NASCAR sets stage lengths for 2017 season
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. (AP) NASCAR has set the stage lengths for races this season, part of a radical revamp designed in hopes of making every lap matter.
The new format opens with the Daytona 500 on Feb. 26. The stages in NASCAR's biggest race are scheduled to end on lap 60, lap 120 and lap 200.
The top 10 drivers at the end of Stage 1 and Stage 2 will be awarded points on a 10-through-1 scale. The third portion of the race will be for the overall victory, and although traditional point scoring will be applied for that stage, the win will be worth 40 points.
Under green flag conditions, pit road will be closed with two laps remaining in the stage.
The championship race at Homestead-Miami Speedway has stages end on laps 45, 90 and 200.
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