The playoff system is here to stay. And these things about how the points would look if we still ran the Latford system are silly because everybody races differently now.
The only instances where the comparisons between the old and new systems hold any weight are 2007 and 2010. 2007 because Jeff Gordon ran so damn good that year and was that good through the Chase too. Darth just had a way of turning up the wick in the summer and staying hot. And 2010 because Kevin Harvick's consistency that year was absolutely bonkers. Dude was a threat to win every single race.
The Latford system is dead.
I'm not a big fan of the playoffs, but I do think this system adds a ton of excitement during what used to be the most boring and mundane part of the season, the mid-summer stretch from June through August. And now, instead of drivers riding around for fifth place in July, they're having to get up on the wheel and race. And if your favorite driver isn't having a good season, he/she still has a chance to race his/her way into the playoffs.
No system is perfect.