NASCAR

[Berger]

Explain it to me.

I was watching NASCAR truck racing on TV last night.

How is it decided when the cars are going to pit, it seemed to be specified as a pace car comes out and leads them round until such a time that they pit. This bunches the field right up, so makes it kind of pointless to pull out a big lead as you lose it all.

Does the lead car decide when to pit or is it every 25 laps? Do they have to change tyres each time?

 

[MissChief]

The pace/safety car gets called out for accidents or 'debris' on the track, usually a piece of paper or tiny little piece from the trucks. Then the drivers pit to fill with fuel. many races have been won on fuel strategy rather than outright pace so most of the time oval racers will pit to fill their tank whenever possible unless you're way down. No one likes to pit under green flag in case there's a yellow and they get royally screwed for it. generally they'll change tyres but sometimes you can try for track position by only changing the two right sided tyres.

On some of the super speedways you can get a yellow flag pit stop done without going a lap down.

 

[Skeeter]

Pit stops are down to each team/driver as they are in all other motorsports. The difference is, full course cautions are very common, and its better to pit when under caution than under normal racing conditions.

The result being, that whenever there is a caution, you will likely see most of the field pitting.