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. That's OK. Let's just think about the stages themselves. Confused yet? 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. However, nothing public has been floated surrounding any imminent stage changes. Why is stage racing so hated? : r/NASCAR - Reddit 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. The reasoning behind the change in how the NASCAR races were set up all boils down to one thing. In fact, up until 2017, the race was all-out until you finished. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, call 1-800-GAMBLER. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images). Brennan Poole on Ross Chastain at Dover pic.twitter.com/cyj2TBODqL. 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). 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. 2023 Nascar Chronicle. Depending on the course, the first stage can be anywhere from 25 to 30 percent of the races overall duration. By nature, stage racing also creates another unnecessary element that takes away from the competition itself. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. I have been good a lot and have won a lot of races (but) not at restrictor plate tracks, Busch said. If any word can define the 2017 NASCAR Cup season, it could be this one: stages. To attempt to bank stage points up front, they frequently exchange inferior track positions on the subsequent restart. I dont know. A short track built within the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum served as the venue for the 2022 competition. Officials issued the rules bulletin to teams . 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. The more heated the race was, the better it was for all the racing fans. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. NASCAR Cup Series at Dover results: Chase Elliott wins; now all The reasons NASCAR implemented stage racing is myriad, as outlined in the info that follows. Why Did NASCAR Go To Stage Racing? - SpeedTwitch Your email address will not be published. It was my first time in a new Cup car, and 80 laps out for what? FORECAST: Weather Underground Mostly cloudy with a high of 59 degrees and no chance of rain at the start of the race. And each time it does, it has seen the very predictable consequences . Each of the stages starts and ends with a checked green/white flag, not the traditional end of the race checkerboard. NASCAR, traditionally an endurance sport, relies on racers staying focused and alive for 3+ hours while sitting in a 140-degree F cockpit and hurtling along a trick at 200 MPH. ET Monday to begin the 400-lap race on the 1-mile concrete oval. But why did NASCAR start stage racing? Exploring & Preparing. One example of this would be the Daytona 500. which consisted of two 65-lap stages. With NASCAR, it is always possible future officials could change course in favor of something new and inventive. The three most-cited reasons: --Cost of the trip. 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. 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. The organization introduced Stage racing in 2017, hoping to increase excitement and provide teams with stage points. 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. 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 third and final stage decides the winner and all other positions. So, now that you know what and why stages were included in NASCAR, you can enjoy the sport better. 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. Not only could that be the difference between making the playoffs or not, it also gives drivers different points variables to play with. The drivers have something to race for, even when it's just lap 20. NASCAR introduced stage racing in 2017 as a way to adapt its traditional long-duration races to a larger digital audience. Can You Go To A NASCAR Race While Pregnant? 1? 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. Rewarding guys who hit the wall early or make some other silly error but decide not to pit at the end of the stage with more points than anybody else in the field in the stage is just flat-out ridiculous. Even if they occasionally occur naturally during the race, there are other moments when the chance isnt there. NASCAR Is Ruining Stock Car Racing, One Rule Change At A Time 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. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will carry the PRN broadcast. Stages are currently present in all NASCAR point races. Safety has always been important to NASCAR. Playoff points are extremely valuable during each 3-race round of the playoffs. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category "Functional". After all, keeping the pack together leads to more contact and more drama, Dragon Ball Super chapter 81 release time for English translation confirmed. Once the checkered flag flies, normal points are distributed throughout the field based on finishing order. Stage 2 ends at Lap 29. Why Did NASCAR Start Stage Racing? - Motor Sports Racing Stage racing was implemented in NASCAR to remove the chance of race domination by single race drivers. NASCAR vs IndyCar: What are the 4 main differences? 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 . NASCAR has been a common household name for decades. NASCAR awards a playoff point to the stage winner along with 10 points. How NASCAR Stages Work - Ultimate Beginner's Guide The weather is better for Cup drivers to race Monday at Dover Motor Speedway after rain postponed the event Sunday. But Would that still be good? In his free time, you can find him tinkering with his own vehicles, trying to make them faster and more exciting. This immeasurable change would save many lives in years to come. 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. 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. Like, every year. 2023 Daytona 500 cheat sheet: Everything you need to know - ESPN Table of Contents Go figure. Wins are worth five playoff points apiece. The driver that passes the finish line first gets 10 stage points, while the 10th-place driver only gets 1 point. ARCA * All cars must be equipped with a Race Safe light system. Race stages also break up speed top-speed races that push cars to their limits for 100s of laps. Analysis: How the addition of stages affected the Daytona 500 - Motorsport The top 10 finishers in each stage receive points on a 10-1 scale in the NASCAR points standings. Why does Daytona 500 have different stages? A guide to NASCAR stage racing The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. NASCAR racing did not always include stage racing. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. As soon as the green flag is raised and the cars accelerate, the final stage most closely mimics an authentic, vintage NASCAR race. This is a key decision-making phase in implementation. 