The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". The crew chief and pit strategies teams need to incorporate stage endings into their race plans, and with stage structures, stage wins can matter as much as race wins for the championship competition. A crew chief may decide a guaranteed 9 or 10 points after stage 1 is worth the unknown that comes with racing in the back of the pack later. Die-hard track-attending fans are not happy with stage racing implementation since they dont benefit from the onscreen advantages television spectators gain. It also has the added strategy of teams pitting during a stage by dividing the length of that stage in half or thirds, depending on the number of pit stops anticipated during the stage. 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. Another driver, Ryan Blaney, finished third at Pocono and earned himself 38 points. Knowing when the caution comes out allows teams to choose between finishing well in a stage or possibly putting themselves in a better position to win the race. Essentially, the stage racing format in NASCAR is designed to help keep the pack together and not let one driver dominate. So, the 2nd-place driver earns 9 stage points, the 3rd-place driver earns 8, and so on. The driver in first place during these stages will be awarded 10 points, second will get 9, third gets 8, and it continues to count down to the 10th position, which is awarded one extra point. But NASCAR is, first and foremost, an entertainment entity and recent history has shown its decisions will most often reflect that reality. 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. Now, you may wonder how stages increase the excitement of racing. How do they work in Cup Series races, and why did NASCAR opt to bring them in in the first place? Officials issued the rules bulletin to teams . All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy | Sitemap | Contact Us | About Us. There are vocal, passionate fans on both sides of the issue. NASCAR has had a set term of race format for almost 100 years, and the premise of stage racing greatly affects established team strategies. NASCAR created stage racing in 2017 to increase competition throughout the race. That's why less people are buying tickets. Stage 3 is made up of whatever miles are left over after the initial two stages, which is typically about half of the race. These playoff points are added to the drivers point total at the beginning of the playoffs if they qualify for the 16-car field. The truth is that every time NASCAR green-flags a restart, there is a good chance of a great pass or a big wreck happening. The wreck happened in the first stage of the race, a fact both Larson and Poole pointed out after the crash. MORE: NASCAR outlaws Ross Chastain Martinsville move, MORE: Hendrick Motorsports president says no changes in driver policy. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. The reasons NASCAR implemented stage racing is myriad, as outlined in the info that follows. Important racing question: Can NASCAR race in the rain? 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. They could round to 90 and then it would be 95, 95 and 187 - which makes Stage 3 pretty long. Now we have a 30 year legacy with the knee-jerk restrictor plate. Confused yet? I thought Austin did an awesome job with what we had at Martinsville, running 12th there, that was good. The Xfinity and Truck Series stage structures are also much like the Cup Series description listed above. The race will be broadcast by FS1, Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. All NASCAR points races now have stages. The trucks have been racing on dirt since 2013, however this will be their first go at Bristol. I mean, just a joke 80-something laps into a race? ", Button battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut. Drivers have, on several occasions, finished races well outside the top 10 but still placed top five in total race points due to their stage results, and race winners havent always been the highest scorers pretty strange for a playoff system that supposedly rewards wins above everything. While there are plenty of logical and lucrative reasons to implement seasons of stage racing, not everyone is completely sold on it. 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. Playoff points are extremely valuable during each 3-race round of the playoffs. Second place gets 35 points, third gets 34 points, fourth gets 33 points, until 36th-40th . What was previously compared to the endurance required of top athletes and marathon runners has been effectively halved, making it far less impressive when a racer flies across the finish as the checkered flag flies. "It [not having laps count] would really throw a wrench in the whole strategy game. 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. 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. Your login session has expired. Why did NASCAR implement stage racing? Wins are worth five playoff points apiece. The stage points drivers win can add more energy and excitement to races that used to only have one race winner per event. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The final stage goes off the points listed above. The drivers have something to race for, even when it's just lap 20. Stages also replace pit stops and give drivers a break they would never have been able to take during the old races. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. 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. ET Monday to begin the 400-lap race on the 1-mile concrete oval. Older fans, however, believe this was a crucial blow to NASCAR's diehard fans. NASCAR vs IndyCar: What are the 4 main differences? Stage winners and the overall race winner both get playoff points. Stage racing means every pit strategy becomes entirely based on the stages. Still, due to circumstances beyond either of their control, way back when, the Cup series left the city. Even lauding that the fence "did its . This bet occasionally pays off, but it can also have disastrous results. The winner earns 10 points plus 1 playoff point and each subsequent finisher earns 1 fewer point. Can You Go To A NASCAR Race While Pregnant? It all just comes down to excitement and incentive at the end of the day. every driver a more significant incentive to race harder, https://www.espn.com/racing/nascar/story/_/id/19966894/nascar-pros-cons-new-stage-racing-format-2017, https://ftw.usatoday.com/2017/08/nascar-cup-series-stage-racing-new-format-martin-truex-jr-chase-playoff-points-standings, https://promo.espn.com/news/pages/story?page=NASCAR-Points-System. However, after Dale Earnhardt, Sr.'s fatal crash in the 2001 Daytona 500, safety burst to the forefront of NASCAR's technology development. Race wins are worth 5 points, while stage wins are worth 1. Simply put, this will make our great racing even better, France said. So what's to like about the stages? Fans get more action, and televised events fit commercials in better than interrupting green flag racing. 