NASCAR is set to roll out a revised stage‑break protocol this weekend at Iowa Speedway, a change that will affect the Cup Series, the O’Reilly Auto Parts Series and the CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. The move aims to tighten the timing of stage conclusions and reduce extra caution laps.
How the New Procedure Works
Under the new rule, if a caution flag is displayed with ten or fewer laps remaining in either Stage 1 or Stage 2, the stage will be declared finished at that moment. The race leader will then receive both the green‑and‑checkered and the yellow flag, signaling the official end of the stage.
The caution period that follows will serve as the final sequence for that stage, eliminating the need for an additional caution lap. All timing and scoring resources will be used to lock in the top‑10 finishing order, ensuring that points and playoff implications are awarded based on the most up‑to‑date results.
The debut comes as part of a broader effort to streamline stage endings across NASCAR’s national divisions. While the ARCA Menards Series event at Iowa will continue to follow its own longstanding policy, the same procedure will be adopted by the Truck Series starting with the Black’s Tire 250 at Richmond on August 14.
Series officials emphasized that the adjustment does not alter the points structure but does shift the timing of caution handling, a nuance that drivers such as Corey Heim, Joey Logano and Denny Hamlin have already discussed in the context of upcoming races at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.