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. As winners pass the finished line to the green checkered flag that signals the end of the first two stages, the leading 10 drivers will be awarded stage points. No one should expect to make money from the picks and predictions discussed on this website. Stage racing is one of many controversial topics in NASCAR, and there are certainly things that NASCAR needs to fix before stage racing. 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? All NASCAR points races now have stages. 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. The pending end of a stage. Like, every year. To ensure ad space buyers and fans of fixed commercial spots that guarantee interruption-free green flag racing. You also earn playoff points per stage you win, which is added to your postseason total. 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. If any word can define the 2017 NASCAR Cup season, it could be this one: stages. The reasons that the stages were added to NASCAR racing all boil down to one thing. The last stage is always the longest distance of the entire race, and usually involves a pitstop as well. At this point, why not just have 50-lap sprint races each week? In fact, up until 2017, the race was all-out until you finished. Restrictor-plate races have been found to cause bunching up of racers which leaves less time to react to race obstacles. Stage racing wasn't always a thing in NASCAR, and is probably one of the newest changes the sport has made over the years. Stage 2 ends at Lap 29. First adopted in 2017, stages in NASCAR effectively break the race up into three mini-races. STAGE WINNER: @dennyhamlin battles back on the outside to take Stage 2 in The Great American Race! Why did NASCAR implement stage racing? Each stage length is determined well before the race, and each is ended with a green/white checkered. The length of stages at Phoenix Raceway will be different than the stage lengths at other major series races like Daytona. The 2017 NASCAR season saw the implementation of stage racing. Race wins are worth 5 points, while stage wins are worth 1. 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. How often do fans moan about qualifying? It gives drivers reason not to coast (especially at restrictor-plate races) and fans a reason to watch. Earnhardt was a legend. The stages add playoff benefits and a new point system that encourages racers to push hard like they would during qualifying races and other big events. Baker recalled a lengthy meeting with . Now they can make banging snacks and still follow their teams perfectly. Felt this (change) would bring some new storylines (in an event).. It helps television with commercials because there is no action missed. The move comes in. Still, due to circumstances beyond either of their control, way back when, the Cup series left the city. Stage points are awarded to the top 10 finishers after stages one and two. 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. Everyone who finishes a stage 11th and after earns no stage points. NASCAR has come to accept a lot of artificial excitement into their product, and stage racing is a result of that. Initially, only on-track incidents resulted in raising the red flag. Continue with Recommended Cookies. There will be no stage breaks for Xfinity races at Circuit of the Americas (March 25), Sonoma (June 10), Chicago street course (July 1), Indianapolis road course (Aug. 12), Watkins Glen (Aug. 19) and Charlotte Roval (Oct. 7). The two events, the Busch Light Clash and the Duels at Daytona, are the only races in NASCAR that do not have stages. These numbers are all added together to give the number of points each driver has gained from the race. With NASCAR, it is always possible future officials could change course in favor of something new and inventive. every driver a more significant incentive to race harder, https://www.espn.com/racing/nascar/story/_/id/19966894/nascar-pros-cons-new-stage-racing-format-2017, https://ftw.usatoday.com/2017/08/nascar-cup-series-stage-racing-new-format-martin-truex-jr-chase-playoff-points-standings, https://promo.espn.com/news/pages/story?page=NASCAR-Points-System. Essentially, the stage racing format in NASCAR is designed to help keep the pack together and not let one driver dominate. The winner and all other positions are decided in the third and final stage. Officials believed this was a great way to improve its races. This is peak participation trophy logic and rewards the wrong individuals for focusing on the wrong aspects of racing. 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. However, after Dale Earnhardt, Sr.'s fatal crash in the 2001 Daytona 500, safety burst to the forefront of NASCAR's technology development. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. There is a lot to dissect regarding the stage racing format, including how it works and why it was introduced in the first place. 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. It is frustrating when green flag racing is interrupted by a commercial break, leaving fans mostly clueless as to what is happening. Typically only the winner of the racing venues gets playoff points and is the singular winner of the event. This is exciting, because we see everyone win or lose on pit road immediately. Performance cookies are used to understand and analyze the key performance indexes of the website which helps in delivering a better user experience for the visitors. The caution laps counting seems kind of right but so wrong. We continue to talk about our stuff and how we can get better, Busch said Saturday at Dover. There is nothing better than watching a close race from the comforts of your living room, except for maybe a viewpoint from the trackside. Maybe it hasn't. But when I watch NASCAR, I don't get that vibe anymore. 