NASCAR Announces “Double-File Restarts – Shootout Style

NASCAR announced a change to its race format with the addition of “Double-File Restarts – Shootout Style” throughout each race. Beginning with this weekend at Pocono Raceway, the first- and second-place drivers will line up side-by-side as the green flag flies for each restart. “We’ve heard the fans loud and clear: ‘double-file restarts – shootout style’ are coming to the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series,” said NASCAR Chairman and CEO Brian France. “This addition to the race format is good for competition and good for the fans.”
NASCAR recently used the “double-file” format for its non-points NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, which produced an unpredictable finish. The format will be adapted for the NASCAR Nationwide Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series in the near future. Under the previous format, cars on the lead lap would restart in a single-file line while cars that had been lapped would start in a line next to them. Under the new format, the race leader will have the option to restart on the inside or outside lane. The second-place driver would then restart next to the leader. Regardless of where the leader starts, drivers in odd number positions (3rd, 5th, 7th places, etc.) will restart on the inside lane, while drivers in even number positions (4th, 6th, 8th places, etc.) will restart on the outside. All restarts will use the same format regardless of the number of laps remaining in the race.
The first-place driver will continue to control the timing of restarts in a designated zone on the track. Likewise, cars are to stay in line until they reach the start/finish line. The first eligible car a lap or more down will continue to earn one lap back following a caution, which is known as the “free pass.” However, a new element beginning this week will be that the “free pass” will remain in effect the entire race [before it was all race until 10 or less laps to go, then none was awarded]. Lapped cars choosing to remain on the track will be “waved around” the caution car and will restart the race in respective track position, thus picking up a lap to the leader provided the leader also pits. This will also remove lapped cars from behind the pace car, allowing the leaders to take the green without interference [so the leader will not restart in the middle of the pack].(NASCAR)(6-4-2009)

Source: http://jayski.com/cupnews.htm#news-double

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wow..incredible rule change. Kudos Nascar.
sounds pretty good!
its about time!.... now robby will have an easier time getting his lap back... lol
Now the leaders will race rather than play follow the leader. The cars in the back won't have the leaders breathing down their neck after 20 laps. Good job Nascrap I think you finally made the racing better by making a race a race......
Lap down cars will be screwed at short tracks.
So.. the only difference in reference to lapped cars is the lucky dog will be available all race long and that they will start in the back on restarts?? What if your lapped car is fast and you got screwed by bad luck and you could pass the leader on a restart??
Then make yourself the first car a lap down so you get the free-pass at the next yellow.

Sure, there will be cases where one might have had a better chance with the old rules, but this opens plenty of opportunities too. How many times has Robby been a lap down, had his car finally dialed in, but was stuck in lead lap traffic so he couldn't get into the Lucky Dog position? Now he would only have to beat other lap down cars.

I'm sure some unforseen twists will come of this. Some will be good, and some bad. Overall I like it.
You can just stay out under a caution, then you are on the tail end of the lead lap and get waved around to restart on the lead lap, right?
That is correct...brings more stratagey into the game.......more times than not...this will help robby...
Awesome! They definitely made the right call. It will only make the racing more exciting and more true to form. I'm excited for Pocono.
am I reading this right....if you are two laps down and during a caution you decide not to pit, you will be allowed to come around the pace car and pick up a lap?
That's the way I read it. We'll have to see how they interpret it during a race.

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