NASCAR: 5 things for new fans to know for the Daytona 500

New NASCAR fans Daytona 500 guide: No. 4 – Stages

In 2017, NASCAR implemented stages during the races. These stages divide races into three parts: stage 1, stage 2, and the final stage. For the Daytona 500, the first two stages are 65 laps each, and the final stage, a 70-lap stage, takes us to the end of the 200-lap race.

You may be asking yourself, why do these stages matter? At the end of each stage, the top 10 drivers receive bonus race points, and the winners of the stages get an extra playoff point.

These race points can prove crucial later in the season when drivers are trying to punch their ticket to the playoffs, and the playoff points can do so as well when drivers are trying to advance through the postseason. Don’t be surprised when you see the drivers going all out at the end of every stage.

At the conclusion of each stage, there is a caution break for all the drivers. They usually take this time to enter the pits and adjust for the next stage. Drivers will most likely leave pit road with a new set of tires and a tank full of gas to help them get through the next stage.

Last season, Denny Hamlin did not have a regular season race win. He did, however, win five stages throughout the regular season, helping him make the playoffs comfortably. This is just one of many examples of how important stage wins and stage placement can be at the end of the season.