The Xfinity and Truck Series stage layouts are similar to those for the Cup Series. This event marks the first NASCAR Cup Series race on the dirt since 1970. Some love it, some hate it, but all agree stages are here to stay. The top 10 during regular season standings also receive a gradation of playoff points. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. It also encourages a mix in the field of drivers on different pitting and tire strategies, which should lead to more passing and action. This changed in 2017, the same year NASCAR significantly overhauled its race format to implement stages. The formula for NASCAR has been pretty simple in terms of race format. The top 10 at the end of a stage score points. 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. Functional cookies help to perform certain functionalities like sharing the content of the website on social media platforms, collect feedbacks, and other third-party features. The top 10 finishers in each stage receive points on a 10-1 scale in the NASCAR points standings. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. NASCAR also had a an issue when it red-flagged a stage at Pocono after the pits were closed and then issued a one-lap, green-flag dash to the end of the stage, which didn't allow time for drivers who possibly had driven through debris a chance to pit. 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. Elton Sawyer, senior vice president of competition for NASCAR, said the move away from stage breaks at road courses was made in collaboration with teams and response from fans. It helps television with commercials because there is no action missed. I could go on the short run, but not the long run. Stage points for the top 10 drivers are awarded at the conclusion of stages 1 and 2. NASCAR has transformed the football field at the Coliseum into a quarter-mile track and hopes Sunday's race attracts football fans who wouldn't normally watch racing. STAGES: Stage 1 ends at Lap 14. 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. If the driver is selected for the 16-car field, these playoff points are added to their overall point total at the start of the playoffs. What is stage racing and why does NASCAR do it. 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. DISTANCE: The race is 62 laps (250 miles) on the 4.048-mile road course. Based on the outcomes of the single-car qualifying event earlier in the week, half of the field competes in each. While it doesnt happen often, once is enough to piss off a casual fan. Second place gets 35 points, third gets 34 points, fourth gets 33 points, until 36th-40th . 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. Stage racing has been controversial among fans but is now a staple of NASCAR competition. This creates more drama and crashes while preventing breakaway victories. When we introduced stage racing we took an element of strategy away from the event, Sawyer. The length of stages at Phoenix Raceway will be different than the stage lengths at other major series races like Daytona. To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. Want to know the most dangerous tracks this season? It gives drivers reason not to coast (especially at restrictor-plate races) and fans a reason to watch. Similar to an ordinary NASCAR event, both the Cup Series and Truck Series races will be divided into three stages, but changes to the format were implemented after Friday practice produced a . 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. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Joe is the owner and creator of this website. Teams now occasionally risk with their pit strategy to increase stage points. ET Monday. Experts state that there are a few reasons why NASCAR implemented stage racing. 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. ET Monday to begin the 400-lap race on the 1-mile concrete oval. 25% for Stage 1 would be 92 laps. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Stage racing is simply NASCAR's way of bunching the field up a couple of times and trying to create something interesting. (Chastain). Drivers now earn bonus points by finishing in the top 10 at the end of the first and second stages of a race. The main reason is there are no commercial breaks at live race events that can interfere with active racing moments. When did NASCAR implement stages? However, the older lot might still reminisce about the old days prior to these additions. Exploring & Preparing. Stage racing is impossible in 150-mile races; therefore, NASCAR drivers complete all 60 laps without any pauses. 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 shorter portions of races create different race day strategies that tend to make for a more explosive and action-packed race. 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? But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Stage racing falls exactly in line with this philosophy. and then runs 40 percent of the race in the final stage. Table of Contents 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. The average number of cautions per race (9.1) is well ahead of the first 18 races last year (7.5) but not a ton more than in 2015 (8.4). The third and final stage decides the winner and all other positions. It appears as an artificial way to bunch up the field and give teams extra time to make adjustments. The stage points drivers win can add more energy and excitement to races that used to only have one race winner per event. Stage 2 ends at Lap 250. It usually takes about 40 to 50 percent of the whole races duration, making it nearly invariably the longest stage. Often winners of stages and winners of the overall race are not the same, which also creates more action for sports betting, a very lucrative attraction NASCAR offers. The two events, the Busch Light Clash and the Duels at Daytona, are the only races in NASCAR that do not have stages. NASCAR now races in stages during Cup, XFinity and Trucks Series races but what actually are stages in NASCAR? 