Adjust the cross weight to achieve the proper percentage of weight on the right front and left rear wheels. The easiest way to do this without changing the ride height is to determine the percentage of cross weight that is in the vehicle now. Multiply the percentage by the total vehicle weight. This is the amount of weight on the right front and left rear wheels. Determine the percentage of cross weight desired and multiply it times the total vehicle weight. This is the amount of weight desired on the right front and left rear wheels. Subtract the cross weight desired from the current cross weight (this is the weight difference and could be a negative number), then divide by 8. This number is how much weight on each wheel needs to be changed. Subtract this number from the left front wheel weight and adjust the weight jack accordingly. Add this number to the left rear wheel weight then adjust the weight jack. Subtract this number from the right rear wheel weight and change the weight jack. Finally add this number to the right front wheel weight and adjust the weight jack. An example of how this works is here. If your tracks rules don't allow weight jacks, there are spring rubbers and metal spring spacers that will raise and lower the ride heights of the car.
(Redirected from Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series)
Category | Stock cars |
---|---|
Country | United States |
Inaugural season | 1949 |
Constructors | Chassis built by various teams |
Engine suppliers | Various engine builders, badged as either Chevrolet, Ford, or Toyota |
Tire suppliers | Goodyear |
Drivers' champion | Joey Logano |
Teams' champion | Team Penske |
Makes' champion | Ford |
Official website | Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series |
Current season |
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) (often shortened to the Cup Series) is the top racing series of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). Since 2017, it has been named for its sponsor, Monster Energy, but has been known by other names in the past. The series began in 1949 as the Strictly Stock Division, and from 1950 to 1970 it was known as the Grand National Division. In 1971, when the series began leasing its naming rights to the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company, it was referred to as the Winston Cup Series. A similar deal was made with Nextel in 2003, and it became the Nextel Cup Series (2004–2007).[1] Sprint acquired Nextel in 2005, and in 2008 the series was renamed the Sprint Cup Series, which lasted until 2016. In December 2016, it was announced that Monster Energy would become the new title sponsor starting in 2017.
The championship is determined by a points system, with points being awarded according to finish placement and number of laps led. The season is divided into two segments. After the first 26 races, 16 drivers, selected primarily on the basis of wins during the first 26 races, are seeded based on their total number of wins. They compete in the last ten races, where the difference in points is greatly minimized. This is called the NASCAR playoffs.[2]
The series holds strong roots in the Southeastern United States, with half of the races in the 36-race season being held in that region. The current[when?] schedule includes tracks from around the United States. Regular season races were previously held in Canada, and exhibition races were held in Japan and Australia. The Daytona 500, the most prestigious race, had a television audience of about 9.17 million U.S. viewers in 2019.[3]
Cup Series cars are unique in automobile racing. The engines are powerful enough to reach speeds of over 200 mph (320 km/h), but their weight coupled with a relatively simple aerodynamic package (based on the body styles of cars currently available for retail sale in the United States) make for poor handling. The bodies and chassis of the cars are strictly regulated to ensure parity, and electronics are traditionally spartan in nature.
- 1History
- 1.3Nextel and Sprint
- 4Manufacturers' Championship
- 5Cup cars
- 5.1Evolution of Cup cars
History[edit]
Strictly Stock and Grand National[edit]
In 1949, NASCAR introduced the Strictly Stock division, after sanctioning Modified and Roadster division races in 1948. Eight races were run on seven dirt ovals and on the Daytona Beach beach/street course.[4]
The first NASCAR 'Strictly Stock' race was held at Charlotte Speedway on June 19, 1949. Jim Roper was declared the winner of that race after Glenn Dunaway was disqualified for having altered the rear springs on his car; the first series champion was Red Byron. The division was renamed 'Grand National' for the 1950 season, reflecting NASCAR's intent to make the sport more professional and prestigious. It retained this name until 1971. The 1949 Strictly Stock season is regarded in NASCAR's record books as the first season of GN/Cup history. Martinsville Speedway is the only track on the 1949 schedule that remains on the current schedule.
Seven-time Winston Cup champion Richard Petty.
Rather than having a fixed schedule of one race per weekend with most entrants appearing at every event, the Grand National schedule has included over sixty events in some years. Often there are two or three races on the same weekend and occasionally two races on the same day in different states.
In the early years, most Grand National races were held on dirt-surfaced short oval tracks that ranged in lap length from under a quarter-mile to over a half-mile, or on dirt fairgrounds ovals usually ranging from a half-mile to a mile in lap length. One hundred ninety-eight of the first 221 Grand National races were run on dirt tracks. Darlington Raceway, opened in 1950, was the first completely paved track on the circuit over one mile (1.6 km) long. In 1959, when Daytona International Speedway was opened, the schedule still had more races on dirt racetracks than on paved ones. In the 1960s as superspeedways were built and old dirt tracks were paved, the number of races run on dirt tracks was reduced.[5]
The last NASCAR race on a dirt track was held on September 30, 1970 at the half-mile State Fairgrounds Speedway in Raleigh, North Carolina. Richard Petty won that race in a Plymouth that had been sold by Petty Enterprises to Don Robertson and rented back by Petty Enterprises for the race.[5]
Winston Cup[edit]
The Winston Cup Series logo from 2000 to 2003.
Between 1971 and 2003, NASCAR's premier series was called the Winston Cup Series. It was sponsored by R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company cigarette brand Winston. In 1971, the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act banned television advertising of cigarettes. As a result, tobacco companies began to sponsor sporting events as a way to spend their excess advertising dollars and to circumvent the Public Health Cigarette Smoking Act's ban on television advertising. RJR's sponsorship became more controversial in the wake of the 1998 Tobacco Industry Settlement that sharply restricted avenues for tobacco advertising, including sports sponsorships.
The changes that resulted from RJR's involvement in the series as well as from the reduction in schedule from 48 to 31 races per year established 1972 as the beginning of NASCAR's 'modern era'. The season was made shorter, and the points system was modified several times during the next four years. Races on dirt tracks and on oval tracks shorter than 250 miles (400 kilometres) were removed from the schedule, and transferred to the short-lived NASCAR Grand National East Series. NASCAR's founder, Bill France Sr., turned over control of NASCAR to his oldest son, Bill France Jr. In August 1974, France Jr. asked series publicist Bob Latford to design a points system with equal points being awarded for all races regardless of length or prize money.[6] This system ensured that the top drivers would have to compete in all the races in order to become the series champion. This system remained unchanged from 1975 until the Chase for the Championship was instituted in 2004.
Seven-time Winston Cup champion Dale Earnhardt
Since 1982, the Daytona 500 has been the first non-exhibition race of the year.
ABC Sports aired partial or full live telecasts of Grand National races from Talladega, North Wilkesboro, Darlington, Charlotte, and Nashville in 1970. Because these events were perceived as less exciting than many Grand National races, ABC abandoned its live coverage. Races were instead broadcast, delayed and edited, on the ABC sports variety show Wide World of Sports.[7]
In 1979, the Daytona 500 became the first stock car race that was nationally televised from flag to flag on CBS. The leaders going into the last lap, Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison, wrecked on the backstretch while dicing for the lead, allowing Richard Petty to pass them both for the win. Immediately, Yarborough, Allison, and Allison's brother Bobby were engaged in a fistfight on national television. This underlined the drama and emotion of the sport and increased its broadcast marketability. The race coincided with a major snowstorm along the United States' eastern seaboard, successfully introducing the sport to a captive audience.
In 1981, an awards banquet began to be held in New York City on the first Friday evening in December. The first banquets were held in the Waldorf-Astoria's Starlight Room and in 1985 were moved to the much larger Grand Ballroom. But in 2001, the banquet portion was dropped in favor of a simpler awards ceremony. And in 2002, the awards ceremony was moved to the Hammerstein Ballroom at the Manhattan Center. However, in 2003, the festivities returned to the Waldorf's Grand Ballroom, and the banquet format was reinstated.
Tony Stewart Wife And Kids
In 1985, Winston introduced a new awards program called the Winston Million. From 1985 to 1997, any driver who won three of the four most prestigious races in the series was given one million dollars. The prize was only won twice; Bill Elliott won in 1985, Darrell Waltrip nearly won in 1989, Dale Jarrett nearly won in 1996, and Jeff Gordon won in 1997.[8] The Winston Million was replaced with a similar program, the Winston No Bull Five, in 1998. This program awarded one million dollars to any driver who won a prestigious race after finishing in the top five of the most previous prestigious race.[9]
The series underwent a large boom in popularity in the 1990s.[10] In 1994, NASCAR held the first Brickyard 400 at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Between 1997 and 1998, the winner's prize money for the Daytona 500 tripled. This coincided with a decline of popularity in American Championship Car Racing.
In 1999, NASCAR made a new agreement with Fox Broadcasting, Turner Broadcasting, and NBC. The contract, signed for eight years for Fox and six years for NBC and Turner, was valued at $2.4 billion.[11]
In 2001, Pixar visited NASCAR tracks as research for the 2006 animated filmCars, which included the voices of NASCAR drivers Richard Petty and Dale Earnhardt Jr.[12] To avoid advertising tobacco in a Disney film, 'Piston Cup' served as Pixar's allusion to the Winston Cup.[13]
Nextel and Sprint[edit]
The Nextel Cup Series logo from 2004 to 2007.
At the end of 2003, R.J. Reynolds Tobacco's sponsorship contract expired, and NASCAR negotiated a contract with Nextel, a telecommunications company. In 2004, the series became known as the Nextel Cup Series.
The 2006 merger between Sprint and Nextel resulted in the Cup Series being renamed the Sprint Cup, beginning with the 2008 season.[1]
The Sprint Cup trophy was designed by Tiffany & Co. and is silver, with a pair of checkered flags in flight.[14]
By 2009, the popularity boom of the 1990s had ended, and television ratings over the previous ten years had become more or less stagnant. Some long-time fans have criticized the series for losing its traditional appeal because of abandoning venues in the southeastern United States in favor of newer markets. They have also voiced discontent over Toyota's presence in the series. Japanese telecommunications corporation SoftBank acquired Sprint in July 2013. While NASCAR was suspicious of diversity promotion and aware of the negative implications of the redneck image, it also recognized the opportunities to expand the sport.[15] NASCAR CEOBrian France has become a prime target for criticism among fans.[16]
In 2016, NASCAR announced the creation of a charter system, which would guarantee 36 teams entry to all 36 races. Eligibility for a charter would depend on a team's attempts to qualify for every race within the previous three seasons. In conjunction with this rule, NASCAR also reduced the size of the Cup field to 40 cars.[17]
The Sprint Cup Series logo from 2008 to 2016.
