There were heat races to select the field for this race, but there were no stages for the main event. Spend time assessing the needs of those affected by the . Well, this does in the sense that it sets up who has the best chance to earn points in the first stage. So, in a nutshell, stage racing has achieved what NASCAR anticipated: adding interest and strategy to the sport. 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. (Chastain). Kevin Harvick dominated a 400-mile race Sunday in Las Vegas, leading 214 of 267 laps and comfortably winning both stages and the . Some love it, some hate it, but all agree stages are here to stay. Want to know the most dangerous tracks this season? Through 10 races, Busch has two wins, three top fives and five top 10s. 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). 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. 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. That leads to the question that has been asked since even before the 2017 season began: should NASCAR get rid of stages? The Xfinity and Truck Series stage structures are also much like the Cup Series description listed above. 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. No longer do young NASCAR racers start at their local tracks and work their way up. The last stage is always the longest distance of the entire race, and usually involves a pitstop as well. The 2022 event was raced on a short track created inside the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. 2023 Nascar Chronicle. 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. 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. This event marks the first NASCAR Cup Series race on the dirt since 1970. While it is true that 10 points for winning a stage is nowhere near 40 points for winning a race and sacrifices are often made, such as not making a late pit stop, to finish stages in the top 10, those point totals still add up. Wins are worth five playoff points apiece. In those races, stage points will be awarded on a designated lap, but there will be no green-and-checkered flag and the racing will continue. STARTING LINEUP: Dover Cup starting lineup. Depending on the course, the first stage can be anywhere from 25 to 30 percent of the races overall duration. A Beginners Guide to NASCAR: 6 Highlights of What NASCAR Is Like. Every NASCAR driver will likely say that hasn't changed. Dillon was instrumental in convincing his grandfather, team owner Richard Childress, to bring Busch into the fold at RCR. The top 10 at the end of a stage score points. It gives drivers reason not to coast (especially at restrictor-plate races) and fans a reason to watch. Earnhardt was a legend. Although these sometimes happen on their own throughout the race, there are other times where the opportunity doesn't present itself. All with the aim of making racing both closer and more exciting a spectacle. The Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway is the only NASCAR race that does not have 3 stages. It all just comes down to excitement and incentive at the end of the day. It helps television with commercials because there is no action missed. FORECAST: Weather Underground Mostly cloudy with a high of 59 degrees and no chance of rain at the start of the race. One example of this would be the Daytona 500. which consisted of two 65-lap stages. (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. Advancing teams carry their playoff points all the way through to the Championship Race at Phoenix Raceway in November. Similar complaints have been levied about the various playoff formats NASCAR has used to crown its champion since abandoning the season-long format after the 2003 season. Just look at the differences in the final 2019 championship standings, the standings without playoffs, and the standings without stages. NASCAR typically divides the opening 60% of the race into the first two stages to determine stage length. As always, all races are split into three stages, with the . Great for the drivers, but for me personally as a fan (and . To view the purposes they believe they have legitimate interest for, or to object to this data processing use the vendor list link below. STAGE WINNER: @dennyhamlin battles back on the outside to take Stage 2 in The Great American Race! Furthermore, by vying for highly prized stage points, stages provided NASCAR drivers with additional motivation. 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. 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. Stages in NASCAR explained First adopted in 2017, stages in NASCAR effectively break the race up into three mini-races. 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. All NASCAR points races now have stages. By pitting early, they would be behind those who stayed out to collect the stage points. While there are usually three stages in each NASCAR race, the exception to the rule is the Coca-Cola 600, which is given a fourth stage due to the longer distance. To the fans who've stuck with us today, we say thank you.Let's enjoy this #DAYTONA500 on FOX! For more information, please read our Legal Disclaimer. They could round to 90 and then it would be 95, 95 and 187 - which makes Stage 3 pretty long. 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 weather is better for Cup drivers to race Monday at Dover Motor Speedway after rain postponed the event Sunday. That's why less people are buying tickets. This applies to all top 3 levels of NASCAR competition: the Cup Series, the Xfinity Series, and the Truck Series. This added intrigue and strategy is exactly what NASCAR hoped stage racing would accomplish. Stage racing wasn't always a thing in NASCAR, and is probably one of the newest changes the sport has made over the years. The top-10 drivers in the first and second stages will qualify for these extra points. I was side-by-side with (. DISTANCE: The race is 62 laps (250 miles) on the 4.048-mile road course. ET Monday. 