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NASCAR: Competition cautions – should they stay or should they go?

By Sean Anderson

BRISTOL, TN - APRIL 24: Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 Credit One Bank Chevrolet, and Chase Elliott, driver of the #24 Mountain Dew/Little Caesars Chevrolet, lead the field under caution prior to the start of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 24, 2017 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
BRISTOL, TN - APRIL 24: Kyle Larson, driver of the #42 Credit One Bank Chevrolet, and Chase Elliott, driver of the #24 Mountain Dew/Little Caesars Chevrolet, lead the field under caution prior to the start of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series Food City 500 at Bristol Motor Speedway on April 24, 2017 in Bristol, Tennessee. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images) /
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When rain is in the forecast, NASCAR fans know one thing: a competition caution will come out early in the race. Should they keep it or get rid of it?

On race day, NASCAR fans from around the country come to see the nation’s greatest race car drivers compete. It is the greatest competition in all of motorsports. Unfortunately, fans sometimes have to wait for the race to get interesting.

If there happens to be rain in the forecast on race day, NASCAR fans may not know when the race will begin. They know to expect one thing: a competition caution will come out shortly after the green flag flies.

This raises a question: if there are stages set at specific intervals, is there really a need for another competition caution?

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Competition cautions don’t happen at every race. They only occur when it rains the night before or the day of the race. They usually will occur 20 laps into a race, although when they happen depends on the size of the track.

NASCAR does this to allow teams to check how their tires wear halfway into a run.

NASCAR introduced stage racing last year. That created a lot of excitement during points in the race when fans wouldn’t necessarily expect it. At the end of each stage, the caution flag comes out. This allows teams to pit in exactly the same manner as a competition caution.

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If NASCAR eliminated the competition caution, it would allow the drivers to focus on racing to their first pit stop rather than a caution. Fans turn out to see racing action on the track. After a long rain delay, a caution shortly after the start of a race can be disruptive to the fan experience. A green flag pit stop would provide a greater challenge for the teams while adding even more excitement for the fans.

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