Is it really too old school or too much to ask for a race to be run without scheduled breaks that create manufactured strategy for which planning for the entire race generally becomes much simpler? Stage racing falls exactly in line with this philosophy. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Can You Go To A NASCAR Race While Pregnant? NASCAR stages are competition yellow flags in the middle of the damn race! The more entertaining the races are, the more viewers they will get. 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. While there are plenty of logical and lucrative reasons to implement seasons of stage racing, not everyone is completely sold on it. NASCARs equivalent of the home-field advantage found in other sports is playoff points. The reasons that the stages were added to NASCAR racing all boil down to one thing. Sometimes this gamble pays off and other times it backfires greatly. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. NASCAR awards a playoff point to the stage winner along with 10 points. But Would that still be good? 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. This bet occasionally pays off, but it can also have disastrous results. 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. 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, along with the five points given to the race winner, adds up to a grand total of 61 points. What are stages in NASCAR? NASCAR racing did not always include stage racing. Advancing teams carry their playoff points all the way through to the Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway in November. It's also an incentive to race as hard as you can, no matter what lap it is, which has made for some good racing in the past. There was no doubt that the stages changed how people raced and how crew chiefs approached the season-opener, but I don't think we can blame the stages for the unusual amount of carnage, which. This changed in 2017, the same year NASCAR significantly overhauled its race format to implement stages. Stages also replace pit stops and give drivers a break they would never have been able to take during the old races. 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. Playoff points are awarded to stage winners and the ultimate winner of the race. Furthermore, the introduction of stages gave NASCAR drivers an extra incentive by competing for highly coveted stage points. This is the exploratory stage where fundamental questions are answered, such as what will actually be implemented. Instead of the field being strung out halfway through a race, the leaders are suddenly brought back together, creating more intensity. The last stage is always the longest distance of the entire race, and usually involves a pitstop as well. The top 10 finishers in each stage receive points on a 10-1 scale in the NASCAR points standings. "Considering feedback from teams, drivers and fans, NASCAR has implemented these changes to enhance competition," NASCAR senior vice president of competition Scott Miller said last year after. This year, seven of the 16 races have taken more than 3 hours, 30 minutes to complete (including red-flag time). These stages act as 2 mini-races and one half-duration race instead of one high-mileage event. The total number of laps in the race remains mostly unchanged but how races progress through these laps changes drastically. This, in the end, brings in more money for the drivers, the teams, and the racetracks. Joe is the owner and creator of this website. 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. I have not had a lot of restrictor plate wins and have been lucky enough to get those wins. I dont know. The 150-mile races are too short for stage racing, so NASCAR drivers race all 60 laps with no designated breaks. As always, all races are split into three stages, with the . A stage winner also receives one playoff point to their tally. 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. Safety has always been important to NASCAR. The second stage also makes up 25 to 30 percent of the race. With that said, however, he also finished first in both Stages 1 and 2, netting him 20 extra points. NASCAR has had a set term of race format for almost 100 years, and the premise of stage racing greatly affects established team strategies. When we introduced stage racing we took an element of strategy away from the event, Sawyer. Half the field competes in each one based on the results from single-car qualifying held earlier in the week. Stages split NASCAR races into 3 segments and afford the opportunity for more points if a driver runs well all race. I mean, just a joke 80-something laps into a race? Race wins are worth 5 points, while stage wins are worth 1. Please logout and login again. Just uncalled for. Often a couple of racers can gain an intimidating lead that, unless crashes or car trouble occurs, will be maintained all three hours. ", Button battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut. The final stages decide the races placement, giving them even more points. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. 06.06.2017. NASCAR had to make some changes to ensure the survival of the sport. 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. 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. Bristol Motor Speedway will host the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Truck Series in a double-header weekend. 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 top-10 drivers in the first and second stages will qualify for these extra points. Not only could that be the difference between making the playoffs or not, it also gives drivers different points variables to play with. Brennan Poole on Ross Chastain at Dover pic.twitter.com/cyj2TBODqL. Larson returned to the track after repairs. 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. Stage racing is one of many controversial topics in NASCAR, and there are certainly things that NASCAR needs to fix before stage racing. Add to this stopping mid-way, and the crashes and bumps are sure to increase. Race stages also break up speed top-speed races that push cars to their limits for 100s of laps. Stages are currently present in all NASCAR point races. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. By doing this, they will often trade worse track positions on the next restart to try banking stage points on the front end. NASCAR Cup Series: Jimmie Johnson could return in 2021, Broncos' Derek Wolfe to Get MRI on Elbow Injury; Vic Fangio 'Not Optimistic'. 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. Baker recalled a lengthy meeting with . 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. Your login session has expired. Be the first one to comment on this story. Once the checkered flag flies, normal points are distributed throughout the field based on finishing order. It makes the race much more exciting because the drivers are not only pushing their cars to the limit to get the winning points at the end but to gain the extra points they can earn by placing in the top ten of every stage. The top 10 finishers in each duel do earn stage points in the same manner as every other race. Contrary to Dewars proclamation, not all fans enjoyed the new stage racing format. 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. Stage racing is simply NASCAR's way of bunching the field up a couple of times and trying to create something interesting . Pole-sitter Kyle Busch is scheduled to lead the field to the green flag at 12:10 p.m. Table of Contents Watching a race takes some preparation and rationing of snacks. 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. The breaks in the middle of races also allow for food runs and snack breaks without any risk of missing exciting green-flag racing. Again, isnt the goal to win races? Each stage length is determined well before the race, and each is ended with a green/white checkered. Furthermore, by vying for highly prized stage points, stages provided NASCAR drivers with additional motivation. 