Talk:NASCAR rules and regulations

rules

Could use a section on the "actions detrimental to stock car racing" rule they always quote when they fine people. Recury 00:06, 6 January 2007 (UTC)

This artical is very poor. Needs lots of work. I came to find info on Qualifying, but found a very detaild description of saftey equipment, lots on how points are awarded and lots of anicdotes, but no real infomation on the rules and regs.

Also, should we realy be giving examples of how rules are enfoced using names and places? Yes, use theoretical examples to illistrate a point, but please, more on the rules, not there effect. 62.232.65.170

I don't have a problem with citing specific examples-- sometimes this helps to illustrate a point better than an abstract discussion. Also, sometimes a specific incident needs to be cited because it caused officials to change the rules, and this needs to be noted. However, the article could use external links to urls within nascar's web site that discuss the regulations. Finally, how about the engine displacement limit, and how it has changed over the years?versen 23:27, 1 June 2007 (UTC)

Official rule book

Would like to see a link to the official rulebook. I can't seem to find one here or anywhere. Davidl9999 22:50, 4 July 2007 (UTC)

The official rule book is not public information. You can't link to it. You can't buy it.Mustang6172 22:00, 5 July 2007 (UTC)

That makes providing references laughable. Maybe I should just pull some NASCAR info out of my butt and post it. (jk) Davidl9999 20:25, 7 September 2007 (UTC)

That is the biggest load of nonsense I've ever heard, for gods sake the FIA provides the exact details of the entire F1 regulations for you to view, Nascar has nothing at all, which makes it seems amateurish. I wanted to find out about the tyre regulations but can't - how silly is that? Boothy m 13:32, 12 October 2007 (UTC)

IMHO rules must be published for credibility and as a minimum for any expectation of adherence! Is this professional wrestling, or racing? 4crates (talk) 03:51, 12 March 2009 (UTC)

They are, you just have to be a member of NASCAR in order to buy the rulebook. However, NASCAR quite often publicizes its rules through press releases, so there is a primary source for most of the rules, even though it isn't the rulebook itself. Spicy (talk) 18:14, 13 March 2009 (UTC)

Old rulebooks pop up for sale on eBay, but current editions are not public. TyVulpine (talk) 21:41, 4 March 2011 (UTC)

Gear Rule

Under Gear Rule at the end of the article, it says that NASCAR is restricting what the tallest gear may be and and not permitting the use of overdrive gears in an attempt to reduce engine RPM's. How does shortening the gears reduce the engine RPM? If the car have the use a larger (shorter) gear ratio in order to achieve the same speed on the oval, the engine must be cranking out at a higher RPM. Acceptable (talk) 00:56, 24 March 2008 (UTC)

Remember that NASCAR also controls the differential ratios. Eliminating overdrive is more of a cost cutting measure.Mustang6172 (talk) 03:19, 6 August 2008 (UTC)

NASCAR Cup Series#Cup cars states:

In fact, before NASCAR instituted the gear rule, Cup engines were capable of operating more than 10,000 rpm.

References

However, the gear rule section linked in that passage no longer exists. Should something be added back to this article describing the former rule (ideally along with information on its repeal, if that is why the section is gone), or should NASCAR Cup Series be edited to remove the defunct wikilink or to direct it elsewhere? —Geoff Capp (talk) 19:40, 7 March 2022 (UTC)

Rain tires & wipers

There should be something about rain tires and wipers, since the first points race in NASCAR history to use them was just raced at the 2008 NAPA Auto Parts 200 70.51.11.219 (talk) 06:28, 3 August 2008 (UTC)

I added that information as soon as the race ended. There's nothing more to say about it because there's no way of knowing if NASCAR will ever do that again.Mustang6172 (talk) 22:45, 3 August 2008 (UTC)

185 points

"Since, it is impossible to win a race without having led at least the last lap, the five bonus points for leading a lap means that the minimum points a race winner receives is 190 points (185 for position plus 5 for leading a lap)." What if the winning driver is disqualified and number two moves up in the ranking to the winning spot, but has not led any laps? Then you would have a winning driver with 185 points, wouldn't you? ziggy (talk) 12:19, 9 March 2009 (UTC)

This is a sufficiently rare scenario that it would be difficult to discuss without resorting to speculation. The last time that a Cup driver was actually stripped of a win was Fireball Roberts in 1955.[1]. Richard Petty got to keep a 1983 win despite illegal tires and engine.

The last time anything close to this happened (at least that I can find) was in the Nationwide series in 1995 at Michigan.[2] Dale Jarrett won but was dropped to last place for an illegal carb, giving Mark Martin the win. Everyone else was shifted up a spot in the points. However, Nationwide did not give lap leader bonuses at that time so this does not answer your question.

In the more recent past, NASCAR has expressed its wish not to "change the winner" of a race, and instead simply docks points from the winning driver in the championship standings, presumably to avoid the need to adjust every other driver's points. In 2008, Carl Edwards was docked 110 points (100 penalty + 5 for lap leader + 5 for most laps led) when his oil pan cover was missing after winning at Las Vegas. Other drivers kept their 5 for leading a lap, but none received the extra 5 for most laps led. Simishag (talk) 20:28, 9 March 2009 (UTC)

To be clear, Carl Edwards was docked 100 points and would not receive 10 bonus points for the win if he made the chase. Saying "he was docked 110 points" is not correct because the 10 points were not awarded rather than being awarded then taken away. toughguy223

Finish order

The article should have something about how the finish order is determined. Unfortunately, I don't know of a source for this.

