NASCAR rules and regulations

The National Association of Stock Car Automobile Racing (NASCAR) makes and enforces numerous rules and regulations that transcend all racing series. This article will pertain to rules that apply to every series. NASCAR issues a different rule book for each racing series; however, rule books are published exclusively for NASCAR members and are not made available to the public.

Championship points system

Position	Points
1st	185
2nd	170
3rd	165
4th	160
5th	155
6th	150
7th	146
8th	142
9th	138
10th	134
11th	130
12th	127
13th	124
14th	121
15th	118
16th	115
17th	112
18th	109
19th	106
20th	103
21st	100
22nd	97
23rd	94
24th	91
25th	88
26th	85
27th	82
28th	79
29th	76
30th	73
31st	70
32nd	67
33rd	64
34th	61
35th	58
36th	55
37th	52
38th	49
39th	46
40th	43
41st	40
42nd	37
43rd	34

For all series championships in NASCAR, driver points are awarded after each race. For the three major championships, as well as the touring championships, points are given out for each race based on two categories: Final Position, and Laps Led. The Whelen All-American Series rewards points on the final position only and the specifics of how points are rewarded may vary from race to race.

For points according to position, there are three different scales: 5 point, 4 point, and 3 point. First Place gets 185 points, with fifteen points separating first from second. After second place (170 points), the first scale starts, with five points separating second through sixth place. After sixth place the second scale starts, separating drivers by four points for positions seven through eleven. After that, the third scale is in effect, separating the rest of the field by three points (see chart on left). This is why cars will sometimes go back on track after a wreck, even if they have no chance of winning. By moving up three positions, they gain nine more points.

For points according to laps led there are two five-point bonuses: 5 points for leading a lap (any single lap) and five points for leading the most laps of the drivers in that race. If a driver has led at least one lap in the race, that driver is awarded an extra 5 points on top of the points they earned based on position. 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). In addition, the driver who leads the most laps earns an additional 5 points. The driver who leads the most laps in a race will have received 10 bonus points (5 for his first lap led, and 5 for leading the most laps). Lap leadership is determined at the start-finish line at the end of each lap. A driver cannot simply lead part of a lap somewhere on the track; the driver must be the first across the start-finish line to be considered the leader for that lap. The pole sitter is therefore not guaranteed to receive 5 bonus points since he could be passed during the first lap. Lap leadership is counted under both green and yellow flags, so drivers will sometimes skip a pit stop in order to inherit the lead during a caution lap and obtain the bonus points.

Drivers’ points are assigned to the driver who starts the race. It is legal (though rare) to change drivers during a race (usually due to injury or fatigue), but the replacement driver gets no points. When Martin Truex, Jr. replaced Dale Earnhardt, Jr. during a 2004 Sprint Cup Series race at New Hampshire International Speedway (while Earnhardt was recovering from an injury), the points counted towards Earnhardt's total.

Points are also given to the owner of a car. For a car that makes the field, the owner points are the same as the driver points for that race. Cars that fail to qualify for a race gain owner points based on how well they qualified, continuing the 3 points per position so that the 44th car in qualifying gets 31 points, the 45th gets 28 points, and so forth, to a minimum of one point below 54th.

NASCAR points system development

From the beginning of championship series until 1967 championship points were based on prize money purses. Races with lesser purses paid fewer points than races with bigger purses.

First,the NASCAR point system used for championship from 1949 till 1951 awarded points on basis 10 points for the 1st place, 9 pts for 2nd, 8 pts for 3rd and so on, multiplied by 0.05*race purse (Race worth $4000 paid 200 points to the winner, 180 for 2nd place...). No info about how many points were given to drivers finishing below 10th place.

From 1952 till 1967, the NASCAR point system was based on linear scale for first 25 positions: 25-24-23-... Coefficients changed, but were always depending on prize money. From 25th place down there were awarded the same number of points.

In 1968, NASCAR started to award points depending on race distance, not prize money. Point system was 50-49-48-... multiplied by 1 for events to 249 miles, 2 for events 250-399 miles and 3 for events 400 miles and more. System stopped from 50th place. This system was in use until the end of 1971 season.

In 1972, together with shortening the schedule, the point system was also modified. Basic points of 100-98-96-... were awarded for each race. Additionally, lap points were awarded for the number of laps completed. Tracks under 1 mile, 0.25 points a lap; 1-mile tracks, 0.50; 1.3-mile track (Darlington), 0.70; 1.5-mile tracks, 0.75; 2-mile tracks (Michigan), 1.00; tracks 2.5 miles and over, 1.25. This system was also used in 1973.