Chase for the Cup[edit]
Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, Jimmie Johnson.
Along with the change in title sponsorship for the series, the 2004 season also introduced a new system for determining the series champion, influenced by the system used in the USAR Hooters Pro Cup Series.[18]
Originally known as the Chase for the Nextel Cup (or simply 'The Chase', and later changed to Sprint branding), the ten highest-scoring drivers and teams (plus ties) in the first 26 races of the season became eligible to win the championship by competing in a playoff held within the final ten races. This number was increased to 12 teams in 2007. The Chase participants had their points increased to a level mathematically unattainable by anyone outside this field (roughly 1,800 points ahead of the first driver outside the Chase). From the inaugural Chase in 2004 to the 2006 Chase, the drivers were seeded based on points position at the end of the regular season, with first place starting with 5,050 points and tenth place starting with 5,005. From 2007 to 2010, the points totals of each driver who made the Chase were reset to 5,000 points, plus ten additional points for each race victory during the first 26 races. Points would still be awarded as usual during the affected races. The driver leading in points after the 36th race would be declared the champion.
As part of a major change in the points system that took effect in 2011, the qualifying criteria and the points reset were changed as well. From 2011 to 2013, the ten drivers with the most points automatically qualified for the Chase. They were joined by two 'wild card' qualifiers, specifically the two drivers with the most race wins who were ranked between 11th and 20th in drivers' points. Their base point totals were then reset to 2,000 points, a level more than 1,000 points higher than that of the first driver outside the Chase. (Under the new point system, a race winner can earn a maximum of 48 points, as opposed to 195 in the pre-2011 system.) The ten automatic qualifiers received a bonus of three points for each win during the regular season, while the two wild card qualifiers received no such bonus. As in the past, the race layouts for the remaining ten races were the same, with no changes to the scoring system.[19] On November 20, 2011, Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards ended the season in a first-ever points tie. Stewart's five season wins (all in the Chase) over Edwards' one win (in the third race of the season) gave Stewart the tie-breaker. Hence he was named the winner of the 2011 NASCAR Cup Series Championship.
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For 2014, NASCAR announced wide-ranging changes to the Chase format:[2]
- The group of drivers in the Chase officially became the NASCAR Sprint Cup Chase Grid.
- The number of drivers qualifying for the Chase Grid ranges from 12 to 16.
- Fifteen of the 16 spots in the Chase Grid are reserved for the drivers with the most race wins over the first 26 races. The remaining spot is reserved for the points leader after 26 races, but only if that driver does not have a victory. If fewer than 16 drivers have wins in the first 26 races, the remaining Chase Grid spots are filled by winless drivers in order of points earned due that season. All drivers on the Chase Grid continue to have their driver points reset to 2,000 before the Chase, with a three-point bonus for each win in the first 26 races.
- The Chase is now divided into four rounds. After each of the first three rounds, the four Chase Grid drivers with the fewest number of points for the season are eliminated from the Grid and from Championship contention. Any driver on the Grid who wins a race in the first three rounds automatically advances to the next round. All drivers eliminated from the Chase have their points readjusted back to the points they started with at the beginning of the Round of 16, (race 27) plus any points earned after, using the regular season points scheme only (no Round of 12, or Round of Eight reset points). In 2016, the Chase for the Championship, formerly known as the Challenger, Contender, and Eliminator round, were changed to a Round of 16, Round of 12, and Round of 8.
- Round of 16 (Races 27–29)
- Begins with 16 drivers, each with 2,000 points, plus a 3-point bonus for each win in the first 26 races
- Round of 12 (Races 30–32)
- Begins with 12 drivers, each with 3,000 points
- Round of Eight (Races 33–35)
- Begins with eight drivers, each with 4,000 points
- Championship Four (final race)
- The last four drivers in contention for the season title start the race with 5,000 points, with the highest finisher in the race winning the Cup Series title. No bonus points are awarded for laps led or most laps led for these four drivers. If one of the Championship Four drivers wins the race, the maximum points they can get is 40.
- Round of 16 (Races 27–29)
To encourage continued competition among all drivers, a number of awards are given to drivers finishing outside the Chase. The highest finishing non-Chase driver (13th place at the end of the season from 2007 to 2013 and potentially anywhere from fifth to 17th place starting in 2014) is awarded a bonus of approximately one million dollars, and was originally given a position on stage at the post-season awards banquet. The awards banquet now focuses solely on the Chase, with all of the series' sponsored and contingency awards moved to a luncheon at Cipriani the day before the banquet.
This playoff system was implemented primarily to make the points race more competitive late in the season, and indirectly, to increase television ratings during the NFL season, which starts around the same time as the Chase begins. The Chase also forces teams to perform at their best during all three stages of the season, the first half of the regular season, the second half of the regular season, and the Chase.[20]
Previously, the champion could have been determined before the last race, or even several races before the end of the season, because it was mathematically impossible for any other driver to gain enough points to overtake the leader.
Monster Energy[edit]
The title sponsorship with Sprint ended after the 2016 season. On December 1, 2016, NASCAR announced it had reached an agreement with Monster Energy to become the new sponsor of NASCAR's premier series.[21] On December 19, 2016, NASCAR announced the new name for the series, Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series (MENCS) as well as the new series logo and new NASCAR logo.[22] On April 11, 2018, Monster Energy announced an extension of their sponsorship of the series through the end of the 2019 season.[23]
In 2017, stage racing was introduced. Races were broken up into three stages, four in the case of the Monster Energy Cup Series' longest race, the Coca-Cola 600. A stage consists of normal green flag racing followed by a stoppage on a designated lap signified by the waving of a green and white checkered flag, then a yellow flag. The top-10 finishers in each of the first two stages are awarded bonus championship points, 10 points to the winner, 9 points for the 2nd place car, down to 1 point for the 10th place car. The points earned are added to a driver/owner's regular season points total, while the winner of the stage receives an additional point that is added to their point total, after the reset, if they get into the NASCAR playoffs. The stage lengths vary by track, but the first two stages usually combine to equal about half of the race. The final stage (which still pays out championship points to all drivers) usually equals the other half. Also, a regular season points championship is awarded to the driver who scored the most points in the first 26 races (regular season). This championship does not award any bonus points to the winning driver. Otherwise, the points system and playoff format remained the same.
The current MENCS trophy is in the form of a chalice that stands at three feet tall and weighs 68 lbs. Made of machined aluminum and taking over 300 hours of craftsmanship, the trophy's exterior is decorated with the outlines of all 23 MENCS tracks. The cup portion is said to hold approximately 600 ounces of liquids, or 37 cans of Monster Energy.[24]
Drivers' Championship[edit]
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Drivers' Championship is awarded by the Chairman of NASCAR to the most successful Cup Series driver over a season, as determined by a points system based on race results and victories. First awarded in 1949 to Red Byron,[25] 32 different drivers have won the Championship. The first driver to win multiple Championships was Herb Thomas in 1951 and 1953, while the record for the most Championships, seven, is shared by Richard Petty,[26]Dale Earnhardt[27] and Jimmie Johnson. Johnson has the record for most consecutive Championships; he won five Championships from 2006 to 2010.[28] So far every Champion has originated from the United States.
Owners' Championship[edit]
The Cup Series Owner's Championship operates in the same manner as the Driver's Championship, except that points are awarded to each individual car. If an owner enters more than one car, each car is viewed and scored as a separate entity. The points in the Owners Championship is identical to the Drivers' list, with one minor exception: Drivers who are not eligible to earn points toward the Drivers' title can still earn points toward the Owners' Championship. An example of this occurred in the first race under the current points system, the 2011 Daytona 500. Under another rule newly implemented for the 2011 season, drivers are only allowed to earn drivers' points in one of NASCAR's three national series. Trevor Bayne, who won the race, did not earn any drivers' points because he chose to run for the Nationwide Series championship. However, he earned 47 owner's points for Wood Brothers Racing (43 base points, three bonus points for the win, and one bonus point for leading a lap).
Before a major change to the points system was implemented in 2011, there was a slightly different addition to the system of allocating owner's points. If more than 43 cars attempted to qualify for a race, owner's points were awarded to each car in the following manner: the fastest non-qualifier (in essence, 44th position) received 31 points, three points fewer than the car in th 43rd position. If more than one car did not qualify, owners' points continued to be assigned in the manner described, decreasing by three for each position. Under the post-2010 point system, only cars that actually start in a given race earn owner's points.
There is a separate 'Chase for the Championship' for the owners' points.
A 2005 rule change in NASCAR's three national series, revoked from 2013 onward, affects how the owner's points are used. Through the 2012 season, the top 35 (NASCAR Cup Series) or top 30 (other series) full-time teams in owner points are awarded exemptions for the next race, guaranteeing them a position in that race. These points determine who is in and who is out of the next race and have become crucial since the exemption rule was changed to its current format. At the end of each season, the top 35 contenders in owner's points are also locked into the first five races of the next season.
Beginning in 2013, the rules reverted to a system more similar to the pre-2005 rules. In the NASCAR Cup Series, the first 36 places in the field are determined strictly by qualifying speed. The next six places are awarded on owner points, with the final place reserved for a past Series Champion. If the final exemption is not used because all past Champions are already in the field, it will pass to another car based on the number of owner points.[29]
In some circumstances, a team's owners' points will differ from the corresponding driver's points. In 2005, after owner Jack Roush fired Kurt Busch during the next-to-last race weekend of the season, the No. 97 team finished in eighth place in owner's points, while Busch ended up tenth in driver's points. In 2002, when Sterling Marlin was injured, the No. 40 team finished eighth in owner's points, while Marlin was 18th in driver's points, because of substitute drivers Jamie McMurray and Mike Bliss, who continued to earn owner points for the No. 40. Another example was in the aforementioned 2011 Daytona 500.
