Stages help the most in preventing breakaway leaders in the first few laps of the race. Answers to the 8 Most Interesting NASCAR Questions. This is peak participation trophy logic and rewards the wrong individuals for focusing on the wrong aspects of racing. Kyle Busch, a two-time winner 10 races into the NASCAR Cup Series season, said communication is good between his team and that of teammate Austin Dillon at Richard Childress Racing. By placing in the top 10 at the end of the first and second stages of a race, drivers may now earn additional points. But that doesnt mean that we dont go to work and try and figure it out and make it better for both of us.. Stage racing also creates more restarts, sometimes the most action-filled laps of a NASCAR race at certain tracks. Shouldn't running up front during a race matter for something? The race will be broadcast by FS1, Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. 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As with any new rule, NASCAR is learning as it goes when cautions near the end of the stage mess up plans to close the pits once the leader hits the start/finish line with two laps left in the stage. Each three-race playoff round is a crucial time to earn playoff points. So, in a nutshell, stage racing has achieved what NASCAR anticipated: adding interest and strategy to the sport. By having 2 designated caution periods, broadcast networks can burn 2 full-screen commercial periods per stage break: 1 right after the stage ends and 1 after pit stops are completed before the race resumes under green. Officials issued the rules bulletin to teams . Just uncalled for. The two events, the Busch Light Clash and the Duels at Daytona, are the only races in NASCAR that do not have stages. Another driver, Ryan Blaney, finished third at Pocono and earned himself 38 points. All Cup races have stages now, and every Cup race has at least 3 stages. Here's why NASCAR is changing stage lengths for 16 Cup Series races Great for the drivers, but for me personally as a fan (and . Drivers in position 11 onward are awarded no points for the stage. Contrary to Dewars proclamation, not all fans enjoyed the new stage racing format. (Chastain). Every NASCAR season begins with an exhibition race called The Clash. With that said, however, he also finished first in both Stages 1 and 2, netting him 20 extra points. Dillon was instrumental in convincing his grandfather, team owner Richard Childress, to bring Busch into the fold at RCR. These points were crucial because they determine how many points each driver receives after a race when they are added together. Stage racing has been controversial among fans but is now a staple of NASCAR competition. A pit road penalty or bad pit stop early has consequences. The drivers have something to race for, even when it's just lap 20. The breaks abounded for 4.8 percent of the race. 2022 NASCAR All-Star Race: How the New Format Works - Sportscasting His "Garage Mahal" in Mooresville, NC, was a . These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Most first and second stages make up about 25 to 30 percent of the total distance while the final stage is 40 to 50 percent of the total distance. The reasons that the stages were added to NASCAR racing all boil down to one thing. The 2017 NASCAR season saw the implementation of stage racing. After racing back to the caution was eliminated, the green-white-checkered rule was implemented to help avoid a race from finishing under caution, particularly in the middle of a lap. As the season continues, this is especially true for teams vying for postseason spots since they know that every point counts. There are points assigned to each stage, and then the points at the end of the race are added in. Why does Daytona 500 have different stages? A guide to NASCAR stage racing So, its kind of pathetic. NASCAR eliminates stage breaks for Cup road course events Analysis: How the addition of stages affected the Daytona 500 - Motorsport A brief explanation of stage racing in NASCAR - Sportskeeda Since then, the winner of each Duel receives 10 championship points. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. NASCAR Is Ruining Stock Car Racing, One Rule Change At A Time According to The Times, Constellation Automotive is purchasing the decommissioned racing track Midlands racing track, which was Europe's quickest banked oval racing circuit, for 80m. I was side-by-side with (. STAGE WINNER: @dennyhamlin battles back on the outside to take Stage 2 in The Great American Race! Restrictor plate | Stock Car Racing Wiki | Fandom NASCAR has faced questions from fans and competitors about stage breaks during road course races because those breaks alter strategy in a more defined manner than on most ovals. Furthermore, the introduction of stages gave NASCAR drivers an extra incentive by competing for highly coveted stage points. But it is one part of the system that just seems a little too foreign, riding around waiting for the pits to open until television coverage comes back from commercial breaks. This is true for the Truck Series, Xfinity, and the Cup Series, considered the top three tiers of NASCAR racing. It rewards those who are fast at the beginning of the race. Lets dig into these reasons a little deeper so you will better understand each of the those