Experts state that there are a few reasons why NASCAR implemented stage racing. 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. If a driver is pegged back every 65 laps or so as is the case at the Daytona 500 it will ensure they cant get to far away. Table of Contents It does not store any personal data. Caution periods and pitstops were the only breaks teams could count on from the rigors of the endurance race, and teams had to strategize accordingly. ET Monday. CONCORD, N.C. NASCAR will do away with stage breaks in all six Cup road course races and select Xfinity and Truck races this season, but teams will continue to score stage points. Title sponsorship changed the game; it made sense to make sure the sport's biggest stars would be on hand no matter where the series went each week. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. placed second. What are stages in NASCAR? If you would like to change your settings or withdraw consent at any time, the link to do so is in our privacy policy accessible from our home page.. Instead of a long 100 or more lap race that requires endurance and only slows down for yellow flag laps and or caution flags, NASCAR decided to add 2 more stages to each race. With NASCAR, it is always possible future officials could change course in favor of something new and inventive. Stage points incentivize racing throughout the race and not just for the win and to offer more passing opportunities during the race. Wave them off with a green flag, and about three hours later, see them in with a chequered one. Playoff points, typically coveted and only available when a racer finishes the full race, are available at the ends of stages. All betting content is intended for an audience ages 21+. Yeah, we get it. MORE: NASCAR outlaws Ross Chastain Martinsville move, MORE: Hendrick Motorsports president says no changes in driver policy. NASCAR announced Tuesday changes to the stage lengths at 16 Cup Series races for the 2020 season. So, in a nutshell, stage racing has achieved what NASCAR anticipated: adding interest and strategy to the sport. Just uncalled for. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. So, for all those long-time NASCAR fans who dont quite get the race these days, heres your chance to get up to speed on why NASCAR implemented stages. If there was a wild wreck or two, it was even better. 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. How often do fans moan about qualifying? He got the finish he deserved, and I didnt do a good enough job to get the finish that we needed out of that one (Dillon was third, Busch 32nd). DISTANCE: The race is 62 laps (250 miles) on the 4.048-mile road course. Stage 2 ends at Lap 29. As always, all races are split into three stages, with the . No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. Some of them are quite surprising. Not only could that be the difference between making the playoffs or not, it also gives drivers different points variables to play with. But that doesnt mean that we dont go to work and try and figure it out and make it better for both of us.. In those races, stage points will be awarded on a designated lap, but there will be no green-and-checkered flag and the racing will continue. Stage racing was implemented in NASCAR to remove the chance of race domination by single race drivers. I mean, just a joke 80-something laps into a race? While it doesnt happen often, once is enough to piss off a casual fan. Half the field competes in each one based on the results from single-car qualifying held earlier in the week. It all just comes down to excitement and incentive at the end of the day. A pit road penalty or bad pit stop early has consequences. All NASCAR points races now have stages. The main reason is there are no commercial breaks at live race events that can interfere with active racing moments. Advancing teams carry their playoff points all the way through to the Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway in November. The higher the rank, the more points they earn, which is reason enough for most drivers to race hard.if(typeof ez_ad_units != 'undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'motorracingsports_com-banner-1','ezslot_5',114,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-motorracingsports_com-banner-1-0'); Al lifelong Motor Racing Fan, with a particular love of NASCAR and IndyCar racing. 1991 Regardless, love them or hate them, NASCAR stage races are here to stay. NASCAR Sprint Cup formerly used restrictor plates at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. No reason. Stage racing is simply NASCAR's way of bunching the field up a couple of times and trying to create something interesting . 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. As far as the playoff points are concerned, leave that for the race wins. A short track built within the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum served as the venue for the 2022 competition. Stage winners and the overall race winner both get playoff points. At this point, why not just have 50-lap sprint races each week? Having points available at predetermined increments during a NASCAR race has changed the way races are run in other ways as well. 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.. Then-NASCAR president Brent Dewar talked about stage racing and its effect on television viewership in 2017, saying our fans are eating it up.. ", Button battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut. ARCA * All cars must be equipped with a Race Safe light system. And current drivers seem to have quickly grown accustomed to stage racing and accepted it. Fans. I was side-by-side with (. And coming off pit road under caution after Stage 1, Hamlin made it off pit road first to keep the lead -- just as the left front wheel came off his car and zipped past him at the exit of pit road. Restrictor plates are devices installed between the carburetor and intake manifold that restrict the amount of air and fuel entering the engine's combustion chamber. Although it has caused quite a controversy, stage racing is now a standard feature of NASCAR competition, and its something we all need to deal with. Stage racing is impossible in 150-mile races; therefore, NASCAR drivers complete all 60 laps without any pauses. Playoff points are also distributed to the top-10 finishers in the regular season standings on a sliding scale. 