I was curious as after his crash at Talladega a couple of weeks ago Carl Edwards got out of his car and ran across the finish line. I see from the race results that he placed 24th and in this article Edwards says that he wanted to finish and also to make sure he got all the points he could just in case there was something in the rules about running across the finish line. --Marc Kupper|talk 05:25, 10 May 2009 (UTC)

Well he said he wanted to finish. If you had just gone 499 of 500 miles, you'd be dissapointed too. I think it's pretty safe to say his use of the term "I don't know," is intended to indicate that he doesn't take the question seriously. In other interviews he often mentions his intention to parody the climatic scene of Talladega Nights. I suppose it may be important to include that every driver who starts the race will recieve the full points appropriate to his/her finishing position and that there is no minimum distance to complete before you can be classified in a finishing position.Mustang6172 (talk) 04:01, 11 May 2009 (UTC)

Just to clarify: The white flag indicates that this is the last scored lap for all drivers as they pass the white flag. The finishing order is determined as the cars cross the finish line when the checkered flag is displayed (if they don't finish the final lap, they are scored as of the previous lap). The CAR must cross the line. Carl's run was entertaining but meaningless. However, the car does not have to be going forward or even on its wheels across the line; Clint Bowyer finished the 2007 Daytona 500 by sliding across the finish line upside down,[and on fire! NitPicker769 (talk) 03:32, 30 September 2013 (UTC)] and a number of cars finished by going down pit road, which is legal. The finishing order is then broken down by how many laps the car has completed. In Carl's case, he did not complete the final lap, and was scored as the first driver one lap down because he completed that lap ahead of the other lapped cars. Simishag (talk) 18:25, 11 May 2009 (UTC)

Terry Labonte was sliding sideways at the end of a race at Bristol (spun by Dale Earnhardt) in 1994 and won. Car was totally wrecked, of course. TyVulpine (talk) 23:55, 4 March 2011 (UTC)

Thank you Simishag. The Nascar web site does not have seem to have a place where they docuement the rules. Ideally there's a reliable source that says how the white flag is used and the finish order is determined. --Marc Kupper|talk 07:23, 18 May 2009 (UTC)

Unfortunately, NASCAR's rule book is not generally available to the public (noted in the lead). We can more or less glean the rules from past race results and from analogous rules in other racing series, but occasionally we learn something new. Simishag (talk) 23:26, 18 May 2009 (UTC)

One of the reasons edwards would want to finsh is the facf of statisitics, if you crash on the last lap and do not cross the finish line it goes in the stats as a DNF (did not finish) but crossing the finish line would have caused him to have finished on the lead lap. Also if he finished on the lead lap using this exception to the rules he would have then been assured to be scored ahead of the other cars involved in the accident. toughguy223 —Preceding unsigned comment added by Toughguy223 (talk • contribs) 02:15, 21 April 2010 (UTC)

Nowadays, if there's a caution on the last lap or during a green-white-checkered attempt, NASCAR will revert to the last scoring LOOP, not how they are when they cross the finish line, to determine finishing order. (There are multiple "loops" around the track, number varies depending on size of track) TyVulpine (talk) 21:45, 4 March 2011 (UTC)

Flags

In the graph of the flags you are missing a very common and often used flag combination. In NASCAR the waving of the Red and Black flags at the same time signifys the end of practice and is used to declare the end of each practice session. If a source is needed, the use of these flags can be seen on any televised practice session in the top 3 NASCAR series. (Toughguy223 (talk) 01:39, 17 March 2011 (UTC)) I would like to see a minor change to the graph. On my computer, and I am sure many others, it is very hard to see the White Flag. I was wondering if you could put a black outline around the flag so it would stand out better.208.107.174.145 (talk) 22:20, 16 January 2016 (UTC)

Edit request on 7 October 2013

Please change the point values for 1st place from 46 to 43 the driver that wins any nascar race in the top 3 series receives 43 points plus up to 5 bonus points 3 for winning the race 1 for leading a lap and 1 for leading the most laps the points run from 43 to 1 in descending order with 1st place receiving 43 points and last place receiving 1 point plus any applicable bonus points. Kylea0470 (talk) 11:41, 7 October 2013 (UTC) Kylea0470 (talk) 11:41, 7 October 2013 (UTC)

Not done:. The 46 in the table includes the 3 bonus points. Also, it isn't up to 48 points -- it's a minimum of 47 points: 43 for 1st place; 3 bonus for win; 1 bonus for leading a lap (the last lap). Then there are any bonuses for all other laps led (if any), and 1 more if and only if the race winner also leads the most laps, which he isn't automatic. I have added the reference you provided, though. Thanks. --Stfg (talk) 13:35, 7 October 2013 (UTC)

References

Caution flag and restart procedure

The edit that was made today is factually inaccurate, and uses terminology that does not appear in NASCAR rules, nor in any recent ruling. "NASCAR will allow a lane change of a competitor, if another competitor in front of he/her in their respective lane/line has an issue."

In fact, there have been numerous situations where drivers were penalized for changing lanes before the start-finish line, and for jumping "out of line". It would be impractical for NASCAR to use the term, or concept of "an issue", because that would leave the door wide open for anyone to interpret what "an issue" is, to wit: running out of fuel, missing an upshift, spinning the tires, having less horsepower than the competitor that follows, etc. You simply cannot pull out of line and pass the car in front of you until you reach the start-finish line according to the rules.

• Race director David Hoots outlined those changes in the meeting, saying that the restart zone and the procedures around it remain the same. “The change is,” Hoots said, “that once we go green, we’re racing green. You can’t change your line or your lane until you reach the start/finish line."

Psennett (talk) 03:20, 26 October 2015 (UTC)

References

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Wrong number of loose lug nuts

Chase Elliott did not have four loose lug nuts in the 2021 Ally 400 at Nashville, he actually has five loose lug nuts that made him disqualified. Jaylon AngRoblox2009 (talk) 06:35, 16 July 2022 (UTC)