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. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. The top-10 drivers in the first and second stages will qualify for these extra points. DISTANCE: The race is 400 laps (400 miles) on the 1-mile track. Spend time assessing the needs of those affected by the . The stage winner is awarded 10 points, the second-highest driver earns 9 points, down to the 10th-place finisher, who earns one additional bonus point. The 150-mile races are too short for stage racing, so NASCAR drivers race all 60 laps with no designated breaks. This race has 4 because it is NASCARs longest race, 100 miles longer than the next highest event. Even some drivers were skeptical about the pending changes, wondering aloud if stages would negatively impact races. They claim that NASCAR just wants more restarts because a certain type of NASCAR fan only tunes in to see big crashes. NASCAR currently has no plans to get rid of stage racing in favor of a traditional, unsegmented race format. Baker recalled a lengthy meeting with . Though as of 2023 a race ends under caution with the field frozen if a caution occurs in the final lap of an overtime. To that, NASCAR likely views its new format as "modernizing tradition" and says something like, "Guilty as charged. A Beginners Guide to NASCAR: 6 Highlights of What NASCAR Is Like. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. 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). Depending on the course, the first stage can be anywhere from 25 to 30 percent of the races overall duration. Whether or not stage racing is good for NASCAR may always be a debated topic for as long as it exists. Rockingham Motor Speedway will begin a new life as a dedicated used car storage centre for the owner of Cinch and WeBuyAnyCar. In the area of fantasy sports leagues and sports betting, these points offer ways to create more action and build a rooster of winning racers. The field for the Daytona 500 is determined by the two qualifying events known as the Daytona Duels. If the driver is selected for the 16-car field, these playoff points are added to their overall point total at the start of the playoffs. NASCAR introduced stage racing in 2017 as a way to adapt its traditional long-duration races to a larger digital audience. Instead of the field being strung out halfway through a race, the leaders are suddenly brought back together, creating more intensity. At this point, why not just have 50-lap sprint races each week? There were heat races to select the field for this race, but there were no stages for the main event. 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). The more entertaining the races are, the more viewers they will get. A crew chief can determine that after stage 1, a guaranteed 9 or 10 points outweighs the uncertainty of racing later in the pack. The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway is the only NASCAR race that does not have 3 stages. Stage racing wasn't always a thing in NASCAR, and is probably one of the newest changes the sport has made over the years. After all, keeping the pack together leads to more contact and more drama, Dragon Ball Super chapter 81 release time for English translation confirmed. Wave them off with a green flag, and about three hours later, see them in with a chequered one. However, nothing public has been floated surrounding any imminent stage changes. These criticisms are all fair. All stage points a driver accumulates are added to this number. It gives drivers reason not to coast (especially at restrictor-plate races) and fans a reason to watch. Kevin Harvick dominated a 400-mile race Sunday in Las Vegas, leading 214 of 267 laps and comfortably winning both stages and the . Once the checkered flag flies, normal points are distributed throughout the field based on finishing order. Whoever crosses the finish line first among the final 4 drivers is crowned champion. As soon as the green flag is raised and the cars accelerate, the final stage most closely mimics an authentic, vintage NASCAR race. Your email address will not be published. ET Monday. Furthermore, the introduction of stages gave NASCAR drivers an extra incentive by competing for highly coveted stage points. No longer do young NASCAR racers start at their local tracks and work their way up. Where the Term Came From These points, different from the previous stage points, accumulate for a playoff-style race where each stage winner gets one playoff point. There is a lot to dissect regarding the stage racing format, including how it works and why it was introduced in the first place. He is a huge fan of fast cars and motorcycles and has always been drawn to the excitement and thrill of motorsports. Why did NASCAR implement stage racing? Stage 1 makes up roughly the first quarter of the race, though this can vary depending on the track. Stage racing was implemented to ensure those things were still part of the sport. This is important because it reduces the number of full-screen commercial breaks during green flag racing, something that often irks fans watching from home. Through 10 races, Busch has two wins, three top fives and five top 10s. This, along with the five points given to the race winner, adds up to a grand total of 61 points. It essentially breaks each race. It helps television with commercials because there is no action missed. These changes are a far cry from the original spirit of NASCAR races but are working to bring in a younger audience base and provide better value to sponsors. STAGES: Stage 1 ends at Lap 120. You also earn playoff points per stage you win, which is added to your postseason total. 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 2017 NASCAR season saw the implementation of stage racing. Drivers now earn bonus points by finishing in the top 10 at the end of the first and second stages of a race. NASCAR typically divides the opening 60% of the race into the first two stages to determine stage length. 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. 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. 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. NASCAR announced that the Dover Cup race has been postponed to Monday because of rain. The formula for NASCAR has been pretty simple in terms of race format. 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. 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. How NASCAR Stages Work. 