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. There were heat races to select the field for this race, but there were no stages for the main event. You shouldnt be better positioned to make a playoff run because you were leading a random race on lap 130 of lap 250 or something and ended up 28th while someone who ran 11th in the races early stages gets nothing playoff-wise with a second place finish. Safety has always been important to NASCAR. This means selecting, designing and developing the intervention to be implemented. There are guys that are better at that style of racing than maybe me, but I still think it comes down to certain circumstances at the end where you are, how it all works, how it all happens. The first two-thirds of 35 of 36 Cup races feel all but irrelevant. How NASCAR Stages Work. During the scheduled stage breaks, it is much easier for NASCAR to sell commercial space for official races, which helps with televised broadcasts. NASCAR: Dover Cup race not being broadcast on Fox. Drivers have an opportunity to accrue points in the regular season for qualifying in the championship competition. But why did NASCAR start stage racing? Those events will keep stage breaks because they have non-live pit stops where the field comes down pit road together and positions cannot be gained or lost provided the stop is completed in the prescribed time by NASCAR. So, its kind of pathetic. 30% for Stage 1 would be 110 laps, so it would be 110, 110 and 147, which makes Stage 3 pretty short relative to Stage 1 and Stage 2. Want to know the most dangerous tracks this season? Similar complaints have been levied about the various playoff formats NASCAR has used to crown its champion since abandoning the season-long format after the 2003 season. We also participate in other affiliate programs which compensate us for referring traffic. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. They talk about giving points for qualifying. Well, the reality is that there is a strong likelihood that a spectacular pass or a major accident will occur every time NASCAR green-flags a restart. Stages in NASCAR explained First adopted in 2017, stages in NASCAR effectively break the race up into three mini-races. NASCAR stated there will be no stage breaks in the Cup road course events at Circuit of the Americas (March 26), Sonoma (June 11), Chicago street course (July 2), Indianapolis road course (Aug. 13), Watkins Glen (Aug. 20) and Charlotte Roval (Oct. 8). Initially, only on-track incidents resulted in raising the red flag. These points are different from playoff points and help with qualifying and other track position reward in future races. Many would say yes. For almost all of its history, the only time a caution flag flew was because of an incident on track. Once the checkered flag flies, normal points are distributed throughout the field based on finishing order. It rewards those who are fast at the beginning of the race. Formula 1 on the verge of an amazing all-time record in Abu Dhabi, NASCAR: All the facts and figures from year 1 of the new package, NASCAR: Monday Dover race not being broadcast on Fox, NASCAR changes Dover schedule again due to weather. Required fields are marked *. While the new points system that accompanies the new race format will come more into focus once the playoffs start, every week there is talk about how stages will play into that weekend's event. if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[250,250],'speedtwitch_com-leader-1','ezslot_18',114,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-speedtwitch_com-leader-1-0');Stages break the 3-hour single race into 3 mini races, each with its own points and race winners, while helping to keep racers more bunched together during the middle of the race duration. Adding stages breaks up these types of leads and brings the audiences attention back to the field every time the next stage of green-flag racing starts. 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. It all just comes down to excitement and incentive at the end of the day. Sometimes this gamble pays off and other times it backfires greatly. The sport of NASCAR may not be as rich as the multi-billion-dollar NFL, but that doesnt mean its poor, either. Along the way, some yellow or red flags may follow, but essentially the race was one long event with no scheduled stoppages, aside from pit-stops. It wasnt uncommon for many teams to elect to pit before the first stage in a road course race and eschew points to put themselves in better track position for the final two stages. This added intrigue and strategy is exactly what NASCAR hoped stage racing would accomplish. NASCAR vs IndyCar: What are the 4 main differences? The winner of Stage 2 will start second for the final stage provided that driver finishes 15th or better in Stage 3, and the Stage 3 winner will start third in the final stage. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". There is nothing better than watching a close race from the comforts of your living room, except for maybe a viewpoint from the trackside. NASCAR announced that the Dover Cup race has been postponed to Monday because of rain. 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. The top-10 drivers in the first and second stages will qualify for these extra points. 