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This weekend, worldwide drivers from a number of disciplines can be taking up inventory automotive racing with the NASCAR Cup Series at Watkins Glen. In case you’re new to the NASCAR collection since you’re wanting to take a look at the likes of Kimi Raikkonen, Daniil Kvyat, or Mike Rockenfeller, you then’re in luck. We’re going to interrupt down the inventory automotive collection so even new followers can benefit from the motion.
Table of Contents
What Is NASCAR?
At its most simple, the Nationwide Affiliation for Inventory Automotive Auto Racing, is an American racing collection that finds its roots in unlawful moonshine operating and different on-track competitors within the South. In it, “inventory” vehicles — initially, vehicles that you could possibly simply purchase proper off the lot and evenly modify — compete for an final championship.
These days, inventory vehicles are purpose-built for racing, although the shells of the vehicles are designed to imitate the vehicles you’d purchase off the lot; this yr, a Toyota Camry, Ford Mustang, and Chevrolet Camaro. The season consists of 36 points-scoring races, plus two exhibition occasions.
Don’t They Solely Race on Ovals?
Whereas NASCAR is predominately an oval-based racing collection, the Cup Sequence has tried to develop its roster of highway programs over the previous years. Doing so is designed to assist new followers develop within the sport, particularly motorsport followers from different collection. This yr, there are six highway programs on the schedule. Except for Watkins Glen, the NASCAR Cup Sequence has competed at Circuit of the Americas, Sonoma Raceway, Highway America, the Indianapolis Motor Speedway highway course, and the Charlotte Motor Speedway Roval.
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What’s New About the Car?
This year, NASCAR has a brand-new car. Called the Next-Gen car, it’s designed to be a little more cost-effective for teams to purchase and build, and it brings back a whole host of stock parts that teams no longer have to manufacture in-house. The car is also designed symmetrically; in the past, NASCAR machines used to be angled to take advantage of the G-forces they experienced on ovals. Now that NASCAR is looking to increase the number of road courses it races on in a year, the symmetry is important.
How Does the Race Work?
The NASCAR Cup Series race at Watkins Glen will run for 90 laps, or 220 miles. Unlike other series, though, a NASCAR race isn’t run straight through; instead, there are stages.
In essence, a stage breaks the whole race up into three smaller races. The first two stages are shorter than the final stage; at the end of the final stage, NASCAR declares its race winner based on who crosses the finish line first. At the end of the first two, NASCAR throws a green-white checkered flag, and the winner of that stage is awarded points that can be used toward the Playoffs.
What are the Playoffs?
You’re likely going to hear a lot about the NASCAR Playoffs this weekend, since Watkins Glen is the penultimate round of the regular season. It’s OK if that all sounds Greek to you.
Instead of the standard motorsport championship, NASCAR has the playoffs. During roughly the first three-quarters of the season, drivers compete for wins and points like normal, but in that last quarter, the series switches to an elimination-style format that whittles away a select group of drivers. Every few races, the group of championship-eligible drivers whittles away, leaving a showdown for the final race of the season.
The Playoffs are designed to resemble other sporting formats, and it also creates a little extra bit of artificial excitement.
If you’re tuning in as a casual viewer, you don’t need to know much more about the Playoffs than that — but if you want to go deep, we’ve acquired a weblog about it.
The Highway Course Ringer and Different Lingo
You would possibly hear the phrase “highway course ringer” talked about on the NASCAR broadcast. It refers to a driver that recurrently wins on highway programs, typically a non-NASCAR driver who solely competes on highway programs.
Different phrases which may turn out to be useful this weekend embrace:
- Pit crew: the title given to the group of mechanics who change tires and add gasoline
- Crew chief: a driver’s lead engineer who presents technique to the crew and driver throughout a race
- Spotter: individuals positioned all through the observe who inform the driving force of their place on the race observe, particularly in reference to different drivers
- Stickers: brand-new tires that haven’t been used earlier than
- Scuffs: tires which have beforehand been used
- Time beyond regulation: if a late-race crash causes an extended delay, NASCAR will go into “time beyond regulation” by including a handful of laps to the tip of the race within the hope that it’s going to end beneath a inexperienced flag
- Quick-pit: often known as an “undercut,” a short-pit refers to pitting nicely earlier than you want tires or gasoline in hopes of gaining a strategical benefit
How Can I Watch?
Right here in America, the NASCAR Cup Sequence occasion at Watkins Glen will air at 3 p.m. ET on USA Community.
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