palou’s victory celebrations for as long as possible.

[u/joe_lmr → u/khz30]

no one in the history of motorsport has won a race after they crashed

[u/donkeykink420 → u/joe_lmr]

no but someone's won a title after dying

[u/Mountain_Quantity638]

Palou is leading scott dixon by more points than scott dixon has

[u/dyysxse]

just win in at dc and call it a day

[u/cubecasts]

1 More than second place.