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. NASCAR: Is shortening race distances really a good thing? It helps television with commercials because there is no action missed. All NASCAR races across the 3 major series have stages because the sport wanted to create a better television product by adding more urgency during the middle portions of a race. There is a lot to dissect regarding the stage racing format, including how it works and why it was introduced in the first place. Motor Racing Sports is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Officials believed this was a great way to improve its races. It's also an incentive to race as hard as you can, no matter what lap it is, which has made for some good racing in the past. The three most-cited reasons: --Cost of the trip. Ever since i got in my pedal powered car 40 or so years ago I have been a lifelong fan of all motor racing, particular NASCAR and Indy, so this site is made to help share the answers to those questions that pop up mid race! 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. Until 2017, the races were merely qualifying events that awarded no championship points. When did NASCAR implement pit road speed limits? Larson returned to the track after repairs. Each stage length is determined well before the race, and each is ended with a green/white checkered. It gives drivers reason not to coast (especially at restrictor-plate races) and fans a reason to watch. Proponents of the changes agree that it is nice that 1st place-driver, 2nd-place driver, and 3rd-place driver, as well as the following several, get some points on a 10-1 scale. The NASCAR racing stages are very easy to understand once you know how it works. 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. When we introduced stage racing we took an element of strategy away from the event, Sawyer. The 2017 NASCAR season saw the implementation of stage racing. 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. This applies to all top 3 levels of NASCAR competition: the Cup Series, the Xfinity Series, and the Truck Series. 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 3 is made up of whatever miles are left over after the initial two stages, which is typically about half of the race. At Phoenix Raceway, the stage breaks lasted for 12 laps, equating to .26 hours or 15.6 minutes. The organization introduced Stage racing in 2017, hoping to increase excitement and provide teams with stage points. The main reason is there are no commercial breaks at live race events that can interfere with active racing moments. To the fans who've stuck with us today, we say thank you.Let's enjoy this #DAYTONA500 on FOX! Where the Term Came From Some of our partners may process your data as a part of their legitimate business interest without asking for consent. Who wants to waste laps running under caution? These numbers are all added together to give the number of points each driver has gained from the race. This changed in 2017, the same year NASCAR significantly overhauled its race format to implement stages. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. So, the 2nd-place driver earns 9 stage points, the 3rd-place driver earns 8, and so on. 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). Well, this does in the sense that it sets up who has the best chance to earn points in the first stage. Stages change this by turning the single-race competition into 2 mini races and a full race that is half the duration of the total initial race. Each driver will earn the points above for each stage that is not the final one. Stage points for the top 10 drivers are awarded at the conclusion of stages 1 and 2. Not all NASCAR races have the same number of stages. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. Through 18 races, the races have been a total combined 80 minutes longer -- 4.4 minutes a race -- than the five-year averages for those events. The only NASCAR races without stages are 2 non-points races, the Duels at Daytona, and the Busch Light Clash. This event marks the first NASCAR Cup Series race on the dirt since 1970. A racer that gets an early start will most likely not be ahead the entire race as race conditions change and the race stops and starts at least twice more. NASCAR now races in stages during Cup, XFinity and Trucks Series races but what actually are stages in NASCAR? 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. I could go on the short run, but not the long run. Second place gets 35 points, third gets 34 points, fourth gets 33 points, until 36th-40th . 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 know it used to be, but nowadays, its like its almost not even necessary. 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. As the season continues, this is especially true for teams vying for postseason spots since they know that every point counts. Just look at the differences in the final 2019 championship standings, the standings without playoffs, and the standings without stages. DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- It is time for the 65th running of the Daytona 500, NASCAR's biggest event on its biggest stage, kicking off what many believe could be one of the sport's biggest seasons . The stage points drivers win can add more energy and excitement to races that used to only have one race winner per event. That is just the nature of that beast of restrictor plate racing.. I think the fans would ultimately lose.". This race has 4 because it is NASCARs longest race, 100 miles longer than the next highest event. ASA * Requires a second dash bar in the car's centersection. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. Let's also say that he finished fourth in the second stage, earning him seven points, and second in the first stage, giving him nine points. 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. 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. The race is split into four 100-lap stages. *Added a required . Your email address will not be published.
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