Manufacturers' Championship[edit]
A Manufacturer's Championship is awarded each year, although the Driver's Championship is considered more prestigious. In the past, manufacturer's championships were prestigious because of the number of manufacturers involved, and the manufacturer's championship was a major marketing tool. In the Xfinity Series, the championship is known as the Bill France Performance Cup.[30]
Up to the 2013 season, points were scored in a 1960–1990 Formula One system, with the winner's manufacturer scoring nine points, six for the next manufacturer, four for the manufacturer third among makes, three for the fourth, two for the fifth, and one point for the sixth positioned manufacturer. This meant that if Chevrolets placed first through tenth in a given race and a Ford was 11th and a Dodge 12th, Chevrolet earned 9 points, Ford 6 and Dodge 4. Starting in 2014, NASCAR changed the system to mimic the Owner's Championship. Under this system, each manufacturer's best finishing representative effectively earned them the same amount of points as that team earned, including any bonus points from leading a lap or winning the event.[31]
Representation[edit]
In NASCAR's earliest years, there was a diverse array of machinery, with little support from the car companies themselves, but by the mid 1960s, participation was exclusively American manufacturers with factory support. Chrysler, Ford and General Motors were the primary, if not only, competitors for much of NASCAR's history. Plymouth, while somewhat successful in the 1960s with the Hemi, never won a Manufacturers Championship until Ford pulled out of racing in the early 1970s. GM was still using four different brands in NASCAR in 1991, but within three years, Buick and Oldsmobile were gone. Pontiac survived until 2004, leaving only Chevrolet. 2007 saw the first new brand since 1971, when Japanese manufacturer Toyota joined. Chrysler's Dodge brand returned after a 15-year hiatus in 2001, but departed after 2012, leaving just Chevrolet, Ford and Toyota.
Chevrolet has been the most successful manufacturer as of August 2015, with 749 race wins and 38 manufacturers championships. Ford ranks second with 636 victories and 15 manufacturers championships. Dodge is third in wins with 217, Plymouth fourth with 190, and Pontiac fifth with 155. Toyota currently ranks 9th all time, with 74 victories.
Cup cars[edit]
Cup Series cars (often called 'Cup cars') adhere to a front enginerear-wheel-drive design. A roll cage serves as a space framechassis and is covered by a 24-gauge sheet metal body. They have a closed cockpit, fenders, a rear spoiler, and an aerodynamic splitter. Fielding a car for one season usually costs $10–20 million.[32] Each team may build its own cars and engines (per NASCAR's specifications) or purchase cars and engines from other teams.
The cars are powered by EFI V8 engines with compacted graphite iron blocks and pushrod valvetrains actuating two-valves per cylinder, and are limited to 358 cubic inches' (about 5.8 liters) displacement. However, modern technology has allowed power outputs near 900 horsepower (670 kW) in unrestricted form while retaining the conventional basic engine design. In fact, before NASCAR instituted the gear rule, Cup engines were capable of operating more than 10,000 rpm.[33] A NASCAR Cup Series engine with the maximum bore of 4.185 inches (106.3 millimeters) and stroke of 3.25 inches (83 millimeters) at 9,000 rpm has a mean piston speed of 80.44 fps (24.75 m/s). Contemporary Cup engines run 9,800 rpm, 87.59 fps (26.95 m/s), at the road course events, on Pocono Raceway's long front stretch, and at Martinsville Speedway (a .526-mile short-track). At the backbone 1.5- to 2.0-mile tri-oval tracks of NASCAR, the engines produce over 850 hp running 92–9400 rpm for 500 miles, 600 mi for the Coca-Cola 600 Charlotte race.
The front suspension is a double wishbone design, while the rear suspension is a two-linklive axle design utilizing trailing arms. Brake rotors must be made of magnetic cast iron or steel and may not exceed 12.72 inches (32.3 centimeters) in diameter.[34] The only aerodynamic components on the vehicles are the front splitter, spoiler, NACA ducts in the windows only, and side skirts. The use of rear diffusers, vortex generators, canards, wheel well vents, hood vents, and undertrays is strictly prohibited. While the cars may reach speeds of about 200 mph (320 km/h) on certain tracks, Russ Wicks drove a stock car built to NASCAR's specifications 244.9 mph (394.1 km/h) during a speed record attempt at the Bonneville Salt Flats in October 2007.[35]
NASCAR Cup Series engines carry a Freescale-provided electronic control unit, but traction control and anti-lock brakes are prohibited. Live telemetry is used only for television broadcasts, but the data can be recorded from the ECU to the computer if the car is in the garage and not on the track.
Cup cars are required to have at least 1 working windshield wiper installed on the car for the 2 road courses (Sonoma and Watkins Glen), as part of the road racing rules package.
Evolution of Cup cars[edit]
1949–1980[edit]
A Studebaker driven by Dick Linder in the 1951 Daytona Beach Road Course race.[36]
When the series was formed under the name, strictly stock, the cars were just that, production vehicles with no modifications allowed. The term stock car implied that the vehicles racing were unmodified street cars. Drivers would race with factory installed bench seats and AM radios still in the cars. To prevent broken glass from getting on the race track, windows would be rolled down, external lights would be removed or taped over, and wing mirrors would be removed. The 1957 fuel injected 150 model Chevrolet (known as 'the black widow') was the first car to be outlawed by NASCAR. The 1957 Chevrolet won the most races, with 59 wins, more than any car to ever race in the cup series.[citation needed] Before the mid-1960s, cars were typically based on full sized cars such as the Chevrolet Bel Air and Ford Galaxie. Beginning in 1966, mid-size cars including the Ford Fairlane and Plymouth Belvedere were adopted and soon became the norm.
Richard Petty's Plymouth Superbird
NASCAR once enforced a homologation rule that at various times stated that at least 500 cars had to be produced, or as many as one car for every make's dealership in the nation had to be sold to the general public to allow it to be raced. Eventually, cars were made expressly for NASCAR competition, including the Ford Torino Talladega, which had a rounded nose, and the Dodge Charger Daytona and Plymouth Superbird which had a rear wing raised above roof level and a shark shaped nose-cap which enabled race speeds of exactly 200 mph. The Ford-based Mercury Spoiler powered by a Ford Boss 429 engine was timed at 199.6 mph. Beginning in 1971, NASCAR rewrote the rules to effectively force the Ford and Chrysler specialty cars out of competition by limiting them to 305ci (5.0L). The cars affected by this rule include the Ford Talladega, Mercury Spoiler II, Dodge Charger 500, Dodge Charger Daytona and the Plymouth Superbird. This rule was so effective in limiting performance that only one car that season ever attempted to run in this configuration.
In 1971, NASCAR handicapped the larger engines with a restrictor plate. By 1972, NASCAR phased in a rule to lower the maximum engine displacement from 429 cubic inches (7.0 liters) to its present 358 cubic inches (5.8 liters). The transition was not complete until 1974 and coincided with American manufacturers ending factory support of racing and the 1973 oil crisis.
1981–2007[edit]
The pit road at Richmond International Raceway in 1985.
The downsizing of American cars in the late 1970s presented a challenge for NASCAR. Rules mandated a minimum wheelbase of 115 inches (2,900 mm), but after 1979, none of the models approved for competition met the standard, as mid-sized cars now typically had wheelbases between 105 and 112 inches. After retaining the older models (1977 for the GM makes, and 1979 for Ford and Dodge) through 1980, for the 1981 season the wheelbase requirement was reduced to 110 inches (2,800 mm), which the newer model cars could be stretched to meet without affecting their appearance. The Buick Regal with its swept-back 'shovel' nose initially dominated competition, followed by the rounded, aerodynamic 1983 Ford Thunderbird. The Chevrolet Monte Carlo and Pontiac Grand Prix adopted bubble back windows to stay competitive. Amid its financial woes, and after dropping its poor performing (both on the race track and for consumer sales) Dodge Mirada and Chrysler Cordoba in 1983, Chrysler Corporation left NASCAR entirely at the end of the 1985 season.
1987 marked a milestone for NASCAR Cup Series cars. During Winston 500 qualifying, Bill Elliott established a world stock-car record when he posted a speed of 212.809 mph (342 km/h). Then the unfortunate happened; during the 22nd lap of the race, driver Bobby Allison suffered a flat tire in the middle of Talladega Superspeedway's tri-oval. Allison's car hit the catch fence and tore a hole in the fence approximately 100 feet (30 m) long. Several spectators were injured in the accident, including one woman who lost an eye.[37] In the aftermath of the crash, NASCAR mandated the use of a restrictor plate at Talladega Superspeedway and Daytona International Speedway to reduce speeds.
By 1989, GM had switched its mid-sized models to V6 engines and front-wheel-drive, but the NASCAR racers only kept the body shape, with the old V8 rear-wheel-drive running gear, rendering obsolete the 'stock' nature of the cars. When the Ford Thunderbird was retired after 1997, without Ford having any two-door intermediate bodies, the four-door Ford Taurus body was used (although NASCAR racers actually have no opening doors).
The green flag at Infineon Raceway (now Sonoma Raceway) in 2005
While the manufacturers and models of automobiles used in racing were named for production cars (Dodge Charger R/T, Chevrolet Impala SS, Toyota Camry, and the Ford Fusion), the similarities between NASCAR Cup Series cars and actual production cars were limited to a small amount of shaping and painting of the nose, headlight and tail light decals, and grill areas. Until 2003, the hood, roof, and decklid were still required to be identical to their stock counterparts.
Matt Kenseth's 2007 Ford Fusion at Texas Motor Speedway.
It was in this time that NASCAR engaged in the practice of mandating rule changes during the season if one particular car model became overly dominant. This often led to claims that some teams would attempt sandbagging to receive more favorable handicaps.
Because of the notorious manner of the Ford Taurus race car and how the manufacturer turned the car into an 'offset' car (the car was notoriously asymmetrical in race trim because of its oval shape), NASCAR ended this practice to put more emphasis on parity and based new body rules in 2003, similar to short track racing, where offset cars had become a burden for race officials, resulting in the 'Approved Body Configuration' design.[clarification needed]
Car of Tomorrow (2007–2012)[edit]
Jimmie Johnson's 2009 COT in the Garage at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.
In 2007, NASCAR introduced a radically new vehicle specification known as the 'Car of Tomorrow' (CoT). The CoT made its debut at Bristol Motor Speedway in March 2007. Initially, it was only used at 16 selected events.[38] While NASCAR had originally planned to wait until the start of the 2009 season to use the CoT in every race, the date was changed to the start of the 2008 season. Many drivers still had complaints about the CoT, but this new timeline was intended to help teams save money by giving them only one car specification to work on.
The design of the CoT has focused on cost control, parity, and driver safety.[38] The car's width was increased by 4 inches (10 centimeters), the bumpers were re-designed to render bump and run tactics less effective, and the height of the car has increased by 2 inches (5 centimeters) to accommodate taller drivers and increase aerodynamic drag. The driver's seat was moved closer to the center of the car. The change most notable to fans was the addition of a rear wing replacing the familiar spoiler. The wings could be adjusted between 0 and 16 degrees and used with multiple configurations of end plates.