In 1974, the points system was simple: Total money winnings from all track purses (qualifying and contingency awards did not count), in dollars, multiplied by the number of races started, and the resulting figure divided by 1,000 determined the number of points earned. By the end of the season Richard Petty had such a big lead in points, that he increased it even by finishing 30th while his main rival Cale Yarborough made a top-5 (Remember - the money was multiplied by the number of races started. Even if Cale made more money in one particular race, when the total money was multiplied by e. g. 27, the difference between the two leaders could also increase in comparison with situation after race 26).

The current NASCAR points system was developed in 1975 following years of trouble in trying to develop a points system -- from 1949 until 1971, six different systems were used, and in 1972, NASCAR used a different system each year for the next three years.

That type of inconsistency, which included a system, which rewarded most mileage for the entire season, and then another year where mileage and finishing positions were counted, favored larger circuits, and some fans complained about a champion who only won one race. That resulted in a 1974 ill-fated attempt at basing the points system on money and starts. Even though one driver won consecutive races, his opponent who had won the big money races had scored more points.

Bob Latford, a former public relations official at Lowe's Motor Speedway, devised NASCAR's most popular points system, which was adopted in 1975, which NASCAR used two different versions for their series from 1982 until 1998. In the system, the winner received 175 points, second 170 points, and other positions exactly the same as the current points system.

Until 1998, the Nationwide Series points system offered 180 points for the winner, but no bonuses for leading laps. The same was true for the Craftsman Truck Series until the end of that season, when NASCAR decided to standardise the points system for their series.

One complaint about the points system was that a driver could finish second and receive an equal number of points as a race winner, which was possible if the driver who led the most laps finished second. NASCAR amended the problem in 2004 by adding five points to the winner, and again in 2007 by adding another five points to the winner.

Vehicle numbers

All vehicles competing in a NASCAR sanctioned event prominently display numbers on the roof and door areas. Unlike many series, especially Formula 1, numbers are not assigned based on the previous year’s point’s positions. NASCAR owns the rights to each number and licenses them to teams annually. NASCAR usually reissues numbers that teams have previously used and may allow teams to request numbers of significance. Ironically, while most series including Formula 1 reserve #1 for the reigning champion, no driver in the Sprint Cup Series has ever won a championship driving car #1 or #01.

The numbers displayed can range from 0 (or 00) to 99; however, the official numbers may contain three digits if two teams wish to use the same double-digit number. For example, one team could be #27 and the other #127.

NASCAR rarely retires numbers in the way that some professional sports teams do. Only one number, #61, in the Whelen Modified Tour only, is retired, and that was after the 1985 season, when Richie Evans was killed at Martinsville Speedway.

Currently, there is debate as to whether #3 (which is commonly associated with the late Dale Earnhardt) should be retired. There was a debate to retire Richard Petty's #43 following his retirement, but NASCAR ultimately chose against it and Petty Enterprises chose in 1994, after spending the 1993 season in the #44, to return to racing with #43, which has continued to this day. Richard Childress Racing has decided to use the #3 in NASCAR Grand National East racing in 2008, with grandson Austin Dillon racing the #3, a decision he wanted, that his grandfather said, "It was something Austin wanted to do because it was my number (when he started in 1971). It's neat to watch Austin race it, but when I'm watching, I'm more worried than I am thinking about the number."

Safety

History of safety in NASCAR

Safety in racing has come a long way since the first green flag dropped. Up until the last few years, NASCAR was heavily criticized for its lack of focus on safety. Many safety precautions were not mandatory, as they are in other racing series, but only optional or recommended. NASCAR changed its stance on this after one of the sport's most popular drivers, Dale Earnhardt, was killed in a racing accident on the last lap of the 2001 Daytona 500. Since 2002, no driver has been killed on the track in any of NASCAR's three major series.

Seats

The seats that the drivers sit in have evolved over the past few years. Most of the seats found in the race cars wrap around the driver's rib cage which provides some support during a crash, spreading the load out over the entire rib cage instead of letting it concentrate in a smaller area. Some of the newer seats wrap around the driver's shoulders as well, which provides better support because the shoulders are more durable than the rib cage.