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. Simply put, this will make our great racing even better, France said. Fans. The race will be broadcast by FS1, Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. The first two-thirds of 35 of 36 Cup races feel all but irrelevant. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. In its press release, NASCAR termed stage racing competition format enhancements. NASCAR hopes viewers will be more engaged in watching miniature races within the framework of a traditional race. Stage racing has been controversial among fans but is now a staple of NASCAR competition. NASCAR: Just how good is Bubba Wallace at superspeedways? We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. It helps television with commercials because there is no action missed. 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. 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. Common critiques of stage racing from these fans usually revolve around the idea that stage racing is gimmicky. Wins are worth five playoff points apiece. Most NASCAR races are broken down into three stages. The leaders know they will vie for that stage win and the regular-season points that go with it. NASCAR vs IndyCar: What are the 4 main differences? A profound loss of a racing icon changed the way NASCAR viewed safety. How often do fans moan about qualifying? Required fields are marked *. It essentially breaks each race. This race had heat races to set the field but did not have stages during the main event. Cars would pit when they could, hoping to get a caution so they could come in and get some fuel and new tires. Still, due to circumstances beyond either of their control, way back when, the Cup series left the city. 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. The obvious reasons why this change was made in 2017 can be blamed on numerous things, starting with the most important. This is peak participation trophy logic and rewards the wrong individuals for focusing on the wrong aspects of racing. Been in and out of cars of varying speeds since i was a child and sharing what i have learnt here. Until 2017, the races were merely qualifying events that awarded no championship points. There are vocal, passionate fans on both sides of the issue. 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. There is a 1% chance of rain for the start of the race. On average, the races have lasted seven minutes longer this season than in 2016. NASCAR competition officials announced rules changes Tuesday with the intent to slow Cup Series cars by approximately 7-10 mph at superspeedway events. I could go on the short run, but not the long run. Some love it, some hate it, but all agree stages are here to stay. 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.. In his free time, you can find him tinkering with his own vehicles, trying to make them faster and more exciting. I was side-by-side with (. 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. (Chastain). The two events, the Busch Light Clash and the Duels at Daytona, are the only races in NASCAR that do not have stages. That's OK. Let's just think about the stages themselves. We continue to talk about our stuff and how we can get better, Busch said Saturday at Dover. DISTANCE: The race is 400 laps (400 miles) on the 1-mile track. 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 race is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. 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 is important because it reduces the number of full-screen commercial breaks during green flag racing, something that often irks fans watching from home. For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. These points are different from playoff points and help with qualifying and other track position reward in future races. Stage 1 is 65 laps long, starting at lap 1. STARTING LINEUP: Dover Cup starting lineup. FORECAST: Weather Underground Mostly cloudy with a high of 59 degrees and no chance of rain at the start of the race. This immeasurable change would save many lives in years to come. 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. (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 main reason is there are no commercial breaks at live race events that can interfere with active racing moments. These criticisms are all fair. NASCAR earlier this month announced the stage lengths for those 36 Cup Series races in 2020, beginning with Sunday's 200-lap Daytona 500. But its an unnecessary element of strategy that does nothing to enhance the on-track product. At each stage, you also win awards you playoff points, which are added to your overall postseason score. Stages change this by turning the single-race competition into 2 mini races and a full race that is half the duration of the total initial race. As 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. 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. Where the Term Came From You also earn playoff points per stage you win, which is added to your postseason total. This creates more drama and crashes while preventing breakaway victories. 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. Stages help the most in preventing breakaway leaders in the first few laps of the race. Even if they occasionally occur naturally during the race, there are other moments when the chance isnt there. 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. Each three-race playoff round is a crucial time to earn playoff points. 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. Stage racing was implemented in NASCAR to remove the chance of race domination by single race drivers. There will be no stage breaks for the Craftsman Truck Series race at Circuit of the Americas (March 25). 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. A racer that gets an early start will most likely not be ahead the entire race as race conditions change and the race stops and starts at least twice more. Caution periods and pitstops were the only breaks teams could count on from the rigors of the endurance race, and teams had to strategize accordingly. Every NASCAR driver will likely say that hasn't changed. #DAYTONA500 pic.twitter.com/N7xf3dX6FD. That's why less people are watching. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. 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 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. Experts state that there are a few reasons why NASCAR implemented stage racing. Having points available at predetermined increments during a NASCAR race has changed the way races are run in other ways as well. Missing an amazing pass or crash in NASCAR due to a dragging ad is just as upsetting as not seeing a touchdown pass in football for the same reasons. Since 2017, the main three sections of NASCAR (cup cars, XFinity, trucks) all compete in races that have three stages per race, with a fourth stage being added into the longer Coca-Cola 600. Confused yet? It all just comes down to excitement and incentive at the end of the day. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. The winner and all other positions are decided in the third and final stage. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. A short track built within the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum served as the venue for the 2022 competition. 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. This applies to all top 3 levels of NASCAR competition: the Cup Series, the Xfinity Series, and the Truck Series. Many would say yes. The 2017 NASCAR season saw the implementation of stage racing. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. It is almost always the longest stage, often 40 to 50 percent of a races total length. Essentially, the stage racing format in NASCAR is designed to help keep the pack together and not let one driver dominate. NASCAR introduced stage racing in 2017 as a way to adapt its traditional long-duration races to a larger digital audience. 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. 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. 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.