The new rules eliminate the asymmetrical bodies on cars, which had run rampant since the 1998 Taurus release. However, almost all advantages of using one car over another have been nullified. NASCAR requires all CoTs to conform to common body templates, regardless of make and model.
The rear wing remained a controversial feature for several years. Its appearance was often criticized, and it was accused of forcing cars to become airborne in high-speed spins such as the one experienced by Carl Edwards during the 2009 Aaron's 499 at Talladega Superspeedway. In 2010 NASCAR decided to replace the wing with the original spoiler. The switch began with the 2010 Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway.[39]
Jimmie Johnson leads a pack of cars three-wide multiple rows back in the 2015 Daytona 500.
In 2011, NASCAR altered the nose of the car once more, with the splitter being reduced in size and the braces being replaced by a solid front valence.[40]
A major engine change occurred in 2012 with NASCAR's introduction of fuel injection technology. Initially NASCAR indicated that it would transition to fuel injection midway through the 2011 season but decided before that season to put off the change until 2012.[41]
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![Nascar no ride height rule Nascar no ride height rule](/uploads/1/2/3/7/123713227/942316379.jpg)
Generation 6 car (2013–present)[edit]
In 2013, manufacturers were given increased leeway for branding their NASCAR Cup Series cars, creating the Generation Six race car. These changes were made so the cars would resemble their street counterparts more closely, as was done in the Xfinity Series in 2011.[42]
All NASCAR Cup Series cars began utilizing a digital dash sold by McLaren in 2016.[43] This dash includes sixteen customizable preset screens,[44] allowing the driver to monitor all the previous info with several additional elements such as lap time and engine diagnostics, for a total of twenty-four data elements. Information can be displayed as a gauge, numeral, bar graph or LED.[45]
A Generation 6 Chevrolet SS Cup Series vehicle.
Setup[edit]
The automobiles' suspension, brakes, and aerodynamic components are also selected to tailor the cars to different racetracks. A car that understeers is said to be 'tight', or 'pushing', causing the car to keep going up the track with the wheel turned all the way left, while one that oversteers is said to be 'loose' or 'free', causing the back end of the car to slide around, which can result in the car spinning out if the driver is not careful. The adjustment of front and rear aerodynamic downforce, spring rates, track bar geometry, brake proportioning, the wedge (also known as cross-weight), changing the camber angle, and changing the air pressure in the tires can all change the distribution of forces among the tires during cornering to correct for handling problems. Recently, coil bind setups have become popular among teams.
These characteristics are also affected by tire stagger (tires of different circumference at different positions on the car, the right rear having the most influence in left turns) and rubber compounds used in tire construction. These settings are determined by NASCAR and Goodyear engineers and may not be adjusted by individual teams.
Changing weather conditions may also affect a car's handling. In a long race, it is sometimes advantageous to prepare a car to handle well at the end of an event while surrendering the advantage of speed at the start. Rain forces a race to be halted immediately because there is no current provision for rain tires. While rain tires were developed for the series in the late 1990s, NASCAR abandoned them because there were not enough road courses on the schedule to justify the cost of making more tires to replace them as they aged. MENCS cars have used these tires in practice sessions, but only the Xfinity Series has used them under actual race conditions. There was, however, one case of a NASCAR Cup Series race being held in the rain. In 1956 a race at Road America was held in rain; Tim Flock won the race.[46]
Specifications[edit]
A typical NASCAR Cup Series engine.
- Chassis: Steel tube frame with integral safety roll cage – must meet NASCAR standards
- Engine displacement: 5.86 L (358 cu in) Pushrod (OHV) V8
- Transmission: 4-speed manual H-pattern
- Weight: 3,200 lb (1,451 kg) minimum without driver and fuel; 3,400 lb (1,542 kg) minimum with driver and fuel
- Power output: 725 hp (541 kW) unrestricted; 445 hp (332 kW) with restrictor plate (2015)[47]
- Torque: 720 N⋅m (530 ft⋅lb)
- Fuel: Sunoco 93 MON, 104 RON, 98 AKI 85% unleaded gasoline + Sunoco Green Ethanol E15 15%
- Fuel capacity: 17.75 US gal (67 L) most tracks
- Fuel delivery: Port fuel injection
- Fuel injection type: McLaren Electronic Systems
- ECU provider: McLaren Freescale TAG-400N
- Compression ratio: 12:1
- Aspiration: Naturally aspirated
- Wheelbase: 110 in (2,794 mm)
- Steering: Power, recirculating ball
- Tires: Slick tire provided by Goodyear
- Safety equipment: HANS device and six-point harness mandated, with seven-point harness optional
Cup tracks[edit]
Presently, the MENCS is held mainly in eastern states, with only six tracks located west of the Mississippi River. NASCAR Cup Series races are not conducted on standardized tracks; the 2017 season included 21 oval tracks and 3 road courses. The lap length of the oval tracks vary from .526 miles (0.847 km) at Martinsville Speedway to 2.66 miles (4.28 km) at Talladega Superspeedway. The majority of the oval tracks are paved with asphalt, while 3 tracks are wholly or partially paved with concrete. Although the series historically raced on dirt tracks, it has not done so since 1970.[48]
A satellite view of Charlotte Motor Speedway, a typical NASCAR track with a D-oval configuration. The infield roval also hosts a Cup Series event, with the inaugural event in 2018.
While some tracks are true ovals, such as Bristol Motor Speedway, over half the tracks currently in Cup competition are a form of tri-oval. Other configurations include Darlington Raceway's characteristic uneven 'egg' shape, the triangular Pocono Raceway, and the rectangle of Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
While NASCAR is known for primarily running counter-clockwise on oval tracks, Sonoma Raceway and Watkins Glen International are complex road courses which are raced clockwise. The series' first road course event was held in 1954, at Linden Airport in New Jersey. Since 1963, the series has raced on at least one road course every year.
Courses have a wide range of banking in the corners. New Hampshire Motor Speedway, with 7 degrees of banking, has the flattest corners, while the steepest banking is Talladega Superspeedway's 33 degrees. Tracks also vary in amount of banking on the straightaways, from entirely flat on many courses to 9 degrees at Dover International Speedway.
Bill Elliott's Melling Racing car that set the record for the fastest lap in a stock car – 212.809 mph (342.483 km/h), 44.998 seconds at Talladega Superspeedway.
Race speeds vary widely depending on the track. The fastest track is Talladega Superspeedway, where the record average speed is 188.354 mph (303.126 km/h) and the record qualifying lap is 212.809 mph (342.483 km/h), set by Bill Elliott in 1987. The record stands unlikely to be broken, as restrictor plates were made mandatory at superspeedways in 1988 to reduce speeds.[49] The slowest tracks are Sonoma Raceway, a road course with a record average speed of only 83.6 mph (134.5 km/h) and a record qualifying lap of 99.3 mph (159.8 km/h), and Martinsville Speedway, a short, nearly flat 'paper clip' oval, with a record average speed of 82.2 mph (132.3 km/h) and a record qualifying lap of 99.9 mph (160.8 km/h). The average speed of a race is determined by dividing the winner's race time (from the waving of the green flag to the waving of the checkered flag, including laps spent under caution) by the distance of the race. Time elapsed during red flag periods is not included in the calculation of the average speed.
See also[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series. |
References[edit]
- ^ ab'NASCAR : NASCAR Drivers, Race Standings & News — NASCAR.com'. nascar.com. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
- ^ ab'NASCAR Announces Chase for the Sprint Cup Format Change' (Press release). NASCAR. January 30, 2014. Retrieved January 30, 2014.
- ^Fair, Asher (February 21, 2019). 'NASCAR Cup Series: 2019 Daytona 500 TV ratings the lowest on record'. Beyond the Flag. Retrieved March 31, 2019.
- ^'Strictly Stock Standings and Statistics for 1949' page of Racing-Reference website [1], retrieved May 9, 2007.
- ^ abFielden, Greg, 'NASCAR Cleans Up', Speedway Illustrated, September 2004.
- ^Mitchell, Jason, 'How Do They Do That?: Winston Cup Point System', Stock Car Racing (ISSN 0734-7340), Volume 36, Number 10, October 2001.
- ^Fielden, Greg. NASCAR Chronicle. Publications International, Ltd., Lincolnwood, Illinois, USA, 2006. p. 36.
- ^DarlingtonRaceway.com[permanent dead link] 'Darlington Legends: Million Dollar Bill' Retrieved 7/5/09
- ^TheAutoChannel.com 'Winston to Substitute 'No Bull 5' for 'Winston Million' Retrieved 7/5/09
- ^Autoracing1.com 'NASCAR's Greatest Moments – Part 3' Retrieved March 12, 2009
- ^Forbes.com 'NASCAR Pulls into Prime Time' Retrieved August 22, 2009
- ^Daly, Steve (June 19, 2006). 'Meet the Mater'. Entertainment Weekly. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
- ^'Conheça os atores de Carros' (in Portuguese). Fast Driver. June 29, 2006. Archived from the original on February 22, 2014. Retrieved December 27, 2012.
- ^Racingone.com, 'Nextel Cup Unveiled' Retrieved 8–4–08
- ^Desertnews.com 'Is NASCAR losing traditional fan base?' Retrieved March 12, 2009
- ^'NASCAR's Brian France: Finally Answering the Clue Phone?' Insider Racing News.com Retrieved March 2, 2009
- ^Bruce, Kenny (February 9, 2016). 'NASCAR ANNOUNCES LANDMARK NEW OWNERSHIP STRUCTURE'. NASCAR. Retrieved February 10, 2016.
- ^Circletrack.com'The USAR Championship Trail' Retrieved 8–4–08
- ^'10-race Chase for the Cup crowns series champ'. NASCAR 101. NASCAR. January 28, 2011. Retrieved March 6, 2011.
- ^USATODAY.com'Nextel Cup finale gets big ratings' Retrieved 8–4–08
- ^Gluck, Jeff (December 1, 2016). 'Monster Energy replaces Sprint as title sponsor for NASCAR's top series'. USA Today. Las Vegas: Gannett Company. Retrieved December 1, 2016.
- ^'NASCAR unveils new brand identity and Premier Series mark, name'. NASCAR.com. NASCAR Wire Service. December 19, 2016. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
- ^'Monster Energy extends Cup deal through '19'. ESPN.com. Retrieved April 18, 2018.
- ^'2017 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series trophy reveal'. NASCAR.com. NASCAR Digital Media LLC. August 31, 2017. Retrieved October 16, 2018.