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. NASCAR announced the change Tuesday in a session with reporters at the NASCAR R&D Center. Because the cars are coming from the dirt surface to the concrete pit road, NASCAR didn't want drivers trying to maximize their time on. 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. Not only could that be the difference between making the playoffs or not, it also gives drivers different points variables to play with. 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. 'I belong here': R. Truex wins first NASCAR race, Hendrick to drivers after injuries: Take it easy, Bowman out at least 3 races after sprint car crash, Busch barely makes finish in OT win at Talladega, Burton wins Xfinity Series crash-fest at Talladega, Hamlin claims first superspeedway pole at Dega, Harvick was once NASCAR's punk kid. A crew chief can determine that after stage 1, a guaranteed 9 or 10 points outweighs the uncertainty of racing later in the pack. These stages act as 2 mini-races and one half-duration race instead of one high-mileage event. What NASCAR Track Has the Steepest Banking? 1991 These criticisms are all fair. It rewards those who are fast at the beginning of the race. Drivers in position 11 onward are awarded no points for the stage. 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. STARTING LINEUP: Dover Cup starting lineup. I mean, just a joke 80-something laps into a race? That is just the nature of that beast of restrictor plate racing.. NASCAR is heading to the dirt track on March 27-28, 2021. Now he's molding its future, Sports leagues unite to set limits on betting ads, Kaulig Racing has points restored by NASCAR, Larson races past Logano to win at Martinsville, Nemechek holds off Smith for 2nd Xfinity win, Preece claims pole at Martinsville; Elliott 24th, Elliott vows to keep snowboarding after accident, NASCAR star Elliott set to return at Martinsville, Zane Smith to drive in place of suspended Ware, NASCAR's Ware arrested on assault charges, Dirt-racing star Bell tops Reddick to win Bristol, Bowman, Byron penalized for postrace violations, Hamlin's penalties for hit on Chastain upheld, Team owners' feud with NASCAR gives fans excuse to tune out -- again, Owners skip NASCAR meeting over revenue talks, Jones replaces Kenseth in JGR's No. This creates a higher sense of urgency, forcing drivers to fight hard for every position much earlier in a race than what used to occur prior to stage racing implementation. By the way, Brad Keselowski had an interesting view on this topic: "The teams are pretty adamant that they want to see the laps count, because they are putting miles on the engines and don't want that to count for nothing," he said. Dillon was instrumental in convincing his grandfather, team owner Richard Childress, to bring Busch into the fold at RCR. ET Monday. You also earn playoff points per stage you win, which is added to your postseason total. Driver intros will take place at 11:30 a.m. 2023 Minute Media - All Rights Reserved. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. 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. Are NASCAR cars all the same? NASCAR created stage racing in 2017 to increase competition throughout the race. Although it has caused quite a controversy, stage racing is now a standard feature of NASCAR competition, and its something we all need to deal with. To ensure ad space buyers and fans of fixed commercial spots that guarantee interruption-free green flag racing. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Analytics". Fans. Apr 20, 2022 12:01 AM. Stages 1 and 2 offer extra points for each driver, and the Coca-Cola 600, stage 3 also gives the same points. 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. TV/RADIO: FS1 will broadcast the race at 12 p.m. Performance Racing Networks radio coverage begins at 11 a.m. and also will stream at goprn.com. As far as the playoff points are concerned, leave that for the race wins. The Cup garage will open at 9 a.m. Each three-race playoff round is a crucial time to earn playoff points. What was previously compared to the endurance required of top athletes and marathon runners has been effectively halved, making it far less impressive when a racer flies across the finish as the checkered flag flies. Playoff points are awarded to stage winners and the ultimate winner of the race. That's why less people are buying tickets. Stage racing wasn't always a thing in NASCAR, and is probably one of the newest changes the sport has made over the years. This applies to all top 3 levels of NASCAR competition: the Cup Series, the Xfinity Series, and the Truck Series. How would stages make racing more exciting, you might ask? 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. NASCAR announced Tuesday changes to the stage lengths at 16 Cup Series races for the 2020 season. 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). Ever since i got in my pedal powered car 40 or so years ago I have been a lifelong fan of all motor racing, particular NASCAR and Indy, so this site is made to help share the answers to those questions that pop up mid race! Wins are worth five playoff points apiece. There are 3 stages in nearly all NASCAR races. This, in the end, brings in more money for the drivers, the teams, and the racetracks. However, a Duel win does not count toward advancing to the playoffs. This immeasurable change would save many lives in years to come. Motor Racing Sports is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. The televised racing experience was also a key factor in NASCARs decision to alter the framework of its races. Even some drivers were skeptical about the pending changes, wondering aloud if stages would negatively impact races. It is frustrating when green flag racing is interrupted by a commercial break, leaving fans mostly clueless as to what is happening. 