Seat belts and harnesses

The seat belts in stock cars are very important. They are built to be stronger than a normal seat belt. The seat belts used are the five- or six-point harness, which is two straps coming down over the driver's shoulders, two straps wrap around the waist, and one or two come up between the legs. Since a string of accidents in 2000 and 2001 that killed Adam Petty, Kenny Irwin, Tony Roper and Dale Earnhardt (plus several other drivers in minor circuits) under similar circumstances, NASCAR has made it mandatory for the drivers to wear the HANS device. Though NASCAR allowed another system, the Hutchens device, in the past, since 2005 HANS is the only head and neck restraint device allowed for use.

Restrictor plate

Main article: Restrictor plate

Artist rendering of a NASCAR restrictor plate

As a safety measure to reduce speeds at the two high-banked superspeedways (Daytona and Talladega), faster speeds are now seen at some tracks where restrictor plates are not mandated, specifically Atlanta Motor Speedway and Texas Motor Speedway. While Atlanta is generally considered the fastest track, restrictor plates are not mandated there, in 2004 and 2005 higher qualifying speeds were posted at Texas, earning it the title of the circuit's fastest track. Unrestricted, Nextel Cup cars produce over 750 horsepower (560 kW) and can run at speeds in excess of 200 [mph]. Rusty Wallace completed a 2004 test for NASCAR at Talladega in which he used an unrestricted motor to complete average lap speeds of 221 mph and top speeds near 230 mph.

Roof flaps

In 1994, NASCAR introduced roof flaps to the car, which are designed to keep cars from getting airborne and possibly flipping down the track. NASCAR team owner Jack Roush helped design the roof flaps, in conjunction with Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, Daytona, Florida, USA. During spins, as a result of accidents or loss of handling, as the car rotates it eventually reaches and angle where the oncoming air reacts with the profile of the vehicle in the same manner as a wing. If the speed is high enough air flowing over this hydrofoil shape will create sufficient lift to force the car to become airborne. To prevent this, NASCAR developed a set of flaps that are recessed into pockets on the roof of the car. As a car is turned around and reaches an angle where significant lift occurs, the low pressure above the flaps causes them to deploy. The first flap oriented 140 degrees from the centerline of the car typically deploys first. After flap deployment, higher pressure air is forced through an air tube which connects to a second flap, deploying it. This second flap ensures that, should the car continue to spin, no further lift will be created as the vehicles angle changes. The deployment of these flaps eliminates most of the lift on the vehicle. The roof flaps generally keep the cars on the ground as they spin, although it is not guaranteed.

Barriers

Main article: SAFER barrier

Beginning in the early 2000's, many tracks were retrofitted with SAFER barriers along the walls of the track. These walls absorb the energy of an impact better than concrete walls, while maintaining integrity better than traditional steel barriers. This system costs millions of dollars to put in, and the creation of this wall, which connects to the original wall, took many more millions to design and create.

Pit road safety

Pit road safety has become a major focus of NASCAR officials in recent years since the 1990 Atlanta Journal 500, where the rear tire changer for Melling Racing was killed in a pit road crash.

By April 1991, NASCAR implemented the current policy of pit road speed limits. The speed limit depends on the size of the track and the size of pit road. NASCAR uses an electronic scoring system, similar to the VASCAR system, to monitor the speeds of cars on pit road by measuring the time it takes to get from checkpoint to checkpoint. As the cars are not equipped with speedometers, the cars in prerace warm up laps are driven around the track at the pit road speed following the pace car so the drivers can mark their speed on the tachometer. NASCAR does not allow the use of pit road specific rev limiters as found in most other forms of racing.

Since 2002, NASCAR has implemented a rule where all over the wall pit members are required to wear helmets, no visors needed, full fire suits, and gloves; while the gas man must wear a fire apron as well as the suit. While it is not required yet, it is recommended that tire changers wear safety glasses to prevent eye injuries from lug nuts thrown off the car and fuel spills.

Begining in 2008, teams may not roll a car more than three pit box lenghts to push start a car. This prevents teams from pushing a car the length of pit road when the starter motor fails. Also, outside tires that have been removed from a vehicle during a pit stop can no longer be free-rolled from the outside of the pit box to the pit wall; rather, they must be hand-directed to the inner half of the pit box before being released.

As with changes to car models, NASCAR will institute new rules during a season if it deems it necessary to enhance safety.