- ^'NHOF: New Class Unveiled Tonight'. Speed. Fox Sports. Archived from the original on May 25, 2012. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
- ^'Richard Petty Information'. NASCAR. Turner Sports. Archived from the original on May 25, 2011. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
- ^'Earnhardt Information'. Sports Illustrated. CNN Sports. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
- ^Biebrich, Richard (November 21, 2010). 'Jimmie Johnson wins fifth straight NASCAR Sprint Cup championship'. Homestead, Florida: New York Daily News. Retrieved December 16, 2015.
- ^'NASCAR announces 2013 competition changes' (Press release). NASCAR. October 16, 2012. Retrieved October 18, 2012.
- ^'CHEVROLET CLINCHES BILL FRANCE PERFORMANCE CUP IN NASCAR NATIONWIDE SERIES'. Speedway Media. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
- ^'NASCAR simplifies manufacturer points system'. nascar.com. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
- ^NASCAR.com 'Waltrip race team finds important asset in partner' 2/15/08
- ^USAToday'Debut of new rules could offer glimpse at road ahead' Retrieved 8/25/08
- ^NASCAR.com Article explaining brake systems
- ^Russwicks.com article on the speed record
- ^Racing-Reference.info '1951-01' Retrieved 6/30/09
- ^ESPN.com 'Wallace wins Daytona's first truck race' Retrieved March 19, 2009
- ^ abNASCAR.com 'Harvick pleased after testing Car of Tomorrow' Retrieved August 29, 2005
- ^espn.com 'Drivers take spoiler for spin at Charlotte' Retrieved 3/26/10
- ^Joe Gibbs RacingArchived November 24, 2010, at the Wayback Machine '5 Things You Should Know About NASCAR's New Nose.' Retrieved November 18, 2010.
- ^Rodman, Dave (January 22, 2011). 'NASCAR defers fuel injection to 2012 season'. NASCAR.com. Retrieved July 8, 2011.
- ^Jensen, Tom (February 14, 2013). 'CUP: Automakers Help NASCAR Find G Spot'. Speed. Fox Sports. Archived from the original on June 1, 2013. Retrieved June 19, 2013.
- ^'Digital dashboards aim to improve racing for NASCAR drivers .. and fans'. USA TODAY. February 18, 2016. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
- ^Lemasters Jr., Ron (January 5, 2015). 'NASCAR feels carbon fiber impact'. NASCAR.com. NASCAR Media Group, LLC. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
- ^Reid Spencer (February 18, 2016). 'Digital dash amplifies communication between teams, drivers'. Retrieved April 30, 2016.
- ^MainStreetNewsSports.com 'Flock Won Rainy Race Back in 1956' Retrieved 6/26/09
- ^Race Engine Technology Issue 027
- ^'Richard Petty recalls last NASCAR dirt race'. nascar.com. Retrieved August 5, 2017.
- ^'gnextinc.com'. gnextinc.com. Archived from the original on October 30, 2005. Retrieved November 16, 2015.
External links[edit]
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=NASCAR_Cup_Series&oldid=898934043'
NASCAR logo
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) makes and enforces numerous rules and regulations that transcend all racing series.
NASCAR issues a different rule book for each racing series; however, rule books are published exclusively for NASCAR members and are not made available to the public.[1] Still, many of the rules, such as the scoring system, have been widely publicized both by NASCAR and the media.
- 2Sponsorship
- 8Qualifying procedure
- 8.4Provisional rule
- 9Penalties
- 9.5One Lap Penalty
Car livery[edit]
Each car is required to display its number on each door of the car and on its roof. The front of the car and bottom of the rear bumper are required to match the decal specifications of the car manufacturer. Each car is required to display a series of around 30 NASCAR sponsor decals just to the left of each door and on the front fenders. These contingency decals represent series sponsors and bonus money teams are eligible to earn during the race, but may be omitted in the event in which they conflict with the team's sponsors or moral beliefs.[2][3] The series sponsor's logo is displayed on top of the windshield, called the windshield header or windshield banner.[4][3]
Beginning in 2013, the livery layout for the NASCAR Cup Series was altered, coinciding with the change to the Generation 6 model car. In lieu of the series sponsor like in lower series, the windshield prominently features the last name of the driver (as well as first name or first initial in the case of siblings and family members, as is the case for both Busch brothers, or suffixes for drivers such as Dale Earnhardt, Jr. and Martin Truex, Jr.) placed in the center of the windshield header. Logos of the manufacturer are placed on each corner of the upper windshield. Number and sponsor logos were barred from being placed on the headlights and taillights, as not to obstruct each car model's unique characteristics. A new location for a single sponsor logo, however, was added to the rear of the roof adjacent to the number.[5] In 2014, a new layout was created for participants in the NASCAR Chase for the Championship, requiring the cars to feature yellow roof numbers, front splitters and front fascias. The background of the windshield header would also be colored yellow, with the driver's name displayed in black lettering. A new Chase for the Championship logo would replace the normal NASCAR Cup Series logo in the contingency group. A decal would also be placed next to the driver's name above the door to signify each win a driver earned that season.[6] For 2015, the liveries of the Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series would feature the driver's last name on the upper rear window.[7] Starting in 2017, the Monster Energy logo is now on the front windshield with the driver name moving to the rear windshield in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series.
Outside of these requirements, teams may design the car and place sponsor logos in NASCAR-approved locations, and must submit all paint and graphics schemes and all sponsor identity to NASCAR in advance for approval.[8] One paint scheme requirement for example is that both the driver and passenger side of the car must share the same color pattern, though the front and rear may be different colors. This safety rule, to avoid confusion for spotters, NASCAR officials, and other drivers, was brought into light in October 2014 at Talladega, when Terry Labonte's Go FAS Racing team painted his No. 32 car in two different color schemes as a tribute to the two-time champion, but prior to NASCAR approval. NASCAR allowed the team to retain the scheme for knock-out qualifying, but forced them to match the two sides for the race.[9] However, by 2016, it seems that NASCAR has either quietly removed this rule or allowed teams to race with a split-side scheme as long as they got the permission to do so, as seen with John Hunter Nemechek's No. 8 truck in the 2016American Ethanol E15 225 and both the No. 3 and No. 31 cars of RDV Compétition during the 2016 NASCAR Whelen Euro Series.
Teams apply to NASCAR for the use of a car number, and pay for the rights to the number's likeness. NASCAR legally owns and controls all rights to car numbers.[10][8] When drivers change teams, the team owner usually retains the number. Unlike in other series, such as the former IROC Series, there is no provision for the defending series champion or the points leader to adopt car number 1; it is available to any team. Only one number, No. 61, in the Whelen Modified Tour, has been retired, in memory of nine-time series champion Richie Evans, who was killed at Martinsville Speedway practicing for the final race of the 1985 season.[11] Other historically significant numbers have been ceremoniously retired, except with the permission of the driver or team owner. The number 3 for example, used by Dale Earnhardt and his car owner Richard Childress, has been unofficially retired for all teams and drivers except for an Earnhardt or Childress family member, with Childress paying a licensing fee while the number was out of circulation from 2001 to 2013.[10][12] In other instances, a number has been relinquished due to a sponsor leaving a team. After the 2002 season, Robert Yates Racing switched from their longtime number 28 to 38 after sponsor Texaco-Havoline ceased their sponsorship.[13][14]
Teams can run numbers from 0 to 99 (as well as 00 to 09), but no two cars can display the same number during a race.[8] Teams that run 00 to 09 are listed as 100 to 109 for NASCAR's scoring purposes. Except for those numbers (which have been used for full-time teams), part-time teams may be assigned a three-digit number for scoring purposes only (such as Nos. 141 and 241). If two such teams arrive with the same two digit number, the team higher in championship points prevails, and the other team will be forced to change their number for the race.
Sponsorship[edit]
Tobacco[edit]
Although NASCAR has a long history of tobacco sponsorship, following the 2003 season, longtime NASCAR partner R. J. Reynolds declined to renew their Winston sponsorship of the Cup Series, replaced by Nextel Corporation.[15] In June 2010, the Food and Drug Administration passed new regulations preventing sponsorship for cigarettes or smokeless tobacco products in any sporting event, including auto racing events. The announcement affected two teams: the No. 33 Truck of Ron Hornaday, Jr. and Kevin Harvick, Inc. lost its Longhorn Moist Snuff sponsorship, while the No. 27 Nationwide Series car of Baker Curb Racing lost its Red Man sponsorship.[16] Baker Curb would shut its doors the next year due to lack of sponsorship.
In spite of the legislation, tobacco sponsorship continues in the sports through electronic cigarettes, with companies such as Green Smoke, blu (owned by R.J. Reynolds), and Arrowhead sponsoring NASCAR teams. A brand of herbal smokeless tobacco, Smokey Mountain, has also sponsored drivers such as Hornaday, Johnny Sauter, Brian Scott, and Daniel Hemric.
Viceroy rule[edit]
Though NASCAR typically promotes competition between multiple brands, including those that sponsor the sport and individual races, the sanctioning body provides exclusive protection to its series title sponsors, such as Monster Energy in the Cup Series, as well as current fuel supplier Sunoco.[17] This policy, known as the Viceroy rule, prevents sponsorship from direct competitors within a certain series, although it does not prevent a company from moving to a different series within the sport, or advertising a product that does not directly conflict with the title sponsor. For example, Royal Dutch Shell, Texaco and other oil companies have been allowed to promote their motor oil brands (Pennzoil and Havoline respectively) but not their gasoline products.[17] When a new title sponsor creates conflicts with existing team sponsors, NASCAR typically allows the team sponsors to remain under a grandfather clause.[18] The rule is named after the British cigarette brand Viceroy, and is in reference to the 1972 USAC Championship Car season during which title sponsor Marlboro renounced its branding when Viceroy entered the sport to sponsor entries.[19][20]
The rule has come into effect on several occasions, most notably when Nextel Communications signed a ten-year $700 million deal to replace Winston as the Cup Series sponsor.[21] Active sponsors Cingular Wireless (sponsoring Richard Childress Racing's No. 31 team) and Alltel (sponsoring Team Penske's No. 12 car of Ryan Newman) were allowed to continue their deals,[20][22] but both sponsor agreements were put into question when the companies were purchased and sought re-branding.[17] In 2004, Robby Gordon was required to wear a full color Nextel patch on his driving suit. He had worn a dark gray on black subdued Nextel patch when he was sponsored by Cingular when racing for RCR. Between 2007 and 2008, NASCAR and AT&T Mobility (the successor to Cingular) filed suits against each other, with NASCAR seeking to kick all telecommunications companies out of the top series.[22] AT&T was allowed to remain in the sport until 2008.[18] Meanwhile, Verizon, after purchasing Alltel in 2008, moved its sponsorship to the Penske entries in the Xfinity Series and later the IndyCar Series, while the team ran a similar scheme in the Cup Series without Verizon branding until 2010.[20] In a separate 2007 incident, Robby Gordon was allowed to retain his sponsorship from mobile phone manufacturer Motorola after adding logos referring to the company's 'Digital Audio Players'.[23]
Special rules for combination races[edit]
A combination race is a race run between multiple series that operate under compatible rules packages. During NASCAR's combination races (currently the two K&N Pro Series (East and West), and formerly the Winston Cup Series/Winston West Series and Busch Series/Busch North Series), there is one race, but points are scored for both series. In previous years, drivers were given points based on how they finished among competitors from the same series. For 2017, drivers will receive points in their series based on their actual finish in the race among all competitors. However, drivers who declare they are running for a championship in both series (East & West) will be awarded points in both series, provided they have the appropriate license for both.