275 max[] jg90270 max[] jg90270 (bs133hmfg) []np Playoff points, typically coveted and only available when a racer finishes the full race, are available at the ends of stages. Confused yet? Stage racing wasn't always a thing in NASCAR, and is probably one of the newest changes the sport has made over the years. A stage winner also receives one playoff point to their tally. The obvious reasons why this change was made in 2017 can be blamed on numerous things, starting with the most important. MORE: NASCAR outlaws Ross Chastain Martinsville move, MORE: Hendrick Motorsports president says no changes in driver policy. Are NASCAR cars all the same? Of course, they could do that anyway without the "stages," but this at least gives fans a starting point. Drivers now earn bonus points by finishing in the top 10 at the end of the first and second stages of a race. ET Monday. 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. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Everyone who finishes a stage 11th and after earns no stage points. Playoff points are awarded to stage winners and the ultimate winner of the race. ET Monday to begin the 400-lap race on the 1-mile concrete oval. Poole left the race. 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. Then-NASCAR president Brent Dewar talked about stage racing and its effect on television viewership in 2017, saying our fans are eating it up.. Playoff points are extremely valuable during each 3-race round of the playoffs. 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. NASCAR All-Star Race adds element for pit crews But NASCAR is, first and foremost, an entertainment entity and recent history has shown its decisions will most often reflect that reality. These cookies track visitors across websites and collect information to provide customized ads. Stage points are only handed out for the first and second stages. I have not had a lot of restrictor plate wins and have been lucky enough to get those wins. That decision was no doubt aided by a thrilling NASCAR Xfinity Series race that took place on the road course last season as a sort of test for what was to come. It certainly should be. For almost all of its history, the only time a caution flag flew was because of an incident on track. 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. ", Button battles heat exhaustion in NASCAR debut. I have been good a lot and have won a lot of races (but) not at restrictor plate tracks, Busch said. The reasons that the stages were added to NASCAR racing all boil down to one thing. Continuing its tradition of innovation, NASCAR, in collaboration with drivers, teams, and manufacturers, built a new generation of car the NASCAR Next Gen car aimed to further reduce costs. 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. ARCA * All cars must be equipped with a Race Safe light system. 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). STAGES: Stage 1 ends at Lap 120. What are stages in NASCAR? NASCAR now races in stages during Cup, XFinity and Trucks Series races but what actually are stages in NASCAR? The organization introduced Stage racing in 2017, hoping to increase excitement and provide teams with stage points. Restrictor-plate races have been found to cause bunching up of racers which leaves less time to react to race obstacles. Busch will start on the pole and Dillon in the last starting spot in Sundays Cup Series race at Dover Motor Speedway after qualifying was cancelled Saturday. But why did NASCAR start stage racing? Just uncalled for. Each three-race playoff round is a crucial time to earn playoff points. Now, you may wonder how stages increase the excitement of racing. Some of them are quite surprising. 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. The breaks in the middle of races also allow for food runs and snack breaks without any risk of missing exciting green-flag racing. The Stage 1 winner will start on the pole for the final stage - if that driver finishes 15th or better in Stages 2 and 3. But some drivers say it makes superspeedways even more dangerous; lets look at why NASCAR started stage racing and what the stage racing format is. 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. 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. It all just comes down to excitement and incentive at the end of the day. 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. If fans plan ahead, they can figure when to start eating certain snacks. NASCAR stages are competition yellow flags in the middle of the damn race! 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. Do All NASCAR Races Have The Same Number Of Stages. How often do fans moan about qualifying? Build your customFanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis onAll Racing and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. Now the drivers do get credit for strong starts. This brings the total laps to 130 and sets the field up for a 70-lap shootout to the end. Typically only the winner of the racing venues gets playoff points and is the singular winner of the event. Stage points incentivize racing throughout the race and not just for the win and to offer more passing opportunities during the race. The length of stages at Phoenix Raceway will be different than the stage lengths at other major series races like Daytona. As the season continues, this is especially true for teams vying for postseason spots since they know that every point counts. These criticisms are all fair. The final stage often accounts for between 40% and 50% of the entire distance, whereas the first and second stages typically make up roughly 25% to 30%. As NASCAR viewership moves to a larger digital spectatorship when compared to trackside fans, the race format has needed to adapt as well. Why did NASCAR implement stage racing? Like, every year. 