Spotter

In contrast with open-wheel, sports car, and touring car governing bodies, NASCAR does not allow racecars to have wing mirrors. While drivers may still use a rear-view mirror, they are left with large blind spots to cope with. In NASCAR’s more prominent series, spotters are used to combat this problem. The spotter’s purpose is to relay information about where cars in these blind spots are to the driver via two-way radio. Spotters also advise drivers on navigating track-obstructing crashes and may relay messages from one driver to another. Many drivers also mount a small convex mirror to the A-pillar.

Since a fatal ARCA incident in October 2002, NASCAR has implemented mandatory spotters at all time a car is on the track during all series in practice, qualifying, and the race. In many cases, a spotter is a former driver.

Race weekends

In a typical weekend, teams will have two practice sessions, and a qualifying session before the race. In a smaller series, the race may be run in a series of qualifying races known as heats before a feature. A larger series will have a practice session before a two lap qualifying session, where the better of the two laps will represent the driver's time. There is normally a second practice session after qualifying which is often referred to as happy hour. If a practice session cannot be held, NASCAR may have a competition caution at a predestinated time. If qualifying cannot be held, owner's points will be used to determine the starting grid.

Qualifying Procedure

General

In general, the starting order for races is determined by the best qualifying time: each car gets a two lap run, and the best single lap time is used as the qualifying time. Qualification on road courses is generally limited to one lap rather than two. The order in which the teams qualify is determined by a random draw.

Should qualifying be cancelled (for example, due to weather), qualifying order is set based on car owner points. The top 42 cars qualify automatically. The 43rd position is reserved as the "Champion's Provisional" for any past champion not in the race; if not used, it is released to the 43rd highest car in points.

Qualifying order is also used to determine pit stalls for the race, with the fastest qualifier getting first choice.

Sprint Cup

In Sprint Cup races, the top 35 cars in the standings qualify automatically, regardless of qualifying time. The "top 35" cutoff is based on car owner points, not driver points. Furthermore, for the first 5 races of the season, the "top 35" is considered to be the final top 35 from the previous season. After 5 races, the "top 35" is the current top 35 at the conclusion of the previous race. The purpose of this rule is to reward teams which run the whole schedule. This is generally believed to improve the ability of teams to retain sponsorship by offering the sponsors assurance that their cars will indeed be in the race.

While the starting order is still based on qualifying times, teams above the top 35 cutoff are guaranteed to be "in the show". 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 Sprint 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.

The need for sponsorship makes the top 35 cutoff critical for teams outside the top 35, and they are sometimes known as "Go or Go Home" cars. In previous years, the random qualifying draw included all possible cars, but starting in 2008, the cars were separated into 2 draws, with the top 35 cars going first in the session and all cars outside the top 35 going second. This was done to ensure that track conditions would be as consistent as possible for qualifiers outside the top 35.

Nationwide Series and Craftsman Truck Series

The Nationwide Series and Craftsman Truck Series also use a two-lap, single-car qualifying formula on ovals. Unlike the Sprint Cup Series, only the top 30 teams qualify automatically. For road courses, European-style qualifying is used. This involves putting all the cars attempting to qualify in groups of 5-7 based on practice speeds and giving each group about 5 minutes on the track to produce their best lap time.

Daytona 500

The Daytona 500 has a unique qualifying process. A standard qualifying session is used to determine the front row (2 cars). All remaining qualifiers are separated into 2 qualification races (the Gatorade Duels), whose finishing order is then used to determine the starting grid for the main race. The top 35 rule remains in effect and is applied after the Gatorade Duel races.

Race Procedure

Sprint Cup races are held either Saturday night or Sunday (weather permitting), while Nationwide Series races and Craftsman Truck Series races are usually run Friday night or Saturday. NASCAR avoids holding Sprint Cup races and other series races on the same day. Regional series also usually run Friday night or Saturday. Sprint Cup teams are rarely allowed to practice the day of a race.

Nationwide Series and Craftsman Truck Series also cannot be held at the same time, owing to NASCAR's television restrictions that prohibit both series from running at the same time, and the lower series must air on tape delay rule if that happens.

Start of Race

NASCAR holds a mandatory driver's meeting two hours before each race, or in impound qualifying followed by the race shortly afterwards, before qualifying. Drivers that fail to attend the meeting or in pre-race ceremonies are forced to start last in the race.

Since 2004, drivers must wait until after the national anthem(s) has/have played before entering their cars.