Special rules apply as two teams will have the same number. The fastest lap time in qualifying determines which team will have the number for the race, and which team must temporarily change the number for the race. For example, during the 1991 Busch Series season, there were selected races in the Northeast (Loudon, Nazareth, Dover, Oxford) where both the Busch Grand National (now Xfinity) and Busch Grand National North (now K&N Pro East) Series raced in combination races. North team Ricky Craven (also drove his car) and Grand National team Don Beverly Racing (Jimmy Hensley driving) both used No. 25. Whoever had the faster qualifying time in each race used No. 25. Craven used No. 28 at Oxford when Hensley had the faster time, while Hensley used No. 5 when Craven had the faster time at Loudon. Both teams, however, scored respective owner points for the No. 25 in their respective series.
Car and driver changes[edit]
Teams must use a single car from the start of the first practice session through the end of the race. Teams that crash a car in practice or qualifying may go to a backup car, but racing a different car from the one that passes the initial inspection results in that car having to start at the rear of the field.
Engine and transmission changes are prohibited during a race weekend. Xfinity and Truck Series engines must last two race weekends, excluding restrictor plate races. Cup Series teams are restricted in the number of engines they may use in a season (13 engines at minimum must last at least two race weekends), effectively a limit of 23 engines during the season. Changing either will result in starting in the rear of the field. Transmission changes are allowed during road course weekends and during the race weekends at Pocono Raceway.
Driver changes are permitted, however starting the race with a different driver than whom qualified the car will result in the car starting at the rear of the field. Driver changes during the race are permitted as well, performed during pit stops, but a team must incur any loss in position due to time spent swapping drivers. The driver who starts the race earns all the points, statistics, and purse money.[24]
Caution flag and restart procedure[edit]
When the yellow flag is displayed and the yellow caution lights around the track come on, the field is frozen immediately at the moment of caution. All scoring ends immediately and cars are to slow to pace vehicle (safety car) speed. Cars will line up behind the pace vehicle in the order in which they passed the last scoring loop on track (there are as many as 18 loops around the track, although the one at the start/finish line is the only one that counts for official race statistics). The exception to this rule is if the yellow flag waves after the white flag is thrown (or, in the case of an overtime attempt, if the yellow flag waves after the race leader has crossed the overtime line) or if the race will not be restarted (typically for rain; but sometimes for darkness if a track does not have night lights), in which case NASCAR will use video evidence to determine the finishing order.
When the caution comes out, the pit lane is immediately closed, a rule first implemented following the 1989 Atlanta 500. This is shown by a flashing red light at the entrance to pit road. Entering pit road when it is closed (with certain exceptions) is a penalty of restarting at the rear of the field. When pit road is open, a steady green light will appear at the entrance to pit road, and a green light will come on in the rear window of the pace vehicle.
During a 'quickie yellow' all cars may enter pit road the first time by when it is opened. After the pit stops, the first car one lap down at the moment of caution (known as the free pass car) is permitted to go around the pace car and start the race at the rear of the field, but back on the lead lap.
During a full yellow, only lead lap cars may pit the first time by the pit road. Once the lead lap cars who have decided to pit have entered pit road, the free pass car will be sent around the pace car to earn their lap back. The next time by, all cars (including the free pass car) may pit.
Cars may pit as often as they wish at the expense of track position, but the free pass car is limited to taking fuel only at the first pit stop opportunity. If the free pass car is judged to have caused the caution (intentionally or not) there will be no free pass car.
At the one to go signal, the pace car will turn its lights off. At this point, any car that is ahead of the leader of the race will be waved around to the rear of the field. These cars are not permitted to pit until after the green flag comes back out and the race has resumed. The field will then line up double file for the restart. The leader of the race gets lane choice, but the third place car (and odd positions on back) will always start in the inside line, while the fourth place car (and even positions on back) will always start in the outside lane. The restart order is always this: Lead Lap Cars > Cars 1 or more laps down > Free Pass Car > Wave Arounds > Cars who have received a penalty.
Once the pace car has pulled into the pits, there is a restart 'zone' consisting of lines painted on the outside wall of the track. The leader of the race is to begin accelerating inside this zone to resume the race. If they do not, the flagman controls the restart. The second place car may not be ahead of the leader at the moment of green flag, however either car on the front row may cross the start/finish line first.[25] Passing is not permitted until the leader of the race crosses the start-finish line. Lane changes are also not permitted until after a car clears the finish line.
Per the NASCAR rule book, a restart is official once the legal lead car crosses the start/finish line. If the green flag is waved, but NASCAR calls off the restart because of an incident before the leader crosses the start/finish line, the restart is deemed aborted.
Championship points system[edit]
Flags[edit]
Like most other sanctioning bodies, NASCAR will use flags to provide the drivers with information regarding track conditions. NASCAR, not adhering to the FIA rules (despite NASCAR being a member club of ACCUS, the U.S. motor racing sporting authority and representative to the FIA World Motor Sport Council), does not use the flag system outlined in the FIA International Sporting Code. Major differences include that in NASCAR (and other championships in North America) the white flag is used to signal that the leader is on the last lap, in FIA ISC regulated events (such as Formula One and most European championships) it is used to signal that a slower car is on track. Also, the blue flag specified in the FIA ISC does not have a diagonal stripe, and the black flag means that a driver is disqualified.
Flag | Description |
---|---|
The green flag indicates that the race has started or restarted. It is shown by the official in the flag stand when the leader enters the designated restart zone, which is located a short distance before the start/finish line. | |
The green and white checkered flag is shown to indicate the end of a race stage. After the top 10 drivers cross the start/finish line, the caution flag is displayed. | |
The yellow flag, or caution flag, indicates a hazard on the track — most often an accident, but sometimes also for debris, light rain, emergency vehicles entering (usually on short tracks with no tunnel) or a scheduled competition caution (usually used for races that have been postponed due to inclement weather). All cars must slow down and follow the pace car. Passing is not allowed under the yellow flag. NASCAR experimented the 'local yellow' flag in road courses; cautions apply to the entire circuit, including road courses. | |
The red flag indicates that the race has been stopped. This may happen due to a large accident (such as a multi-car wreck like The Big One), inclement weather,[26] track repair (such as damaged catch fencing), or for severe track cleaning (such as the final laps, when NASCAR may clean the entire track to ensure the race can finish under green flag conditions, and to do so with the track clean of oil from engine failure or crashes).[27] Cars may be ordered into the pits or on the track depending on conditions; red flags for inclement weather generally result in all cars parking in the pits. Race teams are not permitted to repair or adjust cars during red flag conditions. However, drivers may exit their cars, and they may be provided with water, food or other necessities. In some races, like the All-Star Race, a red flag is used to indicate a predetermined pause in the race. This flag is also used with the black flag to signal the end of a practice or qualifying session. | |
The white flag indicates one lap remaining in the race. More specifically, it indicates that all drivers will be scored for at most 1 more lap after passing the white flag. | |
The checkered flag indicates that the race is over. | |
The black flag indicates that a driver must pit immediately. This flag is shown if the driver or pit crew violates a rule (e.g., speeding through the pits), if the vehicle has sufficient mechanical damage that it is a hazard to other drivers, if the vehicle cannot maintain the minimum required speed (varies by track; typically disclosed in the pre-race drivers' meeting), or if a driver has been driving overly aggressively. In the event of a failure of the in-car radio, NASCAR will, at the team's request, display the black flag to signal a driver to pit, one time only. | |
The black flag with a white cross indicates that a driver is no longer being scored. This is normally shown if a driver does not respond to a black flag within three laps. | |
The blue flag with a yellow stripe is shown to warn slow drivers of faster cars approaching. NASCAR rarely black-flags drivers for not obeying this flag; however, it is frequently displayed and warnings may be given if it is blatant (such as a lapped driver blocking for a teammate). NASCAR uses the yellow diagonal stripe on the blue flag because the flag is usually displayed on top of the starter's stand, and not at eye-level to the driver from the track. | |
The blue flag is used to indicate an area on a road course where drivers should be careful due to slow or stopped cars or a partially blocked track. It is not used on ovals. If a full-course caution is required, NASCAR will use the yellow flag to indicate this.[28] Unlike the local caution commonly used in other racing series, the blue flag is not a 'local caution' and does not prohibit overtaking; rather, it merely tells drivers to be careful. Safety workers will not leave their designated spots and enter the track under this flag. In the wake of a fatal corner worker crash at Daytona International Speedway in 2004 in a non-NASCAR sanctioned race (but using track workers),[29] NASCAR has become reluctant in recent years to use local cautions, opting to use the full-course yellow caution flag instead if any safety team members have to approach the track in an attempt to give safety workers a safer environment to inspect debris by forcing all cars under pace car speed, instead of race speed, to remove debris. The rationale is most of the field will be packed together while cleanup is happening, instead of being spread over the entire track. |
Qualifying procedure[edit]
Standard procedure[edit]
A knockout system similar to Formula One is used. During the time allotted, teams are allowed unlimited attempts to qualify with their fastest lap of each round counting as their official time.
Between attempts, cars are parked on pit road, where teams may hook up a cooling system through the cowl flap in front of the windshield to cool the engine. However, teams are not permitted to raise the hood or make other significant adjustments during qualifying. Also, tires may not be changed without approval from NASCAR, who will only grant approval in cases of flat tires or safety issues.