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. Go figure. Analytical cookies are used to understand how visitors interact with the website. They claim that NASCAR just wants more restarts because a certain type of NASCAR fan only tunes in to see big crashes. Stage points for the top 10 drivers are awarded at the conclusion of stages 1 and 2. Can You Go To A NASCAR Race While Pregnant? Even lauding that the fence "did its . The final stage goes off the points listed above. NASCAR announced the change Tuesday in a session with reporters at the NASCAR R&D Center. Lets dig into these reasons a little deeper so you will better understand each of the those given about why NASCAR started stage racing. SiriusXM NASCAR Radio will carry the PRN broadcast. 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. The race is split into four 100-lap stages. While it doesnt happen often, once is enough to piss off a casual fan. This is especially true of teams near the playoff bubble as the season progresses because they know every single point matters. The formula for NASCAR has been pretty simple in terms of race format. In his free time, you can find him tinkering with his own vehicles, trying to make them faster and more exciting. The racers in the lead change more frequently, which makes the races and, therefore, the season closer in points and more suspenseful for fans. To attempt to bank stage points up front, they frequently exchange inferior track positions on the subsequent restart. Half the field competes in each one based on the results from single-car qualifying held earlier in the week. All 3 series use the regular season point and playoff points system, meaning all stage winners receive 10 points and 1 playoff point. 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. This is peak participation trophy logic and rewards the wrong individuals for focusing on the wrong aspects of racing. Experts state that there are a few reasons why NASCAR implemented stage racing. (Photo by Matt Sullivan/Getty Images). 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. Brennan Poole on Ross Chastain at Dover pic.twitter.com/cyj2TBODqL. He is a huge fan of fast cars and motorcycles and has always been drawn to the excitement and thrill of motorsports. I did not mean to do that at all, Chastain told his crew via radio. The top 10 finishers in each stage also earn regular-season points, which is important because at the end of the regular season, drivers ranked 1 to 10 in overall regular-season points earn additional playoff points on a 15-10-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 scale. Each Cup race with the exception of the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte (with four) has three stages. But it is one part of the system that just seems a little too foreign, riding around waiting for the pits to open until television coverage comes back from commercial breaks. 65 laps in Stage 2, from Lap 66 to Lap 130, 70 laps in Stage 3, from Lap 131 to Lap 200. I dont know. Safety has always been important to NASCAR. This website uses cookies to improve your experience. As NASCAR viewership moves to a larger digital spectatorship when compared to trackside fans, the race format has needed to adapt as well. 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. 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. Essentially, the stage racing format in NASCAR is designed to help keep the pack together and not let one driver dominate. Stage racing and the subsequent cautions provide organic commercial breaks during which fans miss nothing. The race is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. Stage racing is simply NASCAR's way of bunching the field up a couple of times and trying to create something interesting . If any word can define the 2017 NASCAR Cup season, it could be this one: stages. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Necessary". This is a key decision-making phase in implementation. There is nothing better than watching a close race from the comforts of your living room, except for maybe a viewpoint from the trackside. 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. And current drivers seem to have quickly grown accustomed to stage racing and accepted it. 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. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. 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. It is now somewhat common to see teams gamble with their pit strategies to maximize stage points. Answers to the 8 Most Interesting NASCAR Questions. At Phoenix Raceway, the stage breaks lasted for 12 laps, equating to .26 hours or 15.6 minutes. 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. There are 3 stages in nearly all NASCAR races. Many would say yes. Stage 1 is 65 laps long, starting at lap 1. 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.. NASCAR stated there will be no stage breaks in the Cup road course events at Circuit of the Americas (March 26), Sonoma (June 11), Chicago street course (July 2), Indianapolis road course (Aug. 13), Watkins Glen (Aug. 20) and Charlotte Roval (Oct. 8). Essentially, the stage racing format in NASCAR is designed to help keep the pack together and not let one driver dominate. The points for the race are all added together to give the driver and their team an earned amount of points for the race. 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. The Xfinity and Truck Series stage layouts are similar to those for the Cup Series. This means selecting, designing and developing the intervention to be implemented. 