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! It makes the race much more exciting because the drivers are not only pushing their cars to the limit to get the winning points at the end but to gain the extra points they can earn by placing in the top ten of every stage. The top 10 finishers in each duel do earn stage points in the same manner as every other race. Teams now occasionally risk with their pit strategy to increase stage points. The organization introduced Stage racing in 2017, hoping to increase excitement and provide teams with stage points. For almost all of its history, the only time a caution flag flew was because of an incident on track. It was my first time in a new Cup car, and 80 laps out for what? How would stages make racing more exciting, you might ask? 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. These points were crucial because they determine how many points each driver receives after a race when they are added together. Drivers who reel off multiple victories during the season enter the playoffs on much better footing than drivers who point their way into the playoffs with no victories. NASCAR Sprint Cup formerly used restrictor plates at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. This is true for the Truck Series, Xfinity, and the Cup Series, considered the top three tiers of NASCAR racing. Stage racing falls exactly in line with this philosophy. SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will carry the PRN broadcast. Race stages also break up speed top-speed races that push cars to their limits for 100s of laps. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Busch will start on the pole and Dillon in the last starting spot in Sundays Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway after qualifying was cancelled Saturday. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images). NASCAR announced the change Tuesday in a session with reporters at the NASCAR R&D Center. If any word can define the 2017 NASCAR Cup season, it could be this one: stages. NASCAR instituted stages prior to the 2017 season in a dual effort to create closer competition on the track and make a better television product for fans watching from home. To the fans who've stuck with us today, we say thank you.Let's enjoy this #DAYTONA500 on FOX! His "Garage Mahal" in Mooresville, NC, was a . We continue to talk about our stuff and how we can get better, Busch said Saturday at Dover. 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. I think a lot of that is going to come into play this weekend and next weekend, so I am optimistic and hopeful that we will have some really strong runs at Dover and Kansas. (Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte, which has an extra stage) These stages are not equal in length in miles and are divided based on the total length of the track and the mile goal of the event. This content is imported from YouTube. 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. There are 3 stages in nearly all NASCAR races. Go figure. Stage 01. STARTING LINEUP: Dover Cup starting lineup. It seems to be something (Chatain) does a lot recently. The first two are about a quarter distance in length each, with the final stage making up over half the race. Playoff points are NASCARs version of home-field advantage seen in other sports: they are a way to reward regular season success in the playoffs. Each stage length is determined well before the race, and each is ended with a green/white checkered. Stage points are only handed out for the first and second stages. Common critiques of stage racing from these fans usually revolve around the idea that stage racing is gimmicky. Fans. It all just comes down to excitement and incentive at the end of the day. Driver intros will take place at 11:30 a.m. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. This event marks the first NASCAR Cup Series race on the dirt since 1970. 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. These points are different from playoff points and help with qualifying and other track position reward in future races. 'I belong here': R. Truex wins first NASCAR race, Hendrick to drivers after injuries: Take it easy, Bowman out at least 3 races after sprint car crash, Busch barely makes finish in OT win at Talladega, Burton wins Xfinity Series crash-fest at Talladega, Hamlin claims first superspeedway pole at Dega, Harvick was once NASCAR's punk kid. Of course, they could do that anyway without the "stages," but this at least gives fans a starting point. So, its kind of pathetic. 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. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Stage racing was implemented in NASCAR to remove the chance of race domination by single race drivers. Officials believed this was a great way to improve its races. What NASCAR Track Has the Steepest Banking? To ensure ad space buyers and fans of fixed commercial spots that guarantee interruption-free green flag racing. Even if they occasionally occur naturally during the race, there are other moments when the chance isnt there. C'mon, admit it. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. Although these sometimes happen on their own throughout the race, there are other times where the opportunity doesn't present itself. All the drivers are bunched together, 2-by-2, trying to make the most of their fresh tires and improve track position while they still can. Elton Sawyer, senior vice president of competition for NASCAR, said the move away from stage breaks at road courses was made in collaboration with teams and response from fans. If there was a wild wreck or two, it was even better. One example of this would be the Daytona 500. which consisted of two 65-lap stages. NASCAR competition officials announced rules changes Tuesday with the intent to slow Cup Series cars by approximately 7-10 mph at superspeedway events. When comparing to the five-year averages of the races from 2013-17, 11 races have exceeded the five-year average, but only three by more than 10 minutes. Stage racing was introduced across NASCAR's three biggest series, the Cup Series, the Xfinity Series and the Truck Series, before the start of the 2017 season. Why did NASCAR implement stage racing? I could go on the short run, but not the long run. I think 100 laps turned out to be a nice compromise. 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. All Cup races have stages now, and every Cup race has at least 3 stages. The adoption of stages in NASCAR races has generated mixed reactions, with some drivers and fans finding it a positive change while others do not. No reason. 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. 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. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Initially, only on-track incidents resulted in raising the red flag. Sure, I understand that the top ten get points for each stage. The shorter portions of races create different race day strategies that tend to make for a more explosive and action-packed race.
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