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. 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. By placing in the top 10 at the end of the first and second stages of a race, drivers may now earn additional points. Required fields are marked *. On Lap 81, Chastain bumped the rear of Pooles car, sending Poole up the track and into the outside wall. Now they can make banging snacks and still follow their teams perfectly. and then runs 40 percent of the race in the final stage. Kyle Larson rolled into the crash area with nowhere to go and slammed into Poole. By pitting early, they would be behind those who stayed out to collect the stage points. The 150-mile races are too short for stage racing, so NASCAR drivers race all 60 laps with no designated breaks. 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. 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. Stage 01. 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. While there are usually three stages in each NASCAR race, the exception to the rule is the Coca-Cola 600, which is given a fourth stage due to the longer distance. Great for the drivers, but for me personally as a fan (and . Your email address will not be published. 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. Stage racing wasn't always a thing in NASCAR, and is probably one of the newest changes the sport has made over the years. At this point, why not just have 50-lap sprint races each week? These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Officials believed this was a great way to improve its races. (Chastain). Stage points incentivize racing throughout the race and not just for the win and to offer more passing opportunities during the race. LAST YEAR:Chase Elliott won last years race. And it gave Ricky Stenhouse Jr. a reason to bump-and-run to get back on the lead lap, costing Kyle Busch a stage win. With that said, however, he also finished first in both Stages 1 and 2, netting him 20 extra points. There are still stages during the season finale, but the Championship 4 earns no stage points in that race. The 2022 event was raced on a short track created inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. This changed in 2017, the same year NASCAR significantly overhauled its race format to implement stages. Some like the different element stages add during the middle of races, while others consider stages an abomination and will never support the concept. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. 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. Half the field competes in each one based on the results from single-car qualifying held earlier in the week. The racers in the lead change more frequently, which makes the races and, therefore, the season closer in points and more suspenseful for fans. The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway is the only NASCAR race that does not have 3 stages. 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. The first two are about a quarter distance in length each, with the final stage making up over half the race. When NASCAR races first began, there were no required interruptions during all of the action. Once the checkered flag flies, normal points are distributed throughout the field based on finishing order. 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. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. Stages in NASCAR explained First adopted in 2017, stages in NASCAR effectively break the race up into three mini-races. 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. NASCAR races were once run start-to-finish with no mandated breaks in the action. The move comes in. As NASCAR viewership moves to a larger digital spectatorship when compared to trackside fans, the race format has needed to adapt as well. The race can end at any time during Stage 3 at NASCAR's discretion . This means selecting, designing and developing the intervention to be implemented. The trucks have been racing on dirt since 2013, however this will be their first go at Bristol. If a driver is pegged back every 65 laps or so - as is the case at the. NASCAR Sprint Cup formerly used restrictor plates at Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway. This immeasurable change would save many lives in years to come. Each of the stages starts and ends with a checked green/white flag, not the traditional end of the race checkerboard. The split racing format drastically affects the long-winded races and extreme endurance required in NASCARs traditional races. Similar to an ordinary NASCAR event, both the Cup Series and Truck Series races will be divided into three stages, but changes to the format were implemented after Friday practice produced a . Stage racing falls exactly in line with this philosophy. 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. On February 18, 2001, Dale Earnhardt hit a wall, and American motorsport was forever changed. Whether or not stage racing is good for NASCAR may always be a debated topic for as long as it exists. The Cup garage will open at 9 a.m. This is exciting, because we see everyone win or lose on pit road immediately. Each stage length is determined well before the race, and each is ended with a green/white checkered. As soon as he ran into me, I just kind of got shoved into the corner, like way too deep, and then I was just immediately turned around. The Weather Underground forecast calls for partly cloudy skies and a high of 60 degrees. The now-former CEO also cited fan engagement during his announcement, saying stage racing resulted from industry-wide collaborative brainstorming sessions with the ultimate goal being strengthening the sport for our fans. Modern-day NASCAR always strives to put on a great show for fans and is willing to alter tradition to do so, even if the decisions are not always beloved by everyone. The top-10 drivers in the first and second stages will qualify for these extra points. Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Brennan Poole: Ross Chastain probably needs his butt whooped, Monday Cup race at Dover: Start time, TV info, weather, I feel like I just got ran over, Poole said. So, its kind of pathetic. ARCA * All cars must be equipped with a Race Safe light system. The top 10 finishers in each duel do earn stage points in the same manner as every other race. link to Is NASCAR Racing Profitable for Teams? Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. Depending on the course, the first stage can be anywhere from 25 to 30 percent of the races overall duration. 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. Problems with racing back to the caution Safety At each stage, you also win awards you playoff points, which are added to your overall postseason score. There are 3 stages in nearly all NASCAR races. This is true for the Truck Series, Xfinity, and the Cup Series, considered the top three tiers of NASCAR racing. Now we have a 30 year legacy with the knee-jerk restrictor plate. (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. The breaks abounded for 4.8 percent of the race. Essentially, the stage racing format in NASCAR is designed to help keep the pack together and not let one driver dominate. I dont know. Bigger changes have happened seemingly out of nowhere. When did NASCAR implement stages? The race is split into four 100-lap stages. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Rockingham Motor Speedway will begin a new life as a dedicated used car storage centre for the owner of Cinch and WeBuyAnyCar. 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. 65 laps in Stage 2, from Lap 66 to Lap 130, 70 laps in Stage 3, from Lap 131 to Lap 200. It usually takes about 40 to 50 percent of the whole races duration, making it nearly invariably the longest stage. 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. All stage points a driver accumulates are added to this number. It all just comes down to excitement and incentive at the end of the day. 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. 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. Continuing its tradition of innovation, NASCAR, in collaboration with drivers, teams, and manufacturers, built a new generation of car the NASCAR Next Gen car aimed to further reduce costs. How NASCAR Stages Work. 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. 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. It essentially breaks each race. Those playoff points (including those earned in the playoffs) carry over to each reset playoff round, except for the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. The only road course events that will have stage breaks will be Xfinity standalone races at Portland (June 3) and Road America (July 29) and the Truck standalone race at Mid-Ohio (July 8). STAGE WINNER: @dennyhamlin battles back on the outside to take Stage 2 in The Great American Race! The main reason is there are no commercial breaks at live race events that can interfere with active racing moments. It certainly should be. This is the exploratory stage where fundamental questions are answered, such as what will actually be implemented. Stage racing is simply NASCAR's way of bunching the field up a couple of times and trying to create something interesting . As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Most NASCAR races are broken down into three stages. The formula for NASCAR has been pretty simple in terms of race format. Despite the fact that NASCAR prioritizes driver safety in some cases, on some superspeedways, things can actually become more dangerous. Stage winners and the overall race winner both get playoff points. At the end of the final stage, the race winner gets five playoff points in addition to 40 race points. It appears as an artificial way to bunch up the field and give teams extra time to make adjustments. In fact, up until 2017, the race was all-out until you finished. Safety has always been important to NASCAR. I know it used to be, but nowadays, its like its almost not even necessary. Common critiques of stage racing from these fans usually revolve around the idea that stage racing is gimmicky. Why did NASCAR implement stage racing? Stage racing means every pit strategy becomes entirely based on the stages. Please logout and login again. The sport of NASCAR may not be as rich as the multi-billion-dollar NFL, but that doesnt mean its poor, either. 