given about why NASCAR started stage racing. When the mid-point of the race is stopped for a stage change, instead of being the highest speed passing portion, some fans may be a little put-off. Cars would pit when they could, hoping to get a caution so they could come in and get some fuel and new tires. But after the first season with stages, Keselowski said I like stage races because there is a reward at the end of each one of them.. Advancing teams carry their playoff points all the way through to the Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway in November. Bill France Jr., former NASCAR president, did too. However, a Duel win does not count toward advancing to the playoffs. NASCAR had a problem in a truck race when the pits were closed under caution but were reopened after the leader had passed the commitment line. Here is the all-aluminum 2017 F-250 Super Duty, Tune-Only Challenger Hellcat puts down 705WHP, Behind the scenes: Lamborghini Aventador LP 750-4 SV (Superveloce) promotional video. The closer the pack is together, and the more incentives they have to go for the lead, the better the entertainment will be for all the fans. The obvious reasons why this change was made in 2017 can be blamed on numerous things, starting with the most important. Having points available at predetermined increments during a NASCAR race has changed the way races are run in other ways as well. What is stage racing and why does NASCAR do it. When did NASCAR implement stages? TV/RADIO: FS1 will broadcast the race at 12 p.m. Performance Racing Networks radio coverage begins at 11 a.m. and also will stream at goprn.com. A driver who wins the first 3 stages would earn 30 points and 3 playoff points at this race, whereas sweeping stages at any other race only earns the winner 20 points and 2 playoff points. At Auto Club Speedway, the stage breaks went for 12 . NASCAR awards a playoff point to the stage winner along with 10 points. NASCAR instituted stage breaks and stage points for the 2017 season and has kept the system in place since. The average number of cautions per race (9.1) is well ahead of the first 18 races last year (7.5) but not a ton more than in 2015 (8.4). We also participate in other affiliate programs which compensate us for referring traffic. While there are plenty of logical and lucrative reasons to implement seasons of stage racing, not everyone is completely sold on it. #DAYTONA500 pic.twitter.com/N7xf3dX6FD. Often a couple of racers can gain an intimidating lead that, unless crashes or car trouble occurs, will be maintained all three hours. These points add up to positions and advantages in playoff races and continue to accumulate through the first stages of the championship race. Maybe it hasn't. But when I watch NASCAR, I don't get that vibe anymore. It essentially breaks each race. Playoff points are also distributed to the top-10 finishers in the regular season standings on a sliding scale. NASCAR needs fan viewership to remain a viable product in the crowded sports and media landscape, so it opted to make drastic changes to its race format in an attempt to do so. It is also less exciting because there is less chance of someone quietly nailing the strategy in the background to emerge the winner in the last pit cycle. The final race wins are worth 5 points for the playoff, so a driver that wins both stages and the overall race can leave with 67 playoff points. That's OK. Let's just think about the stages themselves. There was no doubt that the stages changed how people raced and how crew chiefs approached the season-opener, but I don't think we can blame the stages for the unusual amount of carnage, which. Are NASCAR cars all the same? It helps television with commercials because there is no action missed. Please logout and login again. Build your customFanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis onAll Racing and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. Buschs win at Talladega last week, his first at the 2.66-mile track in 15 years, gave the team a boost. The reason these points were so valuable is that they are tallied up at the end of a race and decide how many points each driver walks away with. There have been eight races this season that have been more than 10 minutes longer than last season (not including red-flag time) and four that have been at least 10 minutes shorter. Midway through the season -- 18 races down, 18 to go -- it's a smart time to wonder if NASCAR did something right in dividing all of its races into three stages. By pitting early, they would be behind those who stayed out to collect the stage points. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But Would that still be good? It was my first time in a new Cup car, and 80 laps out for what? NASCAR has faced questions from fans and competitors about stage breaks during road course races because those breaks alter strategy in a more defined manner than on most ovals. NASCAR Has Lost the Plot, and Fans Aren't Coming Back Stage victories are worth one point, whereas race victories are worth five. There is nothing better than watching a close race from the comforts of your living room, except for maybe a viewpoint from the trackside. There are some folks out there who just can't grasp stage racing in the spirit of what they view a race should be.
