NASCAR announced Tuesday that all three series would have pit stops as usual at Darlington Raceway and Charlotte Motor Speedway this month.
There was some speculation that NASCAR would go away with pit stops at the race track once we return from the COVID-19 break.
NASCAR will limit the amount of personnel each team can have at the race track, which will make the roles of race engineers and pit crew members to be performed by the same person.
NASCAR did announce there will be a competition caution early in each race due to the lack of practice and qualifying before the race.
Modified Competition Caution Procedures:With the absence of practice, NASCAR will be modifying its Competition Caution procedures to allow teams additional time for adjustments. The competition cautions will occur at or around the following laps:
- NASCAR Cup Series
- Darlington – May 17: Lap 30
- Darlington – May 20: TBD
- Charlotte – May 24: TBD
- Charlotte – May 27: TBD
- NASCAR Xfinity Series
- Darlington – May 19: Lap 15
- Charlotte – May 25: TBD
- NASCAR Gander RV & Outdoors Truck Series at Charlotte – May 26: TBD
Below are the procedures for the modified competition caution:
- Field will be frozen at the time of the competition caution
- Field will be assembled behind the pace car
- The running order lead lap / lap down will be established and the free pass sent
- Wave around rule is not in effect
- Pit road will open to the top 20 – car must beat the pace car off pit road to retain freeze position
- Pit road will open to the next 20 – car must beat the pace car off pit road to retain freeze position
- Above pit cycle repeats – each team allowed to pit two times
- Re-establish line-up per freeze and restart race
Infractions under modified competition caution:
- Not beating the pace car off pit road results in loss of lap and restarting at tail of the field
- Pitting more than twice or out of sequence results in restarting at the tail of the field
- All current pit road rules are in effect