1? The final stages decide the races placement, giving them even more points. With NASCAR, it is always possible future officials could change course in favor of something new and inventive. And each time it does, it has seen the very predictable consequences . Racing throughout the years has been exciting and entertaining, but as the technology in the cars improved and the drivers became better, the close racing of the past was lost in the smoke. It rewards those who are fast at the beginning of the race. 2023 Nascar Chronicle. The third and final stage decides the winner and all other positions. TV/RADIO: Qualifying coverage on CNBC begins at 11 a.m. Pre-race . Brad Keselowski was initially against the premise of stage racing when rumors first spread about the concept in the early 2010s. Let's say Chase Elliott won a race at Pocono Raceway, earning him a total of 40 points. Fans get more action, and televised events fit commercials in better than interrupting green flag racing. NASCAR equips each car with an Incident Data Recorder (ICD) that is essentially the sport's "black box," mounted on the driver's side of the chassis in a "shoe" designed by safety engineers. The caution laps counting seems kind of right but so wrong. As always, all races are split into three stages, with the . 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. START: Actor, director, author and podcaster Kevin Smith will give the command to start engines at 12:01 p.m. The green flag is scheduled to wave at 12:10 p.m. PRERACE: Cup garage opens at 9 a.m. Driver introductions at 11:30 a.m. Dan Schafer, pastor of Calvary Assembly of God in Heightstown, New Jersey, will give the Invocation at 11:53 p.m. JAGMAC will perform the national anthem at 11:54 p.m. In a stunning development, NASCAR announced Sunday evening that Chase Elliott has been declared the winner of the M&M's Fan Appreciation 400 at Pocono Raceway after both Denny Hamlin and Kyle . Race stages also break up speed top-speed races that push cars to their limits for 100s of laps. The reasoning behind the change in how the NASCAR races were set up all boils down to one thing. Brennan Poole on Ross Chastain at Dover pic.twitter.com/cyj2TBODqL. Or four, when talking about the 600-mile race at Charlotte. When did NASCAR implement pit road speed limits? 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. Some still wonder, wanting to see how it plays out with stage winners earning one playoff point and race winners earning five. 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. NASCAR racing did not always include stage racing. The weather is better for Cup drivers to race Monday at Dover Motor Speedway after rain postponed the event Sunday. Its no surprise that the fanbase has declined in recent years. Now, you may wonder how stages increase the excitement of racing. The final stage often accounts for between 40% and 50% of the entire distance, whereas the first and second stages typically make up roughly 25% to 30%. The Xfinity and Truck Series stage layouts are similar to those for the Cup Series. 1991 Each race is divided into three stages (four for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway), and points are awarded to the. Felt this (change) would bring some new storylines (in an event).. These numbers are all added together to give the number of points each driver has gained from the race. NASCAR instituted stage breaks and stage points for the 2017 season and has kept the system in place since. However, after Dale Earnhardt, Sr.'s fatal crash in the 2001 Daytona 500, safety burst to the forefront of NASCAR's technology development. 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.. As NASCAR viewership moves to a larger digital spectatorship when compared to trackside fans, the race format has needed to adapt as well. There are points assigned to each stage, and then the points at the end of the race are added in. Stages 1 and 2 offer extra points for each driver, and the Coca-Cola 600, stage 3 also gives the same points. The Daytona Duels are 2 qualifying races that set the field for the Daytona 500. No reason. All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy | Sitemap | Contact Us | About Us. How often do fans moan about qualifying? The only NASCAR races without stages are 2 non-points races, the Duels at Daytona, and the Busch Light Clash. Second place gets 35 points, third gets 34 points, fourth gets 33 points, until 36th-40th . 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. Stage racing and the subsequent cautions provide organic commercial breaks during which fans miss nothing. Playoff points are also distributed to the top-10 finishers in the regular season standings on a sliding scale. 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. For some unknown reason of late, when it comes to racing in the rain, NASCAR has decided to go where it has never gone before. Based on the outcomes of the single-car qualifying event earlier in the week, half of the field competes in each. Stage points for the top 10 drivers are awarded at the conclusion of stages 1 and 2. Even some drivers were skeptical about the pending changes, wondering aloud if stages would negatively impact races. Apr 20, 2022 12:01 AM. Advancing teams carry their playoff points all the way through to the Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway in November. 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 reasons NASCAR implemented stage racing is myriad, as outlined in the info that follows. Larson returned to the track after repairs. Joe is the owner and creator of this website. This allows for planned breaks around the middle portions of the race which, while generally not as eventful as the start or finish of the race, can have moments that fans dont like missing. 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. Dillon was instrumental in convincing his grandfather, team owner Richard Childress, to bring Busch into the fold at RCR. 