The Chicago Street Race was the third road course race of the season, and all three have not had a key element of modern NASCAR, stage breaks. The lack of stage breaks have made an impact on the races so far, but has it been positive or negative? Here is a look at how the lack of stage breaks has impacted road course racing this season.
1) Varying Pit Strategy
In the previous few years, road course races came down to two distinct strategies. Go for stage points, or go for the race win. If a driver pitted right before the stage ended, they would lose stage points, but they would give themselves good track position later on in the race. If a driver pitted under the stage caution, they would get stage points, but they would lose track position later on.
Not pitting at all around the stage break was not really an option because of the impact of tire wear on road courses. This meant that teams had to choose between stage points or the race win, which did not sit right with many.
The lack of stage cautions allows crew chiefs to strategize for the entire race rather than separate segments. This is part of what allowed the field order to be jumbled up at times during the Chicago Street Race and at Sonoma. It also set up rarity in NASCAR nowadays, a fuel mileage race at Circuit of the Americas before it turned into a wreck fest of a finish.
Teams now have more options to jump the running order, and a well-timed or poorly-timed caution can throw the race for a loop. The risk to pitting or staying out is not knowing when that next stoppage will come, and that causes some interesting strategy. Something that is not seen as much on ovals.
2) A More “Natural” Race
One of the biggest problems people have with stage cautions is that they feel “artificial”. It’s an arbitrary caution that is only there to both separate the stages and bunch the field up. It’s not there for the normal purpose of a caution flag.
The lack of stage cautions means the race plays out naturally. If a poorly-timed caution comes out and traps guys one lap down, well, that’s just how the race went. If the leader pulls away to a 10 second lead and wins the race on a final green flag run of 75 laps, then that’s just how it works.
Sure, it may not be as visually exciting, but it feels more natural to some. The guy who won the race truly earned it because of what happened on track, not because of, what some would call, arbitrary cautions. Also, some would NASCAR has enough “natural” cautions to keep the race bunched up.
Sonoma is an exception, but Chicago and Circuit of the Americas both had eight yellow flags. That opens up the argument about whether or not NASCAR really NEEDS stage cautions every week.
3) It Tests the Endurance of the Cars and Drivers
One of the thing that differentiates NASCAR from Formula One and IndyCar is that NASCAR races are more of a marathon while Formula Ona and IndyCar are sprints. F1 races are less than 200 miles and last no longer than two hours. IndyCar races typically sit at around 200 miles or so with a few exceptions including the Indianapolis 500, but they typically last about two hours.
NASCAR races are closer to endurance races, and the lack of stage cautions means that the equipment and the drivers are tested. It’s something that is missing from NASCAR racing today, and the lack of stage cautions allows for that to be tested. The fact that drivers strap into their cars and roll off the starting grid knowing that the race could go green the entire way.
It’s interesting, and it adds an entirely new dynamic to the racing. It’s something also that is missing to some degree when it comes to NASCAR
1) The Race Can Get Strung Out
Racing is more exciting when cars are closer together. Stage breaks ensure that the cars stay closer together at different points during the race. Just when the race begins to feel a bit drawn out or spread out, well here is a caution to bunch everyone back up.
With no stage breaks, that is not a guarantee. That is no more apparent than at Sonoma back in June, when there were only two caution flags during the race. Many complained that the race felt too strung out, and many felt there was a lack of passing because of this.
It’s just not exciting to watch the leader ride off into the sunset, and see everyone behind him with 1-2 seconds of daylight between them. With no stage breaks, there is no guarantee that field will get bunched up again. If it gets spread out, that’s just how the race plays out.
2) More Green Flag Racing Interrupted by Commercials
Something that many have mentioned about stage breaks is that it benefits the TV companies. Not only does it provide more action on the track with more restarts, but it also gives TV companies places where they can sell ads. As opposed to playing a commercial during green flag racing where something can happen, these stage cautions allow for points in the race where commercials can be played.
The lack of stage breaks means that more commercials will have to be played during green flag racing. TV companies still sell advertising for races whether they have scheduled cautions or not. Those commercials are going to get played no matter what.
It’s a necessary evil with NASCAR broadcasting. The bottom line is this, the less caution flags there are, the more green flag racing is interrupted by commercials.
3) It Could Deter Strategy in Some Instances
Does every race track benefit from a driver going off-sequence and trying a different strategy? Not every track does. How often do you see someone stay out at a track that eats up tires like Darlington and actually make that strategy work, or at a track like old Atlanta?
If the race goes green for an extended period of time, the only practical strategy is to pit once the fuel window runs out. If you pit too short, then you have to make extra pit stops. Yes someone can short pit, but if the race spreads out, then at best they can get maybe one or two positions.
Caution flags are what allows for more complex strategies oftentimes. Stage cautions are scheduled, sure, but they are something to consider when it comes to strategies. At least it throws some wrinkle into it rather than a straight caution-free race.
The jury is still out on whether or not stage breaks should stay or go on road courses. There are three more road course races left this season, so that will give more insight into how road course races fare with no stage breaks.
Joe Gibbs Racing has added to its lawsuit filed against former Crew Chief and Competition Director Chris Gabehart, filing to add Spire as a co-defendant, and to prevent Gabehart from continuing his work at Spire.
