why did nascar implement stages

With that said, however, he also finished first in both Stages 1 and 2, netting him 20 extra points. When we introduced stage racing we took an element of strategy away from the event, Sawyer. Stage points are awarded to the top 10 finishers after stages one and two. They want it to matter. Stage racing wasn't always a thing in NASCAR, and is probably one of the newest changes the sport has made over the years. An example of data being processed may be a unique identifier stored in a cookie. These numbers are all added together to give the number of points each driver has gained from the race. 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. (Chastain). Continue with Recommended Cookies. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Performance". The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". It essentially breaks each 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. Do fans, especially those watching on television, like these breaks as real breaks when talking about events that often last more than three hours? The drivers have something to race for, even when it's just lap 20. Regardless, love them or hate them, NASCAR stage races are here to stay. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. It also encourages a mix in the field of drivers on different pitting and tire strategies, which should lead to more passing and action. At the end of the final stage, the race winner gets five playoff points in addition to 40 race points. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. 275 max[] jg90270 max[] jg90270 (bs133hmfg) []np 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. 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. Can You Go To A NASCAR Race While Pregnant? Stage racing falls exactly in line with this philosophy. It all just comes down to excitement and incentive at the end of the day. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images). Stages, like the playoffs themselves among other changes NASCAR has made over the years, have been criticized as being gimmicky, and they certainly dont fit the mold of what youd expect from a sport that thrives off its grassroots fanbase. 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. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. No matter which side you fall on, it seems like stage racing is here to stay. But its an unnecessary element of strategy that does nothing to enhance the on-track product. 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. As the season continues, this is especially true for teams vying for postseason spots since they know that every point counts. 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. The pending end of a stage. What NASCAR Track Has the Steepest Banking? Drivers now earn bonus points by finishing in the top 10 at the end of the first and second stages of a race. 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. It helps television with commercials because there is no action missed. Why did NASCAR implement stage racing? The soul of NASCAR was a bunch of drivers go toe-to-toe and laying it all on the line for one specific reason to win the race. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. This means selecting, designing and developing the intervention to be implemented. 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. 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. TV/RADIO: Qualifying coverage on CNBC begins at 11 a.m. Pre-race . However, nothing public has been floated surrounding any imminent stage changes. It certainly should be. Every NASCAR driver will likely say that hasn't changed. Common critiques of stage racing from these fans usually revolve around the idea that stage racing is gimmicky. The top-10 drivers in the first and second stages will qualify for these extra points. A stage is a division of the total race duration into usually three or occasionally four parts. 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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. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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. STAGES: Stage 1 ends at Lap 120. Dover Cup Series race rained out, moved to Mon. NASCAR earlier this month announced the stage lengths for those 36 Cup Series races in 2020, beginning with Sunday's 200-lap Daytona 500. This immeasurable change would save many lives in years to come. On Lap 81, Chastain bumped the rear of Pooles car, sending Poole up the track and into the outside wall. Not only could that be the difference between making the playoffs or not, it also gives drivers different points variables to play with. When NASCAR races first began, there were no required interruptions during all of the action. Stage 1 makes up roughly the first quarter of the race, though this can vary depending on the track. The last stage is always the longest distance of the entire race, and usually involves a pitstop as well. Race wins are worth 5 points, while stage wins are worth 1. If a driver wins both stages and the race, he/she earns a . Ricky Stenhouse Jr. placed second. Lets dig into these reasons a little deeper so you will better understand each of the those given about why NASCAR started 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. Spend time assessing the needs of those affected by the . Stages consist of dividing the race into smaller segments, allowing for commercial breaks and creating more suspense and action for the audience. Are NASCAR cars all the same? Based on the outcomes of the single-car qualifying event earlier in the week, half of the field competes in each. Felt this (change) would bring some new storylines (in an event).. "It [not having laps count] would really throw a wrench in the whole strategy game. It depends on what you watch NASCAR for and what you wish to get out of a race. Since then, the winner of each Duel receives 10 championship points. Until 2017, the races were merely qualifying events that awarded no championship points. As far as the playoff points are concerned, leave that for the race wins. So what's to like about the stages? A crew chief can determine that after stage 1, a guaranteed 9 or 10 points outweighs the uncertainty of racing later in the pack. There are still stages during the season finale, but the Championship 4 earns no stage points in that race. NASCAR doesn't have pit crews for the race at Bristol. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. However, this is no longer the case. A profound loss of a racing icon changed the way NASCAR viewed safety. This, along with the five points given to the race winner, adds up to a grand total of 61 points. NASCAR stages are competition yellow flags in the middle of the damn race! Kevin Harvick dominated a 400-mile race Sunday in Las Vegas, leading 214 of 267 laps and comfortably winning both stages and the . Important racing question: Can NASCAR race in the rain? ET Monday. Bobby Allison flipped into the fence in 1987 and nascar flipped its shit. Some love it, some hate it, but all agree stages are here to stay. Last year through 18 races, the average number of caution laps was 39.9, but it was as high as 44.2 in 2014. The Weather Underground forecast calls for partly cloudy skies and a high of 60 degrees. 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 racing means every pit strategy becomes entirely based on the stages. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. #DAYTONA500 pic.twitter.com/N7xf3dX6FD. 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. 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. Instead of the field being strung out halfway through a race, the leaders are suddenly brought back together, creating more intensity. MORE: NASCAR outlaws Ross Chastain Martinsville move, MORE: Hendrick Motorsports president says no changes in driver policy. NASCAR racing did not always include stage racing. The Xfinity and Truck Series stage structures are also much like the Cup Series description listed above. First adopted in 2017, stages in NASCAR effectively break the race up into three mini-races. The 2017 NASCAR season saw the implementation of stage racing. The NASCAR racing stages are very easy to understand once you know how it works. Since the winners of stages are not necessarily the same victors as the one that completes the 600-mile race first, more fans get to see their favorite drivers win the race stages. Please logout and login again. But (a) there are still questionable caution flags thrown at times, and that will never change, and (b) stage-ending cautions still create artificial racing that doesnt belong in NASCAR, or anywhere for that matter. Now they can make banging snacks and still follow their teams perfectly. On February 18, 2001, Dale Earnhardt hit a wall, and American motorsport was forever changed. Sometimes this gamble pays off and other times it backfires greatly. Each stage length is determined well before the race, and each is ended with a green/white checkered. For new fans of the sports, stages have been a welcome addition. What are stages in NASCAR? Half the field competes in each one based on the results from single-car qualifying held earlier in the week. 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. We continue to talk about our stuff and how we can get better, Busch said Saturday at Dover. Stage 2 ends at Lap 250. This year, seven of the 16 races have taken more than 3 hours, 30 minutes to complete (including red-flag time). Ross Chastain finished third. 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. 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. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 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. For almost all of its history, the only time a caution flag flew was because of an incident on track. USA TODAY Sports asked about 200 fans at tracks, on the phone and on social media who have reduced their racetrack trips to explain why. Just look at the differences in the final 2019 championship standings, the standings without playoffs, and the standings without stages. 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. 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. 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. 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. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. 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. 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. ", Button battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut. The wreck happened in the first stage of the race, a fact both Larson and Poole pointed out after the crash. By pitting early, they would be behind those who stayed out to collect the stage points. The trucks have been racing on dirt since 2013, however this will be their first go at Bristol. He is a huge fan of fast cars and motorcycles and has always been drawn to the excitement and thrill of motorsports. The longest stage of the race is always the final one. Each Cup race with the exception of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (with four) has three stages.2022-02-20. Each Cup race with the exception of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (with four) has three stages. The second stage also makes up 25 to 30 percent of the race. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Second place gets 35 points, third gets 34 points, fourth gets 33 points, until 36th-40th . This quirk technically makes the Coca-Cola 600 the most valuable points race in NASCAR because it has 1 extra stage worth of points available. 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. This is a key decision-making phase in implementation. Poole left the race. Why did NASCAR implement stage racing? The move comes in. 65 laps in Stage 2, from Lap 66 to Lap 130, 70 laps in Stage 3, from Lap 131 to Lap 200. 