On all open engine ovals in the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, tracks shorter than 2 miles in the Xfinity Series, and tracks shorter than 1.5 miles in the Camping World Truck Series, round 1 is 15 minutes long. The fastest 24 advance to round 2 which is 10 minutes long. The fastest 12 advance to round 3 which determines pole position. In addition to determine who advances to round 2, round 1 also determines who will and will not qualify for the race and starting positions 25–40 (Cup Series), 25–40 (Xfinity), or 25–32 (Camping World Truck). Similarly, round 2 will determine starting positions 13–24, with round 3 determining positions 1–12.
On road courses, there are only two sessions: Round 1 is 25 minutes with the top 12 advancing to Round 2 which is 10 minutes.
In the event rain falls between rounds, NASCAR has the option of declaring the session over and the speeds from the previous round will count for all remaining starting positions.
Restrictor plate tracks, ovals longer than 2 miles in Xfinity, and ovals longer than 1.5 miles in Trucks[edit]
Due to how the draft works in restrictor plate racing, and a series of crashes in qualifying during 2015 Speedweeks, a single car qualifying format is used for restrictor plate racetracks. In July 2015, after making rules changes to the cars designed to increase drag and drafting, NASCAR used the format at Indianapolis and Michigan (but discontinued its use at both tracks for 2016). The single car system will only be used at the plate tracks, ovals 2 miles and longer in the Xfinity series, and ovals 1.5 miles or longer in the Truck series.
In round 1, cars are sent out one at a time at the direction of a NASCAR official. Each car has one warm-up lap, one timed lap, and one cool down lap. NASCAR will release cars roughly half a lap apart to prevent any aerodynamic advantage from being gained from a competitor's car. The order in which cars go on track is the inverse of practice speeds. As with the road course format, the top 12 cars advance to the final round.
After the final car has returned to pit road in the first round, all 12 qualifying teams may hook up the cooling system to the car for 10 minutes. Round 2 cars qualify from slowest to fastest according to their speeds from round 1. The fastest car will win the pole.
Daytona 500 provisions[edit]
The session results from single car qualifying set the starting lineups for the Can-Am Duel races on Thursday.The duel races are two 60 lap/150 mile races. The first race consists of those who finished qualifying in odd-numbered positions and sets the lineup for odd-numbered positions in the 500. The second race does the same for even-numbered positions. However, there must be an equal number of 'open' or 'non-chartered' teams in each Duel race. After the Duel races, the lineup is set as follows:
- Positions 1–2: Fastest two qualifiers in Sunday's single car qualifying.
- Positions 3–38: Duel race results, consisting of all chartered teams and the highest finishing non-chartered team in each Duel.
- Positions 39-40: The fastest two cars of non-chartered teams that are not already qualified, based on Sunday's qualifying session.
Provisional rule[edit]
All three NASCAR national series will set a specific number of starting positions by timed laps and have a specific number of starting positions based on owner points of vehicles that have not already qualified.
- Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series: 36 / 4
- Xfinity Series: 33 / 4 / 1
- Camping World Truck Series (except Eldora): 27 / 4 / 1
In the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series four positions are awarded to the fastest qualifying open teams. In the Xfinity Series, six positions are awarded based on owner points to cars not already qualified. In the Camping World Truck Series, four positions are awarded based on owner points to trucks not already qualified.
The final position in the Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series is reserved for a past series champion. Each past champion can use this past champions' provisional up to six times per season. If the past champions' provisional is not needed, then the position goes to the first team in owner points not already qualified for the race. If a former champion driver's team is one of the top six or four teams, respectively, highest in owner points, not already qualified, then that does not count against usage of the provisional. If there are 40 or less (or 32 or less) vehicles entered in the respective races, no provisionals are charged and the field will be determined by timed laps only.
After these positions are awarded, the cars are arranged by lap times.
Past champion's provisional[edit]
In 1991, NASCAR introduced the past champion's provisional (sometimes known as the 'Petty rule') after Richard Petty failed to qualify in four races in 1989, which resulted in a viewership ratings drop that season. This special provisional allowed a former Cup champion to claim the final starting position if he was too low in the points standings and was unable to qualify by speed. The past champion's provisional worked perfectly until 1997, when Darrell Waltrip failed to make the UAW-GM Quality 500 lineup because Terry Labonte was the more recent champion and was higher in points. NASCAR considered revising the guidelines to the past champion's provisional after Waltrip used it to enter 20 races in 1998. In 2004, NASCAR gave past Cup champions a maximum of 10 past champion's provisionals per season; this number was reduced to six in 2007.[30][31] This proved disastrous for Dale Jarrett in 2007, as he moved to a fledgling Michael Waltrip Racing with no owner points and failed to qualify in 12 races after being forced to use all of his past champion's provisionals at the start of the season.[32] The past champion's provisional was discontinued from the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series as part of the new Charter system and qualifying system in 2016.[33]
![Heights Heights](/uploads/1/2/3/7/123713227/318556615.png)
All-Star Weekend qualifying[edit]
The Open uses the standard procedure, but with only 8 cars advancing to the final round. All-Star race qualifying consists of the combined time of 3 laps with a 4-tire pit stop. The fastest 5 drivers in the opening round advance to the final round.
Eldora[edit]
The Eldora Dirt Derby has a unique qualifying format. Each truck will take two timed laps, with the faster lap counting as that truck's official time. The trucks are assigned to one of five heat races where the top five trucks from each will advance to the feature. Those that fail to qualify will have one last chance race, where the top two trucks will also advance. Provisionals will be determined after the last chance race.
Daytona Clash[edit]
The Advance Auto Parts Clash is an annual invitation-only race held the weekend before the Daytona 500, and sets its lineup via a random draw.
Penalties[edit]
The following is a list of NASCAR penalties. Penalties listed as 'NASCAR Discretion' can result in a simple restart at the tail of the field, a multiple lap penalty, or disqualification.
Restarting at the End of the Line for the Ensuing Restart[edit]
- Pitting before pit road is open (Section 10-4B), administered if a driver enters pit road while the flashing lights indicating pit road is closed are on (certain exceptions apply)
- Pitting out of order (10-4B)
Restarting at the End of the Line (caution) or Drive-Through Penalty (green flag)[edit]
- Car/truck must enter pit road in single file (9-15C)
- Speeding while entering or exiting pit road (9-15D)
- Passing on pit road from the inside on entry (9-15C)
- Driving through more than 3 pit boxes to enter their pit stall (9-15C).
- Crewmember(s) over the wall too soon (9-15E)
- Use of extension poles are limited/not self illuminated (9-15G))
- Crew members returning from the equipment side of the wall (9-15H), not carrying the front air wrench back to the pit wall side of the car/truck (9-15J),
- Using more than two (2) air wrenches during one pit stop (9-15J)
- Non-compliant refueling
- Tossing or throwing the fuel filler/equipment (9-15M)
- Rolling a tire(s) beyond the center of pit road (9-15P)
- Hand pushing the car/truck more than 3 pit boxes to restart it (9-15Q)
- Going above the blend line exiting the pits (9-11) (except when safety vehicle requests such happen during pit stops during cautions).
- Car making entrance to pit road after crossing plane of pit entrance line or cone on track side (not pit side) of said point (9-15B)
- If the car is entering pit road to avoid an incident and has to cross the plane of road line track side, then enter pit road, no penalty.
- At Martinsville Speedway, the car must have two wheels cross the pit entrance line before the Turn 3 pit entrance.
Stop and Go Penalty[edit]
- Removing equipment from assigned pit area (9-15O).
- Speeding on pit road during pass-through penalty (9-15R).
Pass-Through Penalty[edit]
- Jumping any green flag (10-2A)
- Passing after specific point on the 'One to Go' signal (Turn 3 of most ovals, Turn 2 at Pocono, Turn 10 at Sonoma or Watkins Glen) (9-11)
- Passing on a start or restart (before start/finish line) (9-11)
- Illegal Lane Change on restart (9-11)
- Unapproved mechanical adjustment (flaring of rocker panels most notably) (10-7-1-1).
- Penalty only under yellow condition, enforced on the second lap following a restart, in addition to starting at the tail end of the field during for that restart. Under green condition, NASCAR will not allow the car on the track until the car is repaired legally.
- Failure to make qualifying attempt because of numerous failed pre-race technical inspections.
- Three failed inspection attempts also involves ejection of crew member.
- Four failed inspection attempts also involved a ten-point penalty.
One Lap Penalty[edit]
- Car/truck pitting out of the assigned pit box (9-15F) (NASCAR may relax the rule at tracks with shorter pit boxes)
- Passing the safety car (10-4D) (except for cars being subjected to the wave-around, or at some tracks where the radius of pit road is shorter than track, as in Martinsville and Bristol, where the pit road speed limit applies, and the safety car may be passed.)
- Pulling up to pit (9-15A) -- (drivers must maintain position in relation to field or face penalty, again rule differs at Martinsville and Bristol)
- Refueling car before race start OR when before the designated race distance, as in a competition caution called because of weather, passes (9-6D and 9-6E). Additional laps may be added to penalty.
Penalties assessed at NASCAR's discretion[edit]
- Running over/under equipment (9-15O)
- Running the stop and go sign/light (10-4C) (must be blatant; crossing the plane of the line or pole but stopping is not a penalty)
- Disobeying NASCAR request (9-11)
- Intentionally causing a caution (9-11)
- Verbal abuse to a NASCAR official (9-11)
- Disobeying Black Flag (10-6A)
- Safety violation
NASCAR conducts a complete technical inspection prior to the first practice session, before and after qualifying, and before the race. A quick safety inspection is also completed prior to each practice session after the first. Penalties for car violations are typically announced the Wednesday after a race, and can range from a simple fine to a suspension (typically a maximum of 12 races) and loss of points. After a race, the top 5 finishers, one other random car, and the first car failing to finish the race not due to an accident will have their cars inspected. The winner, random car, and first car out also have their cars and engines taken by NASCAR for further inspection at the NASCAR Research and Development Center. Further, there is one random race per year where NASCAR confiscates 15-20 engines and takes them to NASCAR's Research and Development Center for evaluation, comparison, and to help decide on future rule changes.
Starting in 2017, NASCAR will attempt to issue more penalties during a race weekend instead of waiting until Wednesday. There will now be L1 and L2 penalties:[34]
- L1 penalties concern areas of minimum heights and weights, the Laser Inspection Station (LIS), gear ratios, and flagrant lug nut violations where 17 or fewer are properly secured. Penalties will be a 10-40 point deduction, suspension for 1-3 races, plus a fine up to $75,000.
