Nascar League Rules
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NASCAR League Rules
Qualifying Procedure
Sprint Cup
The starting grid for all Sprint Cup races (save for theDaytona 500) is determined by a single-car qualifying session. Each team attempting to start is given the chance to make a two lap run (or one lap on road courses) with only the fastest lap counting towards their official time. The order in which the teams qualify is determined by a random draw. The top 35 teams in owner’s points (as opposed to driver's points) are guaranteed to start in the top 42 positions. The 43rd starting position will go to the most recent NEXTEL Cup champion not already in the race in what's known as the "Champion's Provisional". Former champions may use this no more than 6 times in one season. If there is no former champion using this provisional, the eighth fastest car not in the top 35 will start 43rd.
Race Procedure
Sprint Cup races are held either Saturday night or Sunday (weather permitting), while Bush Series races and Craftsman Truck Series races are usually run Friday night or Saturday. NASCAR avoids holding Sprint Cup races and feeder series races on the same day. Smaller series usually run Friday night or Saturday. NEXTEL Cup teams are rarely allowed to practice before a race.
Start of Race
NASCAR holds a mandatory driver's meeting two hours before each race. Drivers that fail to attend the meeting are forced to start last in the race. Drivers are also expected to participate in pre-race ceremonies. Drivers usually wait until after the National Anthem(s) has/have played before entering their cars. At this point, the command "Gentlemen, start your engines" (or a gender neutral variant) is given by Grand Marshall of the race. As drivers cannot hear the Public address system in their cars, this is primarily ceremonial. After at least three warm-up laps behind aPace Car, all NASCAR races begin with a Rolling start.
In Race
During the race, each driver will periodically have his or her car serviced during Pit stops. As some tracks, notably in NASCAR's smaller, regional series, do not have pit lanes; these races will be temporarily halted with a "half-time" or "intermission" period where cars may be serviced away from the track.
Because of the success of the "Winter Heat" series in Tucson Raceway Park in 1994-95, theCraftsman Truck Series, which raced two exhibitions at the track, used the break format for all races for three and a half seasons, at all tracks in order to prevent teams from flying special pit crewmen to change tires, and to equalise smaller teams. From 1997 until the end of the format in July 1998, teams would stop for fuel in standard race conditions in addition to the one intermission break for fuel at larger circuits.
End of Race
Many short-track races cannot end in a caution period. If there is a caution in the final laps, the race will be extended by a green-white-checker-finish.
The procedure was adopted by NASCAR in 1995 for the Craftsman Truck Series, also after an experiment during the 1994-95 Winter Heat exhibitions, and in mid-July 2004 for all national and regional series, with a one-attempt rule in effect for the national series after one Craftsman Truck Series race had four different attempts.
Following the race, winning drivers often celebrate with Burnouts and Victory laps before arriving at victory lane.
Flags
The green flag indicates that the race has started or restarted.
The yellow flag or caution flag indicates a hazard on
the track. All cars must slow down and follow the pace car. Passing is
not allowed under the yellow flag. On road courses, a "local yellow" is
signaled with a yellow flag with a black border. A spin without a local
yellow is signaled with a standard FIA-specification blue flag.
The red flag indicates that the race has been halted. This
may happen due to a large accident, inclement weather, 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.
The red flag with a yellow cross is shown to indicate pit
road is closed. This will be shown at the entrance of pit road when the
yellow flag is displayed. When all the cars have gathered behind the
pace car, pit road will open and this flag will be withdrawn. A red and
green strobe light system is also used at the entrance and exit of pit
road.
The white flag indicates one lap remaining in the race.
The checkered flag indicates that a race or qualifying is over.
The black flag indicates that a driver is being penalized.
This may be due to a rules infraction by the driver or pit crew, or if
a vehicle has sufficient mechanical damage that it is a hazard to other
drivers. A black flag shown with a red flag indicates a practice
session is over.
The black flag with a white cross indicates a driver is no
longer being scored. This is normally shown if a driver does not
respond to a black flag within five laps.
The blue flag with a yellow stripe is shown to warn slow
drivers of faster cars approaching. NASCAR rarely punishes 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 of 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 a local caution on a road
course. It is not used on ovals. If a full course caution is required,
NASCAR will use the yellow flag to indicate this.
In the wake of a fatal corner worker crash at Daytona International
Speedway in 2004 in a non-NASCAR sanctioned (but suing track workers)
race, NASCAR has become reluctant in recent years to use this flag,
opting to full course cautions 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 safety 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 at speed.
The yellow and red flag indicates that there is debris on the track. This flag is only used on road courses.
Technical requirements and inspection
NASCAR will inspect every car before (and sometimes after) a race to ensure that this car does not violate any rule of its series. These inspection periods involve measuring the angle or size of the spoiler, weighing the car, comparing the body lines to templates, distributing restrictor plates (for restrictor plate races), distributing the wings (for the Car of Tomorrow), and measuring the ride height.
All NASCAR race cars use aroll cage to protect the drivers and serve as the chassis. All vehicles use afront engine-rear drive layout with pushrod engines as overhead camshaft engines are not allowed. All engines are carburated and fuel injection is not allowed. Forced induction is also not allowed, thus making all engines naturally-aspirated. All cars racing on paved tracks use slick tires supplied by Goodyear Tire and Rubber Company. NASCAR does not allow the use ofrain tires on oval tracks as the tracks put too much stress on the tires. In the late 90's NASCAR did attempt using rain tires in road course competition for all major series, but a lack of rain and road course dates meant that rain tires were not economically viable. The Busch Series may use rain tires on a road course if needed; however, these are the same tires constructed in the late 90's and have exceeded their shelf life.