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. Whether or not stage racing is good for NASCAR may always be a debated topic for as long as it exists. 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. They could round to 90 and then it would be 95, 95 and 187 - which makes Stage 3 pretty long. Dr. Diandra: Fact-checking Kyle Buschs statement about late-season rank changes, Kyle Busch: Team communication working well at RCR, Friday 5: Changes lead Cup drivers to moonlight in other forms of racing, Dale Earnhardt Jr. latest added to NASCARs list of 75 Greatest Drivers, Dr. Diandra: Dont dismiss Trackhouse Racing or anyone else after only 10 races, Alex Bowman fractures vertebra in sprint car crash; out 3-4 weeks, NASCAR Power Rankings: Kyle Busch moves into top spot. LAST YEAR:Chase Elliott won last years race. The third and final stage decides the winner and all other positions. Even if they occasionally occur naturally during the race, there are other moments when the chance isnt there. (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 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. Brad Keselowski was initially against the premise of stage racing when rumors first spread about the concept in the early 2010s. There always was a feeling that a driver who dominated but got caught up in someone else's accident or had an engine expire with 10 laps remaining received nothing for those efforts. 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). In his free time, you can find him tinkering with his own vehicles, trying to make them faster and more exciting. Essentially, the stage racing format in NASCAR is designed to help keep the pack together and not let one driver dominate. NASCAR instituted stage breaks and stage points for the 2017 season and has kept the system in place since. That decision was no doubt aided by a thrilling NASCAR Xfinity Series race that took place on the road course last season as a sort of test for what was to come. The reasons NASCAR implemented stage racing is myriad, as outlined in the info that follows. If a driver is pegged back every 65 laps or so - as is the case at the. The driver that passes the finish line first gets 10 stage points, while the 10th-place driver only gets 1 point. These criticisms are all fair. The reasoning behind the change in how the NASCAR races were set up all boils down to one thing. Then-NASCAR CEO Brian France addressed the media upon announcing stage racings implementation and was confident the leadership group made the correct decision. NASCAR Cup Series: Jimmie Johnson could return in 2021, Broncos' Derek Wolfe to Get MRI on Elbow Injury; Vic Fangio 'Not Optimistic'. Drivers in position 11 onward are awarded no points for the stage. So, now that you know what and why stages were included in NASCAR, you can enjoy the sport better. Furthermore, by vying for highly prized stage points, stages provided NASCAR drivers with additional motivation. 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. Obviously, we have our ups and downs, and I would say that we have struggled at times for sure, Martinsville being the worst. 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. Those who do not make the cut are left to prepare for the next racing season. Playoff points are awarded to stage winners and the ultimate winner of the race. Stage points will still be awarded at the stage-ending lap, but the green-checkered flag will not be displayed and there will not be a caution period to interrupt the action. Where the Term Came From A Beginners Guide to NASCAR: 6 Highlights of What NASCAR Is Like. STAGE WINNER: @dennyhamlin battles back on the outside to take Stage 2 in The Great American Race! Advancing teams carry their playoff points all the way through to the Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway in November. NASCARs equivalent of the home-field advantage found in other sports is playoff points. The race is split into four 100-lap stages. 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. This content is imported from YouTube. Manage Settings The field for the Daytona 500 is determined by the two qualifying events known as the Daytona Duels. Everyone who finishes a stage 11th and after earns no stage points. 06.06.2017. Required fields are marked *. There is nothing better than watching a close race from the comforts of your living room, except for maybe a viewpoint from the trackside. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Depending on the course, the first stage can be anywhere from 25 to 30 percent of the races overall duration. The weather is better for Cup drivers to race Monday at Dover Motor Speedway after rain postponed the event Sunday. This race had heat races to set the field but did not have stages during the main event. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Build your customFanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis onAll Racing and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. 1? To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Each driver within the top ten of each stage will receive points associated with their placement. It is now somewhat common to see teams gamble with their pit strategies to maximize stage points. The adjustments primarily involve reducing the number of laps in the third stage to ensure enough . Some would say this change ruins the racing experience. While there are plenty of logical and lucrative reasons to implement seasons of stage racing, not everyone is completely sold on it. Stages are currently present in all NASCAR point races. NASCAR is heading to the dirt track on March 27-28, 2021. Safety has always been important to NASCAR. 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.

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