why did nascar implement stages

The first two are about a quarter distance in length each, with the final stage making up over half the race. 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. 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. The length of stages at Phoenix Raceway will be different than the stage lengths at other major series races like Daytona. Of course, they could do that anyway without the "stages," but this at least gives fans a starting point. I think 100 laps turned out to be a nice compromise. Driver intros will take place at 11:30 a.m. Stages also replace pit stops and give drivers a break they would never have been able to take during the old races. Sunday Road America Cup race: Start time, weather, TV This means selecting, designing and developing the intervention to be implemented. The caution laps counting seems kind of right but so wrong. If a driver is pegged back every 65 laps or so - as is the case at the. The winner and all other positions are decided in the third and final stage. 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 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 Clash is an exhibition race that opens each NASCAR season. MORE: NASCAR outlaws Ross Chastain Martinsville move, MORE: Hendrick Motorsports president says no changes in driver policy. 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.. At each stage, you also win awards you playoff points, which are added to your overall postseason score. The third and final stage decides the winner and all other positions. When did NASCAR implement stages? It gives drivers reason not to coast (especially at restrictor-plate races) and fans a reason to watch. His "Garage Mahal" in Mooresville, NC, was a . 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 racing is impossible in 150-mile races; therefore, NASCAR drivers complete all 60 laps without any pauses. With that said, however, he also finished first in both Stages 1 and 2, netting him 20 extra points. How would stages make racing more exciting, you might ask? Problems with racing back to the caution Safety Drivers now earn bonus points by finishing in the top 10 at the end of the first and second stages of a race. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. FORECAST: Weather Underground Mostly cloudy with a high of 59 degrees and no chance of rain at the start of the race. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. 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. Analysis: NASCAR can't seem to win when racing in the rain - Motorsport SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will carry the PRN broadcast. 65 laps in Stage 2, from Lap 66 to Lap 130, 70 laps in Stage 3, from Lap 131 to Lap 200. Stage 1 makes up roughly the first quarter of the race, though this can vary depending on the track. 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. 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. Earnhardt was a legend. At this point, why not just have 50-lap sprint races each week? 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. 1991 It all just comes down to excitement and incentive at the end of the day. I think the fans would ultimately lose.". Stage 1 is 65 laps long, starting at lap 1. ET Monday. Why did NASCAR implement stage racing? He got the finish he deserved, and I didnt do a good enough job to get the finish that we needed out of that one (Dillon was third, Busch 32nd). 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. STAGE POINTS: Drivers finishing first through 10th in both Stage 1 and Stage 2 (and Stage 3 in the Coca-Cola 600) earn bonus points. NASCAR doesn't have pit crews for the race at Bristol. No reason. A brief explanation of stage racing in NASCAR - Sportskeeda But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Now, you may wonder how stages increase the excitement of racing. It depends on what you watch NASCAR for and what you wish to get out of a race. How NASCAR Stages Work. By nature, stage racing also creates another unnecessary element that takes away from the competition itself. Table of Contents No longer do young NASCAR racers start at their local tracks and work their way up. Instead of the field being strung out halfway through a race, the leaders are suddenly brought back together, creating more intensity. Now more rewards are given more frequently to racers at each stage, and points and stage endings replace multiple cautions per race techniques. 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. Again, isnt the goal to win races? Manage Settings The sport of NASCAR may not be as rich as the multi-billion-dollar NFL, but that doesnt mean its poor, either. 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. Stage racing wasn't always a thing in NASCAR, and is probably one of the newest changes the sport has made over the years. That's OK. Let's just think about the stages themselves. Teams now occasionally risk with their pit strategy to increase stage points. All NASCAR points races now have stages. Baker recalled a lengthy meeting with . We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. Additionally, stage winners each receive one playoff point, which is a point that is added to their point totals after the points/standings resets take place at the beginning of the round of 16, the round of 12 and the round of 8 of the playoffs. Then-NASCAR president Brent Dewar talked about stage racing and its effect on television viewership in 2017, saying our fans are eating it up.. When the mid-point of the race is stopped for a stage change, instead of being the highest speed passing portion, some fans may be a little put-off. Stage points incentivize racing throughout the race and not just for the win and to offer more passing opportunities during the race. After an early-race crash sparked by Ross Chastain parked Brennan Poole in Mondays Cup race at Dover Motor Speedway, Poole said Chastain probably needs to get his butt whooped.. Stage racing is one of many controversial topics in NASCAR, and there are certainly things that NASCAR needs to fix before stage racing. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. The second stage also makes up 25 to 30 percent of the race. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. And what's not to like? (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images). 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. While this is nice for fans that like a little of this kind of action, it is contrary to the intended goal of keeping drivers from crashing through NASCAR official policies. Lets dig into these reasons a little deeper so you will better understand each of the those given about why NASCAR started stage racing. Pole-sitter Kyle Busch is scheduled to lead the field to the green flag at 12:10 p.m. Everyone who finishes a stage 11th and after earns no stage points. Every NASCAR season begins with an exhibition race called The Clash. 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. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. In his free time, you can find him tinkering with his own vehicles, trying to make them faster and more exciting. The last stage is always the longest distance of the entire race, and usually involves a pitstop as well. In fact, up until 2017, the race was all-out until you finished. Essentially, the stage racing format in NASCAR is designed to help keep the pack together and not let one driver dominate. The top 10 at the end of a stage score points. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. Bigger changes have happened seemingly out of nowhere. It was my first time in a new Cup car, and 80 laps out for what? 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. 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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. NASCAR All-Star Race adds element for pit crews For almost all of its history, the only time a caution flag flew was because of an incident on track. Once the checkered flag flies, normal points are distributed throughout the field based on finishing order. Initially, only on-track incidents resulted in raising the red flag. NASCAR: Just how good is Bubba Wallace at superspeedways? . 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. NASCAR announced that the Dover Cup race has been postponed to Monday because of rain. 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. NASCAR Making Its Points, Pt. II - Frontstretch Now they can make banging snacks and still follow their teams perfectly. Officials believed this was a great way to improve its races. I have not had a lot of restrictor plate wins and have been lucky enough to get those wins. Stage racing is simply NASCAR's way of bunching the field up a couple of times and trying to create something interesting . Simply put, this will make our great racing even better, France said. 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. Often a couple of racers can gain an intimidating lead that, unless crashes or car trouble occurs, will be maintained all three hours. Essentially, the stage racing format in NASCAR is designed to help keep the pack together and not let one driver dominate. Wave them off with a green flag, and about three hours later, see them in with a chequered one. Even lauding that the fence "did its . The reasons NASCAR implemented stage racing is myriad, as outlined in the info that follows. It usually takes about 40 to 50 percent of the whole races duration, making it nearly invariably the longest stage. (Chastain). Spend time assessing the needs of those affected by the . 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. Restrictor plate | Stock Car Racing Wiki | Fandom NASCAR back on dirt at Bristol with revamped Easter night race 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). This, along with the five points given to the race winner, adds up to a grand total of 61 points. As the season continues, this is especially true for teams vying for postseason spots since they know that every point counts. Having points available at predetermined increments during a NASCAR race has changed the way races are run in other ways as well. This is peak participation trophy logic and rewards the wrong individuals for focusing on the wrong aspects of 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. Each three-race playoff round is a crucial time to earn playoff points. Busch Series cars had 2001 Restrictor plate package? : r/NASCAR - Reddit NASCAR Cup Series: Jimmie Johnson could return in 2021, Broncos' Derek Wolfe to Get MRI on Elbow Injury; Vic Fangio 'Not Optimistic'. Stage racing and the subsequent cautions provide organic commercial breaks during which fans miss nothing. We continue to talk about our stuff and how we can get better, Busch said Saturday at Dover. How NASCAR's choose rule works - NASCAR 101 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. All 3 series use the regular season point and playoff points system, meaning all stage winners receive 10 points and 1 playoff point. Stage racing was implemented in NASCAR to remove the chance of race domination by single race drivers. Your email address will not be published. and then runs 40 percent of the race in the final stage. NASCAR instituted stage breaks and stage points for the 2017 season and has kept the system in place since. Joe is the owner and creator of this website. Typically only the winner of the racing venues gets playoff points and is the singular winner of the event. This bet occasionally pays off, but it can also have disastrous results. NASCAR racing did not always include stage racing. That's why less people are buying tickets. The adjustments primarily involve reducing the number of laps in the third stage to ensure enough . Why Are There 2 Qualifying Races Before the Daytona 500? - Sportscasting 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, 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. ARCA * All cars must be equipped with a Race Safe light system. 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. Playoff points are also distributed to the top-10 finishers in the regular season standings on a sliding scale. The Cup garage will open at 9 a.m. The piece highlighted several factors explaining why stock car racing has yet to recover from the slump caused by the 2008-09 economic crash: A less affluent audience base than other major. Full highlights and race results from the 2023 Daytona 500 Why is stage racing so hated? : r/NASCAR - Reddit So, its kind of pathetic. These stages act as 2 mini-races and one half-duration race instead of one high-mileage event. I know it used to be, but nowadays, its like its almost not even necessary. 