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. When we introduced stage racing we took an element of strategy away from the event, Sawyer. Each stage length is determined well before the race, and each is ended with a green/white checkered. There is a lot to dissect regarding the stage racing format, including how it works and why it was introduced in the first place. 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 are currently present in all NASCAR point races. Continue with Recommended Cookies. Fans. The top 10 finishers in each stage receive points on a 10-1 scale in the NASCAR points standings. Despite the fact that NASCAR prioritizes driver safety in some cases, on some superspeedways, things can actually become more dangerous. It is almost always the longest stage, often 40 to 50 percent of a races total length. 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. 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. The two events, the Busch Light Clash and the Duels at Daytona, are the only races in NASCAR that do not have stages. 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. Those playoff points (including those earned in the playoffs) carry over to each reset playoff round, except for the finale at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Simply put, this will make our great racing even better, France said. Translation: the drivers are paying for the pleasure of racing. NASCAR announced Tuesday changes to the stage lengths at 16 Cup Series races for the 2020 season. All advice, including picks and predictions, is based on individual commentators opinions and not that of Minute Media or its related brands. Why did NASCAR implement stage racing? By placing in the top 10 at the end of the first and second stages of a race, drivers may now earn additional points. What NASCAR Track Has the Steepest Banking? 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. However, a Duel win does not count toward advancing to the playoffs. It all just comes down to excitement and incentive at the end of the day. The shorter portions of races create different race day strategies that tend to make for a more explosive and action-packed race. When did NASCAR implement pit road speed limits? 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. I think 100 laps turned out to be a nice compromise. This, in the end, brings in more money for the drivers, the teams, and the racetracks. The Clash is an exhibition race that opens each NASCAR season. Not only could that be the difference between making the playoffs or not, it also gives drivers different points variables to play with. By having 2 designated caution periods, broadcast networks can burn 2 full-screen commercial periods per stage break: 1 right after the stage ends and 1 after pit stops are completed before the race resumes under green. Common critiques of stage racing from these fans usually revolve around the idea that stage racing is gimmicky. It depends on what you watch NASCAR for and what you wish to get out of a 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. 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. Let's also say that he finished fourth in the second stage, earning him seven points, and second in the first stage, giving him nine points. Teams now occasionally risk with their pit strategy to increase stage points. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. The split racing format drastically affects the long-winded races and extreme endurance required in NASCARs traditional races. It is frustrating when green flag racing is interrupted by a commercial break, leaving fans mostly clueless as to what is happening. At each stage, you also win awards you playoff points, which are added to your overall postseason score. So, its kind of pathetic. The 2017 NASCAR season saw the implementation of stage racing. Second place gets 35 points, third gets 34 points, fourth gets 33 points, until 36th-40th . But its an unnecessary element of strategy that does nothing to enhance the on-track product. We and our partners use cookies to Store and/or access information on a device. In fact, up until 2017, the race was all-out until you finished. 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. However, the older lot might still reminisce about the old days prior to these additions. All stage points a driver accumulates are added to this number. The winner earns 10 points plus 1 playoff point and each subsequent finisher earns 1 fewer point. Stages, like the playoffs themselves among other changes NASCAR has made over the years, have been criticized as being gimmicky, and they certainly dont fit the mold of what youd expect from a sport that thrives off its grassroots fanbase. So, the 2nd-place driver earns 9 stage points, the 3rd-place driver earns 8, and so on. Bristol Motor Speedway will host the NASCAR Cup Series and the NASCAR Truck Series in a double-header weekend. It also encourages a mix in the field of drivers on different pitting and tire strategies, which should lead to more passing and action. 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. Stage racing was implemented in NASCAR to remove the chance of race domination by single race drivers. Felt this (change) would bring some new storylines (in an event).. 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. These points add up to positions and advantages in playoff races and continue to accumulate through the first stages of the championship race. On Lap 81, Chastain bumped the rear of Pooles car, sending Poole up the track and into the outside wall.
Junior Hockey Tryouts 2022,
Nelson Funeral Home Obits Berryville, Ar,
Professional Gift Wrapping Services,
Articles W
