UPS Racing - Team + Car - Racing 101

UPS Racing Racing 101

Points and Flags

Sprint Cup Points System

All 43 drivers that compete in a NASCAR Sprint Cup race are awarded points according to the following table. If a driver leads a lap during the race they are awarded 5 bonus points. The driver that leads the most laps is awarded 5 additional bonus points.

Position	Points	Description
1 2 3 4 5 6	185 170 165 160 155 150	The race winner receives 15 points more than the second place finisher. The points awarded then decrease in 5 point increments from the second place through the sixth place finisher.
7 8 9 10 11	146 142 138 134 130	The points awarded decrease in 4 point increments from seventh place through the eleventh place finisher.
12 13 14 15 16 ...	127 124 121 118 115 ...	The points awarded decrease in 3 point increments from twelfth place through the forty-third place finisher.

Following the 26th race, the top 10 drivers and those within 400 points of the leader will qualify for the "Chase for the Championship." These drivers will have their points totals adjusted with the leader given 5,050 points; five point increments will separate each driver, giving the points-leader a 45-point advantage over the 10th place driver. All drivers will then continue to earn points according to the system above for the final 10 races of the year.

Flags of NASCAR

Green means go. The green flag tells the drivers to start racing. It is shown at the beginning of the race, and whenever a race is restarted after a caution period.

This flags warns drivers to drive with caution. It is often displayed after an accident or when there is some type of debris on the track. Once the yellow flag is displayed, all drivers must immediately reduce speed to a cautious pace and get in a single-file line behind the leader until the green flag is displayed to restart racing.

This flag is known as the "passing flag." It tells slower drivers who are more than a lap down to show courtesy and let the leaders pass. This is the only flag that drivers may choose to ignore.

The black flag tells a driver to report to the pits immediately. It can signify that there is a problem with the driver's car, or that the driver has broken some type of rule, or simply that a driver is going too slow. In any case, the driver who receives a black flag must report to the pits.

Red means stop. When the red flag is waved, everything comes to an immediate halt. Cars must stop regardless of their position on the track and no work may be done on the cars. The red flag is often used in times of inclement weather, but may also be shown whenever NASCAR officials determine that conditions are not conducive to racing.

This flag indicates that the race leader has started the final lap. It is only shown once during the race.

This flag is flown when the winner crosses the finish line and the race is completed.

Next: NASCAR Phrases