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. All 3 series use the regular season point and playoff points system, meaning all stage winners receive 10 points and 1 playoff point. The stage winner is awarded 10 points, the second-highest driver earns 9 points, down to the 10th-place finisher, who earns one additional bonus point. This is especially true of teams near the playoff bubble as the season progresses because they know every single point matters. Stage 2 ends at Lap 29. 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. Last year through 18 races, the average number of caution laps was 39.9, but it was as high as 44.2 in 2014. Restrictor-plate races have been found to cause bunching up of racers which leaves less time to react to race obstacles. NASCAR introduced stage racing in 2017 as a way to adapt its traditional long-duration races to a larger digital audience. Playoff points, typically coveted and only available when a racer finishes the full race, are available at the ends of stages. "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. And certainly a group of fans would shake their heads in disgust. Restrictor plates are devices installed between the carburetor and intake manifold that restrict the amount of air and fuel entering the engine's combustion chamber. 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. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images). 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. 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. Larson returned to the track after repairs. NASCAR earlier this month announced the stage lengths for those 36 Cup Series races in 2020, beginning with Sunday's 200-lap Daytona 500. TV/RADIO: Qualifying coverage on CNBC begins at 11 a.m. Pre-race . The sport of NASCAR may not be as rich as the multi-billion-dollar NFL, but that doesnt mean its poor, either. The main reason is there are no commercial breaks at live race events that can interfere with active racing moments. Officials believed this was a great way to improve its races. During the scheduled stage breaks, it is much easier for NASCAR to sell commercial space for official races, which helps with televised broadcasts. 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. Brad Keselowski was initially against the premise of stage racing when rumors first spread about the concept in the early 2010s. At the end of the year, the drivers at the top of the points leaderboard move on to the playoffs, when wins are taken into account. 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. Now more rewards are given more frequently to racers at each stage, and points and stage endings replace multiple cautions per race techniques. Your email address will not be published. This is true for the Truck Series, Xfinity, and the Cup Series, considered the top three tiers of NASCAR racing. Fans argue that the planned stage-ending cautions are better than phantom debris cautions, and that much is true. Stage 01. Stage 1 makes up roughly the first quarter of the race, though this can vary depending on the track. You might be wondering why NASCAR races now have stages. The reasons that the stages were added to NASCAR racing all boil down to one thing. These cookies help provide information on metrics the number of visitors, bounce rate, traffic source, etc. Stage racing is simply NASCAR's way of bunching the field up a couple of times and trying to create something interesting . DISTANCE: The race is 400 laps (400 miles) on the 1-mile track. 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. This is peak participation trophy logic and rewards the wrong individuals for focusing on the wrong aspects of racing. 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. Stage racing wasn't always a thing in NASCAR, and is probably one of the newest changes the sport has made over the years. With NASCAR, it is always possible future officials could change course in favor of something new and inventive. We'll assume you're ok with this, but you can opt-out if you wish. A Beginners Guide to NASCAR: 6 Highlights of What NASCAR Is Like. Rockingham Motor Speedway will begin a new life as a dedicated used car storage centre for the owner of Cinch and WeBuyAnyCar. That leads to the question that has been asked since even before the 2017 season began: should NASCAR get rid of stages? Each driver will earn the points above for each stage that is not the final one. Stages are currently present in all NASCAR point races. ", Button battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut. The move comes in. 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. Stage racing was implemented in NASCAR to remove the chance of race domination by single race drivers. Even lauding that the fence "did its . Stage racing means every pit strategy becomes entirely based on the stages. This is the exploratory stage where fundamental questions are answered, such as what will actually be implemented. 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. Great for the drivers, but for me personally as a fan (and . Your email address will not be published. Be the first one to comment on this story. 