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NASCAR Bringing Back Stage Cautions for ROVAL

Stage cautions will return to road courses when NASCAR heads to the Charlotte Motor Speedway ROVAL on Oct. 8, Elton Sawyer, NASCAR’s senior vp of competition, announced via SiriusXM NASCAR Radio Sept. 12.

Additionally, there will be an adjusted restart zone to go with the stage cautions.

Series officials had elected to remove stage cautions for road courses ahead of the 2023 season while still awarding stage points at the end of stages.

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An adjusted restart zone was also used at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway road course with single-file restarts at the Chicago street course.

Sawyer said the change is meant to make officiating during the playoffs uniform across all races.

“I’m sure the question from our fans and even our competitors is why do that now,” Sawyer said. “One reason is that we want to make sure that throughout the playoff … we wanted to make sure that we were officiating across the board the same way. Now we will be, all of our races will have a caution stage break.”

Chase_folsom_ROVAL_2022

Chase began working with Frontstretch in the spring of 2023 as a news writer, while also helping fill in for other columns as needed. Chase is now the main writer and reporter for Frontstretch.com's CARS Tour coverage, a role which began late in 2023.  Aside from racing, some of Chase's other hobbies include time in the outdoors hunting and fishing, and keeping up with all things Philadelphia sports related.

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DoninAjax

I guess the networks complained and NA$CAR did what the fans want, like they always do.

wildcats2016

I doubt it was something the fans wanted but I agree that it was probably the networks who complained. personally I prefer NO stage cautions.

DoninAjax

I was being sarcastic about the fans because NA$CAR has no intention of doing what the fans want unless it makes lots of cents them, AKA $$$$$$.

Bill W.

No stage cautions was one of the best thing about the road course racing and now they are go screw that up.

Bill B

Yep. The one good decision they made this year and they are undoing it.
Figures, who would expect anything else from NASCAR?

DoninAjax

They corrected a stupid decision and then realized the precedent they set so they made another stupid decision. I’m actually surprised it took this long. So much for losing all the TV time outs.

Jeremy

I’m guessing there wasn’t enough wrecking and carnage to keep all these new NA$CAR “fans” entertained?

I think NA$CAR should mandate tracks install ramps on the racing surface that deploy (pop up) intermittently throughout the race – sending cars flying spectacularly through the air at random! If that doesn’t get people watching, perhaps the last place car at the end of each stage has to jump their car over a bunch of school busses (and through a giant ring of fire) while the Crew Chief is shot from a cannon!

If they’re going to run a circus, run a circus!

DoninAjax

Don’t give the Brain Trust in Daytona any more brilliant ideas. My mom said “Many a truth was said in jest”.

Bill B

My mom said “Life is like box of chocolates” LOL!!!

DoninAjax

So I guess you can see the Forrest for the trees!

Steve

Well, Ryan Preece rolled a bunch of times and lived to tell about it, so why not (nascar’s thinking)

Shayne

That’s some straight up Humpy Wheeler thinkin’ right there.