- L2 penalties involve more egregious infractions concerning tampering with the three 'no man's land' technical areas of tires, engine and fuel. Major safety violations, the use of telemetry or traction control, plus breaches of the testing policy also fall under the L2 designation. These penalties will be a 75-point deduction, a 4-6 race suspension, and a fine up to $200,000.
- 'Encumbered' finishes: The rules allow a victory to stand in the event of an infraction, but a winning team will be stripped of the benefits associated with the win.
- The list of pre-race penalties within a race weekend at the series directors' disposal, in order of increasing severity: Loss of annual 'hard card' credential, loss of practice time, loss of pit selection position, tail of the field penalty, a green-flag pass-through on pit road after the initial start, a green-flag stop-and-go in the pits after the start, and lap(s) penalty.
As a member of ACCUS/FIA, NASCAR has a substance abuse policy requiring random testing of drivers, crew members, and officials. Those who have violated the policy (including suspensions for domestic violence) are suspended indefinitely immediately and given the opportunity to enroll in NASCAR's Road to Recovery program to be re-instated into NASCAR.
On January 28, 2019, NASCAR unveiled its new Sports Betting Policy, which prohibits team owners, drivers, crew members and series officials from gambling on NASCAR or disclosing confidential information that could enable or facilitate betting on NASCAR events. Offenders could face fines of up to $200,000 as well as indefinite suspension or termination. NASCAR will continue to permit members to take part in fantasy sports provided the prize value is under $250.[35] The new policy was in reaction to the May 2018 Supreme Court of the United States ruling that struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, which allowed US states to authorize legal wagering.[36]
Pit road[edit]
NASCAR officials on pit road at Sonoma Raceway
During a race, teams must pit several times for refueling and new tires. Teams are permitted five crew members over the wall at the start of the race; that consists of two tire changers, one tire carrier, a jackman, and a gas man. Once NASCAR gives the OK (usually once the leader begins lapping cars), a 6th crew member is permitted only to service the driver/windshield. With the 2018 NASCAR rule changes, the gas man is now not allowed to make any adjustments to the car when refueling it.
There is an established pit road speed limit for each race. Since NASCAR cars do not have speedometers, the first pace lap of each race is run at pit road speed so drivers can get a tachometer reading for pit speed. There are a variety of other safety rules (see penalties above) that must be followed.
At the moment of caution or when there are two laps to go in the stage, pit road is immediately closed. NASCAR uses both a light at the end of pit road and a series of cameras to help determine the moment pit road is closed. The pits are opened once the field is under control of the pace/safety car unless there is an accident near the entrance/exit or on pit road, in which case the pits will remain closed until NASCAR deems the pits are safe to open.
After an incident at the June 2015 Chicagoland Xfinity race where the pit flagman waved a green flag but the light at the end of pit road was red, NASCAR added a light to the rear of the pace/safety car to help inform drivers and teams when pit road will be open, and thus removed the flagman from the entrance of pit road. NASCAR's official policy is that in the event of a discrepancy, the light at the end of pit road is official.
Starting in 2017, cars sustaining accident damage that cannot be repaired on pit road within 5 minutes will automatically be removed from the rest of the race. Speeding on pit road will see that time reduced by 15 seconds per infraction. Further, teams are not allowed to replace bodywork once the race begins. Teams using more than 5 crew members will also have their car removed from the race.
Crew rosters[edit]
For the 2018 season, NASCAR created a new roster system. This system would standardize the number of at-track team members. Rosters are split into three categories: Organizational, Road Crew, and Pit Crew.
Examples of Organizational roster spots include competition director, team managers, technical director, IT specialists. In the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series, teams are allotted three organizational roster spots for one- and two-car operations, and four spots for three- and four-car outfits. XFINITY and Gander Outdoors Truck Series teams are allowed one organizational roster spot each.
Examples of Road Crew include crew chief, car chief, mechanics, engine tuners, engineers, specialists (for areas such as tires, aerodynamics and shocks) and spotters. The limits for these personnel by series: Monster Energy Series, 12; XFINITY, 7; Gander Outdoors Trucks, 6.
![Drivers Drivers](/uploads/1/2/3/7/123713227/555123106.jpg)
Pit Crews are the same in all series, with the maximum number being 5.
The exceptions to these numbers are slight. Monster Energy Series teams are allowed one extra road crew position at Indianapolis Motor Speedway and the three road courses (Sonoma, Watkins Glen, Charlotte), where teams often use multiple spotters. Also, an additional road crew roster spot will be allowed for XFINITY teams at 10 races and Truck Series teams at five. [37]
Race procedure[edit]
Starting in 2017, NASCAR announced they may reserve the right to move up the start of the race one hour to beat inclement weather (heavy rain and lighting on road courses).
Two hours before the race, drivers and crew chiefs attend a mandatory driver's meeting. They are required to attend in person, and no exceptions are allowed (which has caused trouble with drivers attempting the Memorial Day Double). Failure to attend the meeting will force drivers to start at the rear of the field. In August 2015, NASCAR announced they would experiment moving the driver's meeting to only one hour before the race since meetings at most races take less than 15 minutes.
Roughly a 30 to 45 minutes before the race start time, driver introductions will be held. Failure to attend these will also require the driver to start at the rear of the field as well.
At the designated start time, a pre-race invocation is given, followed by the singing of the national anthem. Once the anthem is complete, drivers have exactly five minutes to get in their cars with all the safety equipment fastened and ready to go. At the end of those five minutes, the grand marshal for the race will deliver the command 'Drivers, start your engines!', at which point each car must start its engine. With the engines running, the cars sit on pit road for approximately three minutes before heading on the track for some warm-up laps before the pace car. The average number of pace laps is three, but there can be more or less depending on a wide variety of circumstances and conditions, including but not limited to track length, track drying efforts after rain, or if a car has a problem and stops on the track during those pace laps. At the end of the pace laps, the field will partake in a rolling start.
If the last lap of the race is started under caution, the race will be extended per NASCAR Overtime. Once the track is clear, the field will be given the green flag with two laps remaining. If there is another crash/caution before the leader reaches the 'overtime line,' usually located on the backstretch, then the race will continue to be extended until the leader reaches the line. However, when the leader of the race reaches the overtime line, the next flag (caution or checkered) will end the race (although competitors are required to cross the start/finish line at pace car speed to be scored in their position at the moment of caution).
After the race, the winning driver (and, if at the end of the season, championship winning driver) will usually complete a series of burnouts in celebration of their victory, before heading to victory lane for more celebrations and post-race interviews.
Safety[edit]
Since late 2001, a head and neck restraint has been required for usage of all drivers. Since 2005 the HANS Device (Head and Neck Support Device) has been the only such approved device. Since 2003, helmets have been required for pit crew members as well. Drivers and pit crew members must also wear firesuits. Drivers are required to use carbon fiber seats and headrests for strength and durability. Cars have also been redesigned since the 2001 death of Dale Earnhardt and after spectacular crashes to reflect new discoveries and developments in safety.
All oval tracks in any of NASCAR's National Series (except Eldora) use the SAFER Barrier and other soft wall technology to lessen impacts.
After a series of flips and dangerous crashes in the 1980s, NASCAR began requiring all cars to run a restrictor plate at Daytona and Talladega. The restrictor plate limits air into the engine, reducing horsepower and speed at these tracks from 230-240 mph to 195-200 mph. At these races, in addition to the restrictor plate, there are a variety of other technical rules and regulations to keep the cars stable and on the track. In addition to these technical rules, restrictor plate races are the only races where drivers are prohibited from using the apron of the track to execute a pass. A double yellow line separates the track from the racing surface, leading many to call the rule the 'Yellow Line Rule.' Driving under the line to advance one's position is subject to a drive-through penalty, or if the foul occurs on the last lap that car will be relegated to the last car on the lead lap in official race results.
Testing[edit]
NASCAR previously sanctioned an annual 4-day pre-season test at Daytona International Speedway in January for all teams until 2015, when all private testing was banned.[38] After that test, each organization was allowed four 2-day tests. Each test was required to be at a different race track. Rookie drivers were allocated an additional test. Beginning in 2016, each team is eligible to participate in five open tests that will occur at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Watkins Glen International, Chicagoland Speedway, and Homestead-Miami Speedway.[39]
Tire supplier Goodyear is allowed unlimited testing and can ask whichever teams it wants to complete the test. Usually Goodyear chooses the top three finishers from the previous year's event to run the test. However, Goodyear formerly staged a full-field tire test at Indianapolis in late June/early July in preparations for the Brickyard 400.
Weekend schedule[edit]
The Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series usually runs one day of practice and qualifying on Friday, followed by a second day of practice on Saturday morning, followed by the race on Sunday. If running a Saturday night race, the second day of practice is not held. During impound races, the three-day schedule is maintained, with qualifying taking place of Saturday practice.
The Xfinity Series will run practice on Friday, followed by qualifying a few hours before the race on Saturday. If a race is on Friday (or the schedule is otherwise compacted for other reasons), it is not uncommon for practice, qualifying, and the race to all be held on the same day. The Camping World Truck Series usually does this.
Rain can and often does affect the weekend schedule. When it does, qualifying is routinely cancelled and the starting lineup is set by owners points (previous year's points for the first 3 races). Whenever a race is postponed due to rain, then the race is usually scheduled for the following day (i.e., a Saturday night race postponed to Sunday afternoon or a Sunday afternoon race postponed to Monday afternoon).
References[edit]
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- ^Pockrass, Bob (January 27, 2014). 'Dale Jarrett relishes joining father Ned in NASCAR Hall of Fame'. Sporting News. Retrieved April 20, 2018.
- ^'2016 Past Champions Provisional'. Jayski's NASCAR Silly Season Site/ESPN. February 12, 2016. Retrieved April 12, 2018.
- ^http://www.nascar.com/en_us/news-media/articles/2017/2/16/nascar-announces-new-deterrence-penalty-policy.html
- ^Long, Dustin. 'NASCAR unveils Sports Betting Policy'. sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
- ^Weaver, Matt. 'NASCAR bans drivers and team members from betting on races'. Autoweek. Retrieved 29 January 2019.
- ^https://www.nascar.com/news-media/2017/11/22/nascar-to-standardize-at-track-rosters-beginning-in-2018/
- ^Fryer, Jenna (2014-09-23). 'NASCAR sets testing ban that includes Daytona 500'. Associated Press. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
- ^Bruce, Kenny (2016-01-12). 'Testing schedule for 2016 set'. NASCAR. Retrieved 2016-04-03.
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