NASCAR rule tweaks create ‘overtime line’
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. — Looking to end the frustration and confusion about late caution flags in its races, NASCAR announced Thursday that it is shifting to an unlimited green-white-checkered finish protocol and establishing an “overtime line” to determine the winner.
The line will vary by track. The race cannot end until the leader passes the line. When that happens, it will be considered a clean restart and the race can go on and finish. But until the leader passes the line, there is no limit to the number of restarts the race can have.
NASCAR previously had a limit of three tries to complete the race.
NASCAR hopes t he change will eliminate the angst over late cautions. At Talladega Superspeedway last year, Joey Logano was declared the winner after it was ruled he was slightly ahead of Dale Earnhardt when the caution flag flew.
Earnhardt, who needed to win that race to reach the Chase, said via Twitter on Thursday: “I like these changes a lot. Good all around.”
NASCAR also officially announced Thursday that the Sprint Cup field will be reduced to 40 drivers from 43 because of its new charter model that guarantees a spot in the field for 36 cars. A race winner will receive 40 points, secondplace 39, and so on. Xfinity (40 cars) and Trucks (32) will change accordingly. Drivers will continue to receive va rious bonus points.
NASCAR also detailed plans for Daytona 500 qualifying; this year’s race is Feb. 21:
The 36 teams with a charter earn an automatic spot in the field
There will be four open spots up for grabs at Daytona.
The highest-finishing non-charter teams in the two duel races will earn a spot in the field.
The other two open spots will be determined by pole qualifying.
Qualifying sets the front row for the Daytona 500 and the starting lineup for the duel races.
If weather wipes out qualifying and the duel races, combined practice speeds will determine the four non-charter teams.
DAYTONA SPEEDWAY OPENS TODAY
Jeff Gordon will be in the booth and Tony Stewart in a bed when the NASCAR season begins.
Neither NASCAR star will be in a car when Daytona International Speedway opens today for preparations for the Feb. 21, season-opening Daytona 500. Gordon, arguably NASCAR’s biggest star, retired at the end of last season and the four-time champion will now be a Fox analyst.
Stewart fractured a vertebra in a recent all-terrain vehicle crash, which has sidelined him for the beginning of his final season as a NASCAR driver. The crash denied him a chance to finally win the Daytona 500. He has come close in his 17 previous tries, but he will watch the race on TV as he awaits approval to travel. Olive Branch native Ricky Stenhouse Jr. took Stewart’s position in the 25-driver field based on the 2015 season standings. The field is made up of 2015 pole winners and Chase drivers, former Sprint Unlimited winners and Daytona 500 pole winners who competed full time last year, and the top remaining drivers in the standings.
Kyle Busch will begin defense of his Sprint Cup title, which he snatched from 2014 champion Kevin Harvick. Defending Daytona 500 winner Joey Logano will be chasing a championship berth he was denied last year because of a feud with Matt Kenseth.
The drivers will all be using a new rules package they pushed for that includes less downforce on the cars.