1? NASCAR races were once run start-to-finish with no mandated breaks in the action. These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Stages split NASCAR races into 3 segments and afford the opportunity for more points if a driver runs well all race. Having points available at predetermined increments during a NASCAR race has changed the way races are run in other ways as well. The winner earns 10 points plus 1 playoff point and each subsequent finisher earns 1 fewer point. There will be no stage breaks for the Craftsman Truck Series race at Circuit of the Americas (March 25). This, along with the five points given to the race winner, adds up to a grand total of 61 points. 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). Stages also replace pit stops and give drivers a break they would never have been able to take during the old races. At the end of each race stage, points and playoff points are tallied and awarded to the winning drivers. Everyone who finishes a stage 11th and after earns no stage points. Furthermore, by vying for highly prized stage points, stages provided NASCAR drivers with additional motivation. Die-hard track-attending fans are not happy with stage racing implementation since they dont benefit from the onscreen advantages television spectators gain. It all just comes down to excitement and incentive at the end of the day. 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. Each Cup race with the exception of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (with four) has three stages. NASCAR stages are competition yellow flags in the middle of the damn race! They claim that NASCAR just wants more restarts because a certain type of NASCAR fan only tunes in to see big crashes. NASCAR has been a common household name for decades. Playoff points are extremely valuable during each 3-race round of the playoffs. Often a couple of racers can gain an intimidating lead that, unless crashes or car trouble occurs, will be maintained all three hours. 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. 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. Safety has always been important to NASCAR. Required fields are marked *. By doing this, they will often trade worse track positions on the next restart to try banking stage points on the front end. The racers in the lead change more frequently, which makes the races and, therefore, the season closer in points and more suspenseful for fans. The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. The reasoning behind the change in how the NASCAR races were set up all boils down to one thing. The three most-cited reasons: --Cost of the trip. Or four, when talking about the 600-mile race at Charlotte. The obvious reasons why this change was made in 2017 can be blamed on numerous things, starting with the most important. C'mon, admit it. Each race is divided into three stages (four for the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway), and points are awarded to the. Would love your thoughts, please comment. 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). If a driver wins both stages and the race, he/she earns a . 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. 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. The second stage also makes up 25 to 30 percent of the race. All picks and predictions are suggestions only. Your favorite teams, topics, and players all on your favorite mobile devices. The wreck happened in the first stage of the race, a fact both Larson and Poole pointed out after the crash. 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. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. 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. I have not had a lot of restrictor plate wins and have been lucky enough to get those wins. Maybe thats just too old school. Buschs win at Talladega last week, his first at the 2.66-mile track in 15 years, gave the team a boost. After all, keeping the pack together leads to more contact and more drama, Dragon Ball Super chapter 81 release time for English translation confirmed. And what's not to like? 30% for Stage 1 would be 110 laps, so it would be 110, 110 and 147, which makes Stage 3 pretty short relative to Stage 1 and Stage 2. Bigger changes have happened seemingly out of nowhere. Add to this stopping mid-way, and the crashes and bumps are sure to increase. Do fans, especially those watching on television, like these breaks as real breaks when talking about events that often last more than three hours? It was my first time in a new Cup car, and 80 laps out for what? In a stunning development, NASCAR announced Sunday evening that Chase Elliott has been declared the winner of the M&M's Fan Appreciation 400 at Pocono Raceway after both Denny Hamlin and Kyle . Ricky Stenhouse Jr. placed second. the device limits the power output of the motor and hence slows both the acceleration and the overall top speeds . 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. ET Monday. Then-NASCAR CEO Brian France addressed the media upon announcing stage racings implementation and was confident the leadership group made the correct decision. 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. Stage racing and the subsequent cautions provide organic commercial breaks during which fans miss nothing. At each stage, you also win awards you playoff points, which are added to your overall postseason score. And each time it does, it has seen the very predictable consequences . You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. When NASCAR races first began, there were no required interruptions during all of the action. NASCAR needs fan viewership to remain a viable product in the crowded sports and media landscape, so it opted to make drastic changes to its race format in an attempt to do so. The winner and all other positions are decided in the third and final stage. NASCAR instituted stage breaks and stage points for the 2017 season and has kept the system in place since.
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why did nascar implement stages