Stage racing was implemented to ensure those things were still part of the sport. Those playoff points (including those earned in the playoffs) carry over to each reset playoff round, except for the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. While it doesnt happen often, once is enough to piss off a casual fan. Die-hard track-attending fans are not happy with stage racing implementation since they dont benefit from the onscreen advantages television spectators gain. This race had heat races to set the field but did not have stages during the main event. Bill France Jr., former NASCAR president, did too. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. Depending on the course, the first stage can be anywhere from 25 to 30 percent of the races overall duration. There will be no stage breaks for Xfinity races at Circuit of the Americas (March 25), Sonoma (June 10), Chicago street course (July 1), Indianapolis road course (Aug. 12), Watkins Glen (Aug. 19) and Charlotte Roval (Oct. 7). Do All NASCAR Races Have The Same Number Of Stages. I think the fans would ultimately lose.". It was my first time in a new Cup car, and 80 laps out for what? This is especially true of teams near the playoff bubble as the season progresses because they know every single point matters. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. The organization didn't implement the idea of stage racing until 2017 in an attempt to make racing more exciting and award teams stage points. Furthermore, by vying for highly prized stage points, stages provided NASCAR drivers with additional motivation. Each race is divided into three stages (four for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway), and points are awarded to the top 10 drivers at the end of stages one and two, with regular points still awarded at the end of each race to each competitor as well. Stage points incentivize racing throughout the race and not just for the win and to offer more passing opportunities during the race. There were heat races to select the field for this race, but there were no stages for the main event. After a near-miss between drivers Casey Mears and Dale Jarrett at the Sylvania 300 in 2003, NASCAR opted to implement the rule to halt all racing whenever there was an incident on the track, and the beneficiary rule allowed slower cars to catch up. There will be no stage breaks for the Craftsman Truck Series race at Circuit of the Americas (March 25). But its an unnecessary element of strategy that does nothing to enhance the on-track product. Joe is the owner and creator of this website. However, nothing public has been floated surrounding any imminent stage changes. NASCAR created stage racing in 2017 to increase competition throughout the race. Every NASCAR driver will likely say that hasn't changed. And certainly a group of fans would shake their heads in disgust. You also earn playoff points per stage you win, which is added to your postseason total. The points for the race are all added together to give the driver and their team an earned amount of points for the race. The stages add playoff benefits and a new point system that encourages racers to push hard like they would during qualifying races and other big events. In nascar what is a competition caution? - sur.afphila.com While this is nice for fans that like a little of this kind of action, it is contrary to the intended goal of keeping drivers from crashing through NASCAR official policies. NASCAR competition officials announced rules changes Tuesday with the intent to slow Cup Series cars by approximately 7-10 mph at superspeedway events. Kyle Larson rolled into the crash area with nowhere to go and slammed into Poole. Stage racing and the subsequent cautions provide organic commercial breaks during which fans miss nothing. Sure, I understand that the top ten get points for each stage. C'mon, admit it. The third and final stage decides the winner and all other positions. Kevin Harvick dominated a 400-mile race Sunday in Las Vegas, leading 214 of 267 laps and comfortably winning both stages and the . The stage points drivers win can add more energy and excitement to races that used to only have one race winner per event. The reasons NASCAR implemented stage racing is myriad, as outlined in the info that follows. 20 in 2018, Keselowski: Current car design not up to par. Each driver will earn the points above for each stage that is not the final one. Who wants to waste laps running under caution? By pitting early, they would be behind those who stayed out to collect the stage points. Earnhardt was a legend. There are 3 stages in nearly all NASCAR races. They talk about giving points for qualifying. NASCAR reveals rules modifications for 2023 | NASCAR.com Although there are caution laps and times when racing is under a yellow flag, it can be difficult to time commercials perfectly and still give clients the required airtime. DISTANCE: The race is 62 laps (250 miles) on the 4.048-mile road course. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". Having points available at predetermined increments during a NASCAR race has changed the way races are run in other ways as well. By all public indications, leadership is happy with the increased urgency during the middle portions of the race and the different strategies which come from them. More viewers mean more money for the owners of the cars, which in turn gives them more money to secure top drivers in their classes, which means more wins and more points. Here's why NASCAR is changing stage lengths for 16 Cup Series races If a driver wins both stages and the race, he/she earns a . However, the older lot might still reminisce about the old days prior to these additions. NASCAR Sprint Cup formerly used restrictor plates at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. By placing in the top 10 at the end of the first and second stages of a race, drivers may now earn additional points. NASCAR: Is shortening race distances really a good thing? Just look at the differences in the final 2019 championship standings, the standings without playoffs, and the standings without stages. Stage 2 consists of roughly the second quarter, and Stage 3 makes up the remaining second half. You might be wondering why NASCAR races now have stages. Important racing question: Can NASCAR race in the rain? This is peak participation trophy logic and rewards the wrong individuals for focusing on the wrong aspects of racing. The main reason is there are no commercial breaks at live race events that can interfere with active racing moments. Analysis: How the addition of stages affected the Daytona 500 - Motorsport The race is split into four 100-lap stages. There is nothing better than watching a close race from the comforts of your living room, except for maybe a viewpoint from the trackside. The Daytona Duels are 2 qualifying races that set the field for the Daytona 500. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. As NASCAR viewership moves to a larger digital spectatorship when compared to trackside fans, the race format has needed to adapt as well. Stages are currently present in all NASCAR point races. Even lauding that the fence "did its . Each Cup race with the exception of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (with four) has three stages. All betting content is intended for an audience ages 21+. Only the final stage of the race ends with the traditional checkered flag signaling not just the end of the 3rd stage but also the finale of the entire event. Be the first one to comment on this story. But NASCAR is, first and foremost, an entertainment entity and recent history has shown its decisions will most often reflect that reality. This content is imported from YouTube. Stage racing also creates more restarts, sometimes the most action-filled laps of a NASCAR race at certain tracks. I could go on the short run, but not the long run. If fans plan ahead, they can figure when to start eating certain snacks. Because the sport intended to improve the broadcast product by introducing greater urgency during the middle sections of a race, all NASCAR races in the three major series feature stages. STAGE WINNER: @dennyhamlin battles back on the outside to take Stage 2 in The Great American Race! Experts state that there are a few reasons why NASCAR implemented stage racing. The final stage most closely resembles a traditional, old-school NASCAR race, as there are no more mandated cautions once the green flag flies and drivers hit the gas. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. No longer do young NASCAR racers start at their local tracks and work their way up. Whether or not stage racing is good for NASCAR may always be a debated topic for as long as it exists. NASCAR announced the change Tuesday in a session with reporters at the NASCAR R&D Center. How NASCAR's choose rule works - NASCAR 101 ", Button battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut. Maybe I'm Just Being an Old Guy, But NASCAR Really Sucks Now I was side-by-side with (. The winner and all other positions are decided in the third and final stage. I have not had a lot of restrictor plate wins and have been lucky enough to get those wins. It is frustrating when green flag racing is interrupted by a commercial break, leaving fans mostly clueless as to what is happening. This applies to all top 3 levels of NASCAR competition: the Cup Series, the Xfinity Series, and the Truck Series. Missing an amazing pass or crash in NASCAR due to a dragging ad is just as upsetting as not seeing a touchdown pass in football for the same reasons. Once the checkered flag flies, normal points are distributed throughout the field based on finishing order. Stage racing means every pit strategy becomes entirely based on the stages. The playoffs start better for drivers with a string of triumphs than those who have to work their way through the regular season with no wins. Stage racing was implemented in NASCAR to remove the chance of race domination by single race drivers. It seems one common trend in sports and entertainment has been to try and make traditional live spectator sports better adapted to a digital audience. Again, isnt the goal to win races? It does not store any personal data. NASCAR also had a an issue when it red-flagged a stage at Pocono after the pits were closed and then issued a one-lap, green-flag dash to the end of the stage, which didn't allow time for drivers who possibly had driven through debris a chance to pit. NASCAR's Lucky Dog Rule Explained - LiveAbout This, in the end, brings in more money for the drivers, the teams, and the racetracks. Bristol Motor Speedway will host the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Truck Series in a double-header weekend. Half the field competes in each one based on the results from single-car qualifying held earlier in the week. The Cup garage will open at 9 a.m. The more heated the race was, the better it was for all the racing fans. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Bristol Dirt Format: NASCAR stages, pit stops, lineups 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. I mean, just a joke 80-something laps into a race? NASCAR Cup Series at Dover results: Chase Elliott wins; now all Instead of the field being strung out halfway through a race, the leaders are suddenly brought back together, creating more intensity. These points were crucial because they determine how many points each driver receives after a race when they are added together. "Considering feedback from teams, drivers and fans, NASCAR has implemented these changes to enhance competition," NASCAR senior vice president of competition Scott Miller said last year after. Wave them off with a green flag, and about three hours later, see them in with a chequered one. All 3 series use the regular season point and playoff points system, meaning all stage winners receive 10 points and 1 playoff point. Because the cars are coming from the dirt surface to the concrete pit road, NASCAR didn't want drivers trying to maximize their time on. Regardless, love them or hate them, NASCAR stage races are here to stay. Let's say Chase Elliott won a race at Pocono Raceway, earning him a total of 40 points. For almost all of its history, the only time a caution flag flew was because of an incident on track. They could round to 90 and then it would be 95, 95 and 187 - which makes Stage 3 pretty long. 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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). The final stage goes off the points listed above. The televised racing experience was also a key factor in NASCARs decision to alter the framework of its races. Contrary to Dewars proclamation, not all fans enjoyed the new stage racing format. Then-NASCAR president Brent Dewar talked about stage racing and its effect on television viewership in 2017, saying our fans are eating it up.. NASCAR doesn't have pit crews for the race at Bristol. But some drivers say it makes superspeedways even more dangerous; lets look at why NASCAR started stage racing and what the stage racing format is. Stage points incentivize racing throughout the race and not just for the win and to offer more passing opportunities during the race. Dillon was instrumental in convincing his grandfather, team owner Richard Childress, to bring Busch into the fold at RCR. Analysis: The Time of Stage Breaks - Speedway Digest Simply put, this will make our great racing even better, France said. The first two are about a quarter distance in length each, with the final stage making up over half the race. What are stages in NASCAR? Stages break the race up and give drivers new ways to strategize using pitstops and other racing necessities to gain more points and do better in each stage. Still, due to circumstances beyond either of their control, way back when, the Cup series left the city. In its press release, NASCAR termed stage racing competition format enhancements. NASCAR hopes viewers will be more engaged in watching miniature races within the framework of a traditional race. Since 2017, the main three sections of NASCAR (cup cars, XFinity, trucks) all compete in races that have three stages per race, with a fourth stage being added into the longer Coca-Cola 600. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. In that 2015 season, the average number of caution laps through 18 races was 47.1 -- two more than the average this year (45.1). NASCAR deemed Stenhouse was in the lead when a caution was called on the final lap of the race.Ross Chastain topped Stage 2, while Brad Keselowski picked up a Stage 1 win. Well, this does in the sense that it sets up who has the best chance to earn points in the first stage. Restrictor-plate races have been found to cause bunching up of racers which leaves less time to react to race obstacles. With NASCAR, it is always possible future officials could change course in favor of something new and inventive. The new structure seems to be bringing more fans who like to see 150-mile races and then an additional race after these miniature races that is about twice the distance. NASCAR Is Ruining Stock Car Racing, One Rule Change At A Time Despite the fact that NASCAR races typically include three stages, the Coca-Cola 600 is the exception to the norm because of its extended distance. The end of the race offers more significant points, and each driver that finishes the race will get at least one point. 25% for Stage 1 would be 92 laps. How NASCAR points are awarded - NASCAR 101 NASCAR isn't quite ready for that, aside from the Busch Light Clash, so in 2017 the sanctioning body came up with the ideas of breaking up races into three stages.
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