NASCAR's national short-track program, recently bolstered by the announcement of a new title sponsor, will also feature a renewed and revitalized championship structure and points system heading into the 2007 season.

"It's a new day for local short track racing, "said George Silbermann, NASCAR's Managing Director of Racing Operations.

Under the new revamped format the NASCAR WHELEN All-American Series - entering its 26th season - will crown state champions in addition to a national champion.

Here is the rundown of how the series' champions will be determined:

• The track champions will be determined by local track points. A competitor does not have to be a track champion in order to win a state or national championship.
• State champions will be those competitors who accumulate the most NASCAR points at any NASCAR-sanctioned track within a state or province. Points will not transfer between states, but a competitor may compete for more than one state championship.
• The national champion will be the competitor who accumulates the highest total of NASCAR points: drivers will be able to compete at any NASCAR-sanctioned facility in North America.

"The NASCAR WHELEN All-American Series features the most highly competitive racing in the short track industry," said Silbermann, "and having state champions will allow us to recognize more of our talented competitors on a national level then ever before."

In true NASCAR tradition, each champion will have the opportunity to be recognized at the NASCAR WHELEN All-American Series Banquet held at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Spa in Las Vegas, Nev. The national champion will then be honored at the NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series Awards Ceremony in New York City, recognized as one of the sanctioning body's eight series champions.

The new simplified point structure will feature an "inverted" point's format, with car counts affecting the amount of points a competitor receives. Points will be awarded in ascending order with the last place car receiving two points, next-to-last receiving four and will then move up through the field in two point increments. (For example, the feature winner in a 10-car field will receive 20 NASCAR points, while the feature winner in a 25-car field would receive 50.) Competitors will count their 18 highest point finishes with a season-ending date of September 30, 2007.

A new national ranking system will also go into place in 2007. Throughout the season the top 500 feature division drivers will be ranked nationally according to their NASCAR points. At the end of the season, each top 500 driver will receive a certificate of recognition from NASCAR displaying their 2007 ranking.

"For the past 25 years, the NASCAR WHELEN All-American Series has been the foundation of our sport as well as the proving ground for stars like Dale Earnhardt Jr., Greg Biffle, Clint Bowyer and Denny Hamlin," said Silbermann, "and we believe the new title sponsor, championship structure and revised points system will give new life to this series and benefit the drivers, tracks and the future of our industry."