275 max[] jg90270 max[] jg90270 (bs133hmfg) []np NASCAR had to make some changes to ensure the survival of the sport. Watching a race takes some preparation and rationing of snacks. 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. By placing in the top 10 at the end of the first and second stages of a race, drivers may now earn additional points. 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 awards a playoff point to the stage winner along with 10 points. The formula for NASCAR has been pretty simple in terms of race format. Please logout and login again. 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. 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. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category "Other. Stages split NASCAR races into 3 segments and afford the opportunity for more points if a driver runs well all race. Through 10 races, Busch has two wins, three top fives and five top 10s. Since then, the winner of each Duel receives 10 championship points. Spend time assessing the needs of those affected by the . NASCAR: Dover Cup race not being broadcast on Fox. 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. As the season continues, this is especially true for teams vying for postseason spots since they know that every point counts. These points were crucial because they determine how many points each driver receives after a race when they are added together. The race will be broadcast by FS1, Performance Racing Network and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio. 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. MORE: NASCAR outlaws Ross Chastain Martinsville move, MORE: Hendrick Motorsports president says no changes in driver policy. '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. The drivers have something to race for, even when it's just lap 20. Manage Settings 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. Essentially, the stage racing format in NASCAR is designed to help keep the pack together and not let one driver dominate. By doing this, they will often trade worse track positions on the next restart to try banking stage points on the front end. Well, this does in the sense that it sets up who has the best chance to earn points in the first stage. Sure, I understand that the top ten get points for each stage. NASCARs equivalent of the home-field advantage found in other sports is playoff points. They could round to 90 and then it would be 95, 95 and 187 - which makes Stage 3 pretty long. The wreck happened in the first stage of the race, a fact both Larson and Poole pointed out after the crash. For almost all of its history, the only time a caution flag flew was because of an incident on track. 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 longest stage of the race is always the final one. The first two-thirds of 35 of 36 Cup races feel all but irrelevant. The race is scheduled to begin at 12 p.m. Or four, when talking about the 600-mile race at Charlotte. 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. This is true for the Truck Series, Xfinity, and the Cup Series, considered the top three tiers of NASCAR racing. Furthermore, the introduction of stages gave NASCAR drivers an extra incentive by competing for highly coveted stage points. 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. "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. 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. 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. C'mon, admit it. Poole left the race. Ross Chastain finished third. I have been good a lot and have won a lot of races (but) not at restrictor plate tracks, Busch said. The crew chief and pit strategies teams need to incorporate stage endings into their race plans, and with stage structures, stage wins can matter as much as race wins for the championship competition. The Weather Underground forecast calls for partly cloudy skies and a high of 60 degrees. They want it to matter. NASCAR is settling with people in the crowd who sustain life altering injuries like it's nothing. Playoff points are awarded to stage winners and the ultimate winner of the race. NASCAR has had a set term of race format for almost 100 years, and the premise of stage racing greatly affects established team strategies. There were heat races to select the field for this race, but there were no stages for the main event. Drivers have an opportunity to accrue points in the regular season for qualifying in the championship competition. It is almost always the longest stage, often 40 to 50 percent of a races total length. Why did NASCAR implement stage racing? 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. 