At five minutes after the National Anthem, the command "Gentlemen, start your engines" is given by grand marshal of the race. After at least three warm-up laps behind a pace car, all NASCAR races begin with a rolling start.

In Race

During the race, each driver will periodically have his car serviced during pit stops. Some tracks—notably in NASCAR's smaller, regional series—do not have pit lanes, so races at these tracks 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, the Craftsman 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

Main article: Racing flags

Like most other sanctioning bodies, NASCAR will use flags to provide the drivers with information regarding track conditions. NASCAR, not adhering to the FIA rules (despite NASCAR being a member club of ACCUS, the U.S. motor racing sporting authority and representative to the FIA's World Motorsports Council), does not use the flag system outlined in the FIA International Sporting Code. Major differences include that in NASCAR (and other championships in North America) the white flag is used to signal that the leader is on the last lap, in ISC regulated events (such as Formula One and most European championships) it is used to signal that a slower car is on track. Also, the blue flag specified in the FIA ISC does not have a diagonal stripe.

Flag	Description
Green Flag	The green flag indicates that the race has started or restarted.
Yellow Flag	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.
Red 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.
Red Flag with a Yellow Cross	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.
White Flag	The white flag indicates one lap remaining in the race.
Checkered Flag	The checkered flag indicates that a race or qualifying is over.
Black Flag	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.
Black Flag with a White Cross	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.
Blue Flag with a Yellow Stripe	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.
Blue Flag	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 using 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.
Yellow and Red Flag	The yellow and red flag indicates that there is debris on the track. This flag is only used on road courses.

Beneficiary rule

Main article: Lucky dog

In years past, NASCAR would permit drivers to "race back to the caution flag". This would allow drivers to race for position just after a crash has happened, but before the leader has crossed the start/finish line with the yellow flag waving. Drivers had developed a gentlemen's agreement to hold their position, and let slower cars gain lost laps, in this event rather than race, and in many instances, lead drivers use this practice to reward lapped cars for not interfering with them during race conditions.

During the September 2003 Sylvania 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway, Casey Mears, in an attempt to race back to the caution to gain a lap, nearly ran into the side of the disabled car of Dale Jarrett, parked at the start-finish line following a restart crash.

This safety incident resulted in NASCAR banning the practice, and instituting a Beneficiary Rule to help the slower cars that would no longer be given laps back, by letting lapped cars race each other to gain a lap back.

One type of NASCAR race penalty which can be awarded is a one-lap penalty and the driver not being eligible to gain the lap back by the beneficiary. The beneficiary can be restored, however, by later racing the leader and passing the leader to gain the lap back. Once that happens, and that driver is lapped again, he would be eligible for the beneficiary rule.

Technical requirements and inspection

NASCAR officials are using a template to inspect Casey Atwood's 2004 Nationwide Series car, courtesy of the U.S. Navy

NASCAR will inspect every car before and 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 a roll cage to protect the drivers and serve as the chassis. All vehicles use a front 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. Goodyear maintains ownership of the tires at all times and leases them to teams during race weekends. Goodyear will issue limited numbers of tires to teams for testing at tracks not governed by NASCAR. Sprint Cup Series teams receive 200 tires, Nationwide Series teams receive 160 tires, and Craftsman Truck Series teams receive 120 tires. NASCAR does not allow the use of rain tires on oval tracks as the fast turns and heavy cars place 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 Nationwide 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.

Impound rule

In 2005, NASCAR implemented a system of impounding cars between qualifying and the race, similar to Formula One's parc fermé. NASCAR created work lists that teams may perform immediately after qualifying and a few hours before the race. All work is to be done under the supervision of NASCAR officials. NASCAR will not allow teams to return to their cars once the work is complete. In 2006 and 2007 the rule was applied to 5 Sprint Cup races after being used in 21 races during 2005. The rule is still applied to all Nationwide Series and Craftsman Truck Series races as well as many smaller series.

Gear Rule

Among the major series, NASCAR will enforce restrictions on the gear ratios teams may use at certain race tracks. NASCAR will provide teams a choice of possible differential gear ratios, while the highest transmission gear must be a 1:1 ratio and no other gear may be higher than 1.28:1. Overdrive gears are not permitted. The purpose of the rule is to lower the maximum RPM of the engines during races thus lowering the cost of building race engines. This is in contrast with other series such the IRL IndyCar Series or V8 Supercar which limit engine speed electronically.