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. Even if they occasionally occur naturally during the race, there are other moments when the chance isnt there. But that doesnt mean that we dont go to work and try and figure it out and make it better for both of us.. However, nothing public has been floated surrounding any imminent stage changes. Although these sometimes happen on their own throughout the race, there are other times where the opportunity doesn't present itself. 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 . I did not mean to do that at all, Chastain told his crew via radio. But while stage racing likely isnt going anywhere following its first three seasons in the sport, you really have to wonder why its here, what purpose it serves, and above all, whether or not NASCAR should just do away with it. There is nothing better than watching a close race from the comforts of your living room, except for maybe a viewpoint from the trackside. DISTANCE: The race is 400 laps (400 miles) on the 1-mile track. 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. The televised racing experience was also a key factor in NASCARs decision to alter the framework of its races. The longest stage of the race is always the final one. 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). That is just the nature of that beast of restrictor plate racing.. 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. 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. 25% for Stage 1 would be 92 laps. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. Until 2017, the races were merely qualifying events that awarded no championship points. NASCAR introduced stage racing in 2017 as a way to adapt its traditional long-duration races to a larger digital audience. The total number of laps in the race remains mostly unchanged but how races progress through these laps changes drastically. The winner earns 10 points plus 1 playoff point and each subsequent finisher earns 1 fewer point. ET Monday. Drivers now earn bonus points by finishing in the top 10 at the end of the first and second stages of a race. 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. 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 first 2 stages of a race are usually between 25 and 30 percent of a races total laps each, with some variation depending on the length of a race and the track itself. The race is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. 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. Baker recalled a lengthy meeting with . Furthermore, the introduction of stages gave NASCAR drivers an extra incentive by competing for highly coveted stage points. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. 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! The top 10 finishers in each stage also earn regular-season points, which is important because at the end of the regular season, drivers ranked 1 to 10 in overall regular-season points earn additional playoff points on a 15-10-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 scale. There are some folks out there who just can't grasp stage racing in the spirit of what they view a race should be. Still, due to circumstances beyond either of their control, way back when, the Cup series left the city. A crew chief can determine that after stage 1, a guaranteed 9 or 10 points outweighs the uncertainty of racing later in the pack. Dover Cup Series race rained out, moved to Mon. 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. All 3 series use the regular season point and playoff points system, meaning all stage winners receive 10 points and 1 playoff point. Been in and out of cars of varying speeds since i was a child and sharing what i have learnt here. Stage racing is simply NASCAR's way of bunching the field up a couple. What NASCAR Track Has the Steepest Banking? Where the Term Came From Stage racing was implemented in NASCAR to remove the chance of race domination by single race drivers. Shouldn't running up front during a race matter for something? Through 10 races, Busch has two wins, three top fives and five top 10s. This creates a higher sense of urgency, forcing drivers to fight hard for every position much earlier in a race than what used to occur prior to stage racing implementation. Buschs win at Talladega last week, his first at the 2.66-mile track in 15 years, gave the team a boost. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. 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 pending end of a stage. This added intrigue and strategy is exactly what NASCAR hoped stage racing would accomplish. 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. Fans. NASCAR stages are competition yellow flags in the middle of the damn race! The NASCAR racing stages are very easy to understand once you know how it works. Simply put, this will make our great racing even better, France said. NASCAR announced the change Tuesday in a session with reporters at the NASCAR R&D Center. Restrictor-plate races have been found to cause bunching up of racers which leaves less time to react to race obstacles. By doing this, they will often trade worse track positions on the next restart to try banking stage points on the front end. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Poole left the race. So what's to like about the stages? An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie.

Dr Ken Berry House Fire, Articles W