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. 65 laps in Stage 2, from Lap 66 to Lap 130, 70 laps in Stage 3, from Lap 131 to Lap 200. 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. 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. The televised racing experience was also a key factor in NASCARs decision to alter the framework of its races. 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. This means selecting, designing and developing the intervention to be implemented. Problems with racing back to the caution Safety The move comes in. Stage points are available at the end of stages 1 and 2 for the top 10 drivers. A profound loss of a racing icon changed the way NASCAR viewed safety. NASCAR stages are competition yellow flags in the middle of the damn race! This race had heat races to set the field but did not have stages during the main event. 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. The Clash is an exhibition race that opens each NASCAR season. It all just comes down to excitement and incentive at the end of the day. Based on the outcomes of the single-car qualifying event earlier in the week, half of the field competes in each. Drivers in position 11 onward are awarded no points for the stage. 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. Been in and out of cars of varying speeds since i was a child and sharing what i have learnt here. The regular season point and playoff point systems are used for all three series; thus, each stage winner receives ten regular season points and one playoff point. 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. Each Cup race with the exception of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (with four) has three stages.2022-02-20. The pending end of a 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. The leaders know they will vie for that stage win and the regular-season points that go with it. Generally, the first two stages are a quarter of the total race distance each, and the third stage is the remaining half, although that exact split is usually not that easy per existing track lengths. Stage racing wasn't always a thing in NASCAR, and is probably one of the newest changes the sport has made over the years. Bill France Jr., former NASCAR president, did too. NASCAR Making Its Points, Pt. II - Frontstretch 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 device limits the power output of the motor and hence slows both the acceleration and the overall top speeds . 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. No longer do young NASCAR racers start at their local tracks and work their way up. Stage points incentivize racing throughout the race and not just for the win and to offer more passing opportunities during the race. Should NASCAR get rid of stage racing? - beyondtheflag.com NASCAR: How the L.A. Coliseum was transformed into a track - Yahoo Sports Stage 2 ends at Lap 250. The caution laps counting seems kind of right but so wrong. 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. As the season continues, this is especially true for teams vying for postseason spots since they know that every point counts. Sometimes stages work out as a 40/60 split, with 30% each for the first and second stages and the remaining 40% representing the final and longest stage. . First adopted in 2017, stages in NASCAR effectively break the race up into three mini-races. NASCAR Should Give The Hook To Its New Gimmick - Forbes By pitting early, they would be behind those who stayed out to collect the stage points. The formula for NASCAR has been pretty simple in terms of race format. Shouldn't running up front during a race matter for something? If a driver is pegged back every 65 laps or so - as is the case at the. Why Do NASCAR Races Have Stages? - FLOW RACERS The total number of laps in the race remains mostly unchanged but how races progress through these laps changes drastically. NASCAR is heading to the dirt track on March 27-28, 2021. Reverse Engineering NASCAR Stage Lengths : Building Speed NASCAR typically divides the opening 60% of the race into the first two stages to determine stage length. And certainly a group of fans would shake their heads in disgust. Baker recalled a lengthy meeting with . Stage points for the top 10 drivers are awarded at the conclusion of stages 1 and 2. All NASCAR points races now have stages. Racing back to the caution - Wikipedia The main reason is there are no commercial breaks at live race events that can interfere with active racing moments. 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. NASCAR hasnt just captured the imagination of its race fans, but also of much of the wider world through the medium of film. 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.. The top-10 drivers in the first and second stages will qualify for these extra points. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". 2022 NASCAR All-Star Race: How the New Format Works - Sportscasting However, a Duel win does not count toward advancing to the playoffs. Restrictor-plate races have been found to cause bunching up of racers which leaves less time to react to race obstacles. 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. At Phoenix Raceway, the stage breaks lasted for 12 laps, equating to .26 hours or 15.6 minutes. 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. NASCAR now races in stages during Cup, XFinity and Trucks Series races but what actually are stages in NASCAR? All betting content is intended for an audience ages 21+. 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. Die-hard track-attending fans are not happy with stage racing implementation since they dont benefit from the onscreen advantages television spectators gain. The trucks have been racing on dirt since 2013, however this will be their first go at Bristol. So, in a nutshell, stage racing has achieved what NASCAR anticipated: adding interest and strategy to the sport. There will be no stage breaks for the Craftsman Truck Series race at Circuit of the Americas (March 25). He is a huge fan of fast cars and motorcycles and has always been drawn to the excitement and thrill of motorsports. Stage racing falls exactly in line with this philosophy. Stage racing was implemented in NASCAR to remove the chance of race domination by single race drivers. By placing in the top 10 at the end of the first and second stages of a race, drivers may now earn additional points. Full highlights and race results from the 2023 Daytona 500 Stage racing is simply NASCAR's way of bunching the field up a couple of times and trying to create something interesting. Dillon was instrumental in convincing his grandfather, team owner Richard Childress, to bring Busch into the fold at RCR. 