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. Stage points are available at the end of stages 1 and 2 for the top 10 drivers. The sport of NASCAR may not be as rich as the multi-billion-dollar NFL, but that doesnt mean its poor, either. It all just comes down to excitement and incentive at the end of the day. Can You Go To A NASCAR Race While Pregnant? The consent submitted will only be used for data processing originating from this website. Furthermore, by vying for highly prized stage points, stages provided NASCAR drivers with additional motivation. To attempt to bank stage points up front, they frequently exchange inferior track positions on the subsequent restart. We and our partners use data for Personalised ads and content, ad and content measurement, audience insights and product development. . There are 3 stages in nearly all NASCAR races. Again, isnt the goal to win races? It is now somewhat common to see teams gamble with their pit strategies to maximize stage points. Most NASCAR races are broken down into three stages. Many would say yes. Stage victories are worth one point, whereas race victories are worth five. Other uncategorized cookies are those that are being analyzed and have not been classified into a category as yet. Build your customFanSided Daily email newsletter with news and analysis onAll Racing and all your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and more. Stages help the most in preventing breakaway leaders in the first few laps of the race. Stage racing is simply NASCAR's way of bunching the field up a couple. 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. 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. He is a huge fan of fast cars and motorcycles and has always been drawn to the excitement and thrill of motorsports. I mean, just a joke 80-something laps into a race? 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. A pit road penalty or bad pit stop early has consequences. NASCAR racing did not always include stage racing. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. Stage racing is simply NASCAR's way of bunching the field up a couple of times and trying to create something interesting. This, along with the five points given to the race winner, adds up to a grand total of 61 points. Ricky Stenhouse Jr. placed second. Some still wonder, wanting to see how it plays out with stage winners earning one playoff point and race winners earning five. Where the Term Came From If a driver is pegged back every 65 laps or so as is the case at the Daytona 500 it will ensure they cant get to far away. Though as of 2023 a race ends under caution with the field frozen if a caution occurs in the final lap of an overtime. And current drivers seem to have quickly grown accustomed to stage racing and accepted it. 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. Contrary to Dewars proclamation, not all fans enjoyed the new stage racing format. It is also less exciting because there is less chance of someone quietly nailing the strategy in the background to emerge the winner in the last pit cycle. 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. Stage racing was introduced across NASCAR's three biggest series, the Cup Series, the Xfinity Series and the Truck Series, before the start of the 2017 season. However, a Duel win does not count toward advancing to the playoffs. But why did NASCAR start stage racing? The driver that passes the finish line first gets 10 stage points, while the 10th-place driver only gets 1 point. Each three-race playoff round is a crucial time to earn playoff points. 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 driver within the top ten of each stage will receive points associated with their placement. 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. But NASCAR is, first and foremost, an entertainment entity and recent history has shown its decisions will most often reflect that reality. 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). As NASCAR viewership moves to a larger digital spectatorship when compared to trackside fans, the race format has needed to adapt as well. Dillon was instrumental in convincing his grandfather, team owner Richard Childress, to bring Busch into the fold at RCR. Even if they occasionally occur naturally during the race, there are other moments when the chance isnt there. It depends on what you watch NASCAR for and what you wish to get out of a race. The first two are about a quarter distance in length each, with the final stage making up over half the race. 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. 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. Stage points are only handed out for the first and second stages. 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 . NASCAR competition officials announced rules changes Tuesday with the intent to slow Cup Series cars by approximately 7-10 mph at superspeedway events. This year, seven of the 16 races have taken more than 3 hours, 30 minutes to complete (including red-flag time). This immeasurable change would save many lives in years to come. These points add up to positions and advantages in playoff races and continue to accumulate through the first stages of the championship race. Bigger changes have happened seemingly out of nowhere. And what's not to like? At Phoenix Raceway, the stage breaks lasted for 12 laps, equating to .26 hours or 15.6 minutes. This content is imported from YouTube. Die-hard track-attending fans are not happy with stage racing implementation since they dont benefit from the onscreen advantages television spectators gain. I think a lot of that is going to come into play this weekend and next weekend, so I am optimistic and hopeful that we will have some really strong runs at Dover and Kansas. 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. 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 all just comes down to excitement and incentive at the end of the day. 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%. 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. Maybe thats just too old school. 2023 Nascar Chronicle. 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 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.
Kohl's Routing Guide 2020,
Bog Death Grip Replacement Head,
Sechrest Funeral Home Obituaries,
Articles W