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 . It also encourages a mix in the field of drivers on different pitting and tire strategies, which should lead to more passing and action. Although these sometimes happen on their own throughout the race, there are other times where the opportunity doesn't present itself. After all, keeping the pack together leads to more contact and more drama, Dragon Ball Super chapter 81 release time for English translation confirmed. Kyle Busch will lead the field to the green flag after qualifying was canceled Saturday by rain. NASCAR deemed Stenhouse was in the lead when a caution was called on the final lap of the race.Ross Chastain topped Stage 2, while Brad Keselowski picked up a Stage 1 win. Each stage length is determined well before the race, and each is ended with a green/white checkered. link to Is NASCAR Racing Profitable for Teams? The pending end of a stage. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Why did NASCAR implement stage racing? Build your customFanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis onAll Racing and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. But its an unnecessary element of strategy that does nothing to enhance the on-track product. Advertisement cookies are used to provide visitors with relevant ads and marketing campaigns. 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. The reasons that the stages were added to NASCAR racing all boil down to one thing. A profound loss of a racing icon changed the way NASCAR viewed safety. The Xfinity and Truck Series stage structures are also much like the Cup Series description listed above. So, in a nutshell, stage racing has achieved what NASCAR anticipated: adding interest and strategy to the sport. 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. It rewards those who are fast at the beginning of the race. 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. 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. ", Button battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. NASCAR, known for its trackside excitement, has not remained unaffected by this trend and broke up the 3+ hour single races into stages.if(typeof ez_ad_units!='undefined'){ez_ad_units.push([[300,250],'speedtwitch_com-medrectangle-3','ezslot_5',183,'0','0'])};__ez_fad_position('div-gpt-ad-speedtwitch_com-medrectangle-3-0'); The number and distance of stags per race vary, but the resulting opinions on stage racing have been contentious. It all just comes down to excitement and incentive at the end of the day. 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. I was side-by-side with (. 25% for Stage 1 would be 92 laps. However, nothing public has been floated surrounding any imminent stage changes. Each Cup race with the exception of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (with four) has three stages. Though as of 2023 a race ends under caution with the field frozen if a caution occurs in the final lap of an overtime. Each driver will earn the points above for each stage that is not the final one. How has NASCAR safety changed over the years? - MassInitiative If there was a wild wreck or two, it was even better. If fans plan ahead, they can figure when to start eating certain snacks. The split racing format drastically affects the long-winded races and extreme endurance required in NASCARs traditional races. 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. The racers in the lead change more frequently, which makes the races and, therefore, the season closer in points and more suspenseful for fans. There are some folks out there who just can't grasp stage racing in the spirit of what they view a race should be. Obviously, we have our ups and downs, and I would say that we have struggled at times for sure, Martinsville being the worst. The breaks abounded for 4.8 percent of the race. A crew chief can determine that after stage 1, a guaranteed 9 or 10 points outweighs the uncertainty of racing later in the pack. NASCAR currently has no plans to get rid of stage racing in favor of a traditional, unsegmented race format. However, the older lot might still reminisce about the old days prior to these additions. Fans explain why they stopped attending NASCAR races - USA Today NASCAR introduced stage racing in 2017 as a way to adapt its traditional long-duration races to a larger digital audience. During the scheduled stage breaks, it is much easier for NASCAR to sell commercial space for official races, which helps with televised broadcasts. 2022 NASCAR All-Star Race: How the New Format Works - Sportscasting NASCAR: Dover Cup race not being broadcast on Fox. The final race wins are worth 5 points for the playoff, so a driver that wins both stages and the overall race can leave with 67 playoff points. You also earn playoff points per stage you win, which is added to your postseason total. This year, seven of the 16 races have taken more than 3 hours, 30 minutes to complete (including red-flag time). Every NASCAR driver will likely say that hasn't changed. 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. At the stage break, those who had yet to pit would do so, allowing those who stopped before the break to leapfrog back to the front. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. The breaks in the middle of races also allow for food runs and snack breaks without any risk of missing exciting green-flag racing. Stage racing means every pit strategy becomes entirely based on the stages. As NASCAR viewership moves to a larger digital spectatorship when compared to trackside fans, the race format has needed to adapt as well. 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. The winner of Stage 2 will start second for the final stage provided that driver finishes 15th or better in Stage 3, and the Stage 3 winner will start third in the final stage.

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