Smiling from ear to ear, Helio Castroneves leaped out of his car after pulling into the Pizza Ranch Victory Lane on Saturday afternoon. His crew gathered around the car to help Castroneves out, and the Brazilian driver could hardly contain himself.

“Nine points!” he exclaimed.

All this excitement took place before a single lap was run in the IndyCar Series Iowa Corn 250. In fact, this was just a qualifying win. Qualifying wins are certainly goals for drivers, but they end to be a means to an end. So why the excitement? Castroneves had just picked up what could amount to a crucial nine points in the tightly packed IndyCar points standings.