NASCAR tweaks wave-around rule for Sprint Cup, Nationwide series

By Bob Pockrass - Associate Editor
Saturday, October 10, 2009

FONTANA, Calif. – NASCAR has tweaked its rule on wave-around cars under caution. The new rule now dictates that cars under penalty at the time of the caution are ineligible for the wave around.

The change began last week with the Sprint Cup race at Kansas Speedway after a situation came up in the Nationwide Series race that was new to the double-file restart system instituted in June.

In the Nationwide race, Roush Fenway Racing’s Carl Edwards was penalized for speeding under green, and then the caution came out. He stayed out and didn’t pit and then was among those cars on the end of the lead lap. He then got the “wave around” the caution car (along with the rest of the cars that had stayed out and were on the end of the lead lap) to get to the rear of the line of lead-lap cars.

Edwards then went to the end of the line to serve his penalty.

That move would not be allowed anymore. The driver would not get the wave around and would start a lap down at the rear of the field on the restart, the penalty for a driver who had a speeding penalty under green but never served it before the caution came out. The new rule in general is any driver under penalty is no longer eligible for the wave around.

“We didn’t have it clarified in the rules, because we hadn’t seen that issue before,” NASCAR Vice President of Competition Robin Pemberton said.

Sprint Cup drivers were told of the rule change during the prerace drivers meeting last week, and the Nationwide Series drivers were told prior to the Copart 300 today at Auto Club Speedway in California.

Comments

10 responses to "NASCAR tweaks wave-around rule for Sprint Cup, Nationwide series". Post a Comment.
  1. 1
    jbbigrod said:
    Oct 10, 2009 at 3:31 PM

    Glad it helped out Carl for last week anyway. Too many rules, gets confusing at times.

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  2. 2
    bthompson133 said:
    Oct 10, 2009 at 4:42 PM

    but yet a car on the lead lap that is supposed to do a drivethru under green for speeding gets a break for caution?

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  3. 3
    gwen_susie388 said:
    Oct 10, 2009 at 7:13 PM

    Yes at least the wave around and lucky dog helped Carl out big time last week. The rules are confusing because NASCAR changes them as they go.

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  4. 4
    Werner said:
    Oct 10, 2009 at 8:45 PM

    the penalty that sends a driver to the tail end should also be changed to a 1 lap penalty...too many times the teams just think of it as a joke in the early part of the race, cause a good car can make that up...

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  5. 5
    Meg said:
    Oct 10, 2009 at 8:57 PM

    I agree about giving a 1 lap penalty instead of just sending a driver to the end of the longest line. Especially if they allow the team to speed down pit lane while it's still closed and basically get a lot more work done than they would be able to do if they had to pit without a penalty lap. It's just no big deal to them.

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  6. 6
    nascarnutsheeler said:
    Oct 10, 2009 at 11:44 PM

    As soon as Ford gets an advantage, good ole Nascar makes sure that rule is changed.

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  7. 7
    TheAntiBowtie said:
    Oct 11, 2009 at 12:04 AM

    Well said NASCARNUTSHEELER. Just wait until the FR9 makes its debut. Then you'll see some rule change(s). And not in Fords favor.

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  8. 8
    phillipwafford said:
    Oct 11, 2009 at 1:29 AM

    We are on the same page #6 and #7. when J. Johnson did it a few races back. down 3 laps and made them all back up there wasn't any rules changes then! why now??? GET rid of the LUCKY DOG {kitty] go back to "RACIN"

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  9. 9
    leftturn said:
    Oct 11, 2009 at 1:46 PM

    As with all rules in NASCAR, everything is a reaction. Then they wait to let everyone know in a drivers meeting before a race. Their ball, their rules. Every race is starting to look like a pick up game on the playground.

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  10. 10
    Werner said:
    Oct 11, 2009 at 3:20 PM

    they can make rules to dictate the outcome...
    Roush submitted new heads to NASCAR and they told him to bring back a new motor...anyone remember the days of the ever changing spoiler heights?...that determined who would win or lose...and it seemed to favor a particular mfg...

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