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.. Stage winners and the overall race winner both get playoff points. Through 10 races, Busch has two wins, three top fives and five top 10s. Despite the fact that NASCAR races typically include three stages, the Coca-Cola 600 is the exception to the norm because of its extended distance. The reasons NASCAR implemented stage racing is myriad, as outlined in the info that follows. Why did NASCAR implement stage racing? 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. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. Who will air Nascar in 2022? - Trackanya The winner and all other positions are decided in the third and final stage. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Driver intros will take place at 11:30 a.m. 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. Now, you may wonder how stages increase the excitement of racing. It is almost always the longest stage, often 40 to 50 percent of a races total length. The shorter portions of races create different race day strategies that tend to make for a more explosive and action-packed race. Fortunately for the sport, a lot of younger fans seem to dig into the Saturday night dirt heat feel of the race stages, and aren't turned off by it. After racing back to the caution was eliminated, the green-white-checkered rule was implemented to help avoid a race from finishing under caution, particularly in the middle of a lap. Everything You Need to Know about NASCAR's Bristol Dirt Race - Autoweek The closer the pack is together, and the more incentives they have to go for the lead, the better the entertainment will be for all the fans. STARTING LINEUP: Dover Cup starting lineup. It all just comes down to excitement and incentive at the end of the day. 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. The last stage is always the longest distance of the entire race, and usually involves a pitstop as well. A brief explanation of stage racing in NASCAR - Sportskeeda Contrary to Dewars proclamation, not all fans enjoyed the new stage racing format. Apr 20, 2022 12:01 AM. The sport of NASCAR may not be as rich as the multi-billion-dollar NFL, but that doesnt mean its poor, either. If fans plan ahead, they can figure when to start eating certain snacks. Kevin Harvick dominated a 400-mile race Sunday in Las Vegas, leading 214 of 267 laps and comfortably winning both stages and the . Brad Keselowski was initially against the premise of stage racing when rumors first spread about the concept in the early 2010s. 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. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Playoff points, typically coveted and only available when a racer finishes the full race, are available at the ends of stages. The Xfinity and Truck Series stage layouts are similar to those for the Cup Series. 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. Want to know the most dangerous tracks this season? 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). 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. "And I think that NASCAR is pretty adamant that they want them to count, otherwise the teams would run the cars out of gas purposely on the last lap so they don't have to pace around and waste that energy. 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. 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. Having points available at predetermined increments during a NASCAR race has changed the way races are run in other ways as well. Yeah, we get it. But that doesnt mean that we dont go to work and try and figure it out and make it better for both of us.. They could round to 90 and then it would be 95, 95 and 187 - which makes Stage 3 pretty long. No matter which side you fall on, it seems like stage racing is here to stay. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. 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. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. The Weather Underground forecast calls for partly cloudy skies and a high of 60 degrees. Then-NASCAR CEO Brian France addressed the media upon announcing stage racings implementation and was confident the leadership group made the correct decision. Manage Settings NASCAR: Dover Cup race not being broadcast on Fox. 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 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. The Cup garage will open at 9 a.m. Second place gets 35 points, third gets 34 points, fourth gets 33 points, until 36th-40th . How often do fans moan about qualifying? 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. Bigger changes have happened seemingly out of nowhere. Of course, they could do that anyway without the "stages," but this at least gives fans a starting point. Many would say yes. During the scheduled stage breaks, it is much easier for NASCAR to sell commercial space for official races, which helps with televised broadcasts. Older fans, however, believe this was a crucial blow to NASCAR's diehard fans. Translation: the drivers are paying for the pleasure of racing. The top 10 finishers in each duel do earn stage points in the same manner as every other 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. When did NASCAR implement pit road speed limits? Stages in NASCAR explained First adopted in 2017, stages in NASCAR effectively break the race up into three mini-races. C'mon, admit it. 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. These points all go towards the playoff points, which either get them into the racing after the primary season or not, depending on actual race wins as well. 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. It all just comes down to excitement and incentive at the end of the day. Each race is divided into three stages (four for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway), and points are awarded to the. 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. When did NASCAR implement stages? Stage points incentivize racing throughout the race and not just for the win and to offer more passing opportunities during the race. Whoever crosses the finish line first among the final 4 drivers is crowned champion. Advancing teams carry their playoff points all the way through to the Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway in November. It depends on what you watch NASCAR for and what you wish to get out of a race. The length of stages at Phoenix Raceway will be different than the stage lengths at other major series races like Daytona. Drivers have an opportunity to accrue points in the regular season for qualifying in the championship competition.