JGR initiated this lawsuit on February 19, alleging Gabehart, a long-time Crew Chief, most recently for Denny Hamlin, and the team’s now former Competition Director, “embarked on a brazen scheme to steal JGR’s most sensitive information and use it for the benefit of a direct competitor in NASCAR.”
That direct competitor, Spire Motorsports, which currently employs Gabehart as their Chief Motorsports Officer, is now a co-defendant in this lawsuit, via an amended complaint filed Tuesday.
Per the latest filing from JGR, which employed Gabehart as Competition Director last season, is asking the court for a temporary restraining order and preliminary injunction with seven key requests.
Key to these requests is that Gabehardt cease providing Spire with “services for Spire similar to those he provided to JGR” for 18 months following his February 9 formal termination from JGR.
JGR also requested that Spire stop accepting Gabehart’s work as per the noncompete obligation of his termination.
The filing also has several requests regarding the team information Gabehart allegedly retained from JGR.
These include Gabehart returning this information alongside the devices that store this information and “cease and desist from retaining, transferring, using or copying any Confidential Information and Trade Secrets.”
From JGR’s filing:
c. Gabehart immediately cease and desist from retaining, transferring, using or copying any Confidential Information and Trade Secrets
d. Gabehart return any Confidential Information and Trade Secrets in his possession to JGR;
e. Gabehart transfer to the custody of JGR’s counsel any device used to store the Confidential Information and Trade Secrets and, through an agreed upon Court ordered process, allow the forensic preservation and review of these devices for identification of Confidential Information and Trade Secrets, the return of any identified Confidential Information and Trade Secrets to JGR, and the removal of any identified Confidential Information and Trade Secrets from the devices;
f. Gabehart cease and desist from using or disclosing JGR’s Confidential Information and Trade Secrets to third parties;
As of press time, Gabehart has commented on the lawsuit in a post to X on February 20, where he claimed a third-party investigator “examined my laptop, cell phone and personal Google Drive and found no evidence to support the baseless allegations in JGR’s lawsuit.”
What’s Happening? Joe Gibbs Racing has filed a lawsuit against former competition director Chris Gabehart, alleging he took confidential team information…
What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
The NASCAR rumor mill is heating up as a new rumor suggests that a former series champion and an active NASCAR Cup Series driver could be in line to drive for Legacy Motor Club in 2027.
What’s Happening? NASCAR drivers, much like any athletes, have a period of free agency and multi-million dollar contracts. Based on information…
The 2026 NASCAR Cup Series season is well underway, while teams and drivers are still settling into their new lineups and seats, others are already prepping for next season.
Most expect the 2027 NASCAR Silly Season to be one of the wildest in years, with many major names on contract seasons, and top seats looking for new drivers.
One story that will likely carry through the 2026 season, and into the offseason, is Legacy Motor Club, which is expanding to three full-time cars in 2027 via the acquisition of a charter from Rick Ware Racing, which is currently leased to RFK Racing for their No. 60 entry.
While many storylines could stem from this transaction, one that is already playing out is LMC’s driver search, as the team looks to add a new face to their roster alongside drivers John Hunter Nemechek and Erik Jones.
Though we are nearly a year away from what would be the first race for this third car, per recent rumors, a few names are already emerging as top candidates.
What’s Happening? NASCAR Hall of Famer and Seven-Time Champion Jimmie Johnson’s Legacy Motor Club is suing Rick Ware Racing over a…
Monday afternoon, a post from a well-known NASCAR rumor account made the rounds on social media, naming two drivers as possible options for LMC.
In their post, the user claimed that 23XI Racing’s Riley Herbst and Richard Childress Racing prospect Jesse Love were “early contenders” for the ride.
Of course, this is just a rumor, and even if they are possible candidates, things can change. However, both of these options come with their own storylines and questions.
The first thing that likely comes to mind when hearing this rumor is that both of these drivers would have to depart their current spots, something that most have suspected will happen by next season.
For Herbst, he is facing the impending promotion of top NASCAR prospect Corey Heim to full-time competition.
This year, Heim, the reigning NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series Champion, is racing part-time with 23XI Racing, with almost every rumor and blurb suggesting next year will be his first full-time season in NASCAR’s highest level.
While 2026 Daytona 500 Champion Tyler Reddick is reportedly on a contract season, most see Herbst as the clear weak link at 23XI, though, in the somewhat unlikely event Reddick were to jump ship, there could be a world where a spot opens for Heim without affecting Herbst.
Regarding Love, the reigning NASCAR Xfinity Series Champion is in his third full-time year with RCR in the NASCAR O’Reilly Auto Parts Series, and, for some time now, has been rumored to be looking for a promotion, beyond his part-time Cup Series schedule.
This is not the first time Love and LMC have been tied together in the rumor mill, as in June 2025, when LMC was in the midst of a lawsuit to get their third charter by this season (something that never came to be), a report from Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports suggested there could be interest in Love as that third driver at LMC.
As of right now, Love has yet to score a full-time Cup Series ride. But there is a chance a slot opens in-house as RCR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch is on a contract year, a situation that could leave Love with a difficult decision between staying in a familiar spot or returning ot the Toyota camp.
But the biggest decision could come down to RCR, which, in the event Busch excels this year, could face deciding between a NASCAR legend and keeping their best prospect in some time.
Nonetheless, all of this is hypothetical, as the gears are just now turning on what could be a NASCAR Cup Series Silly Season for the ages.
What’s Happening? Some recent developments in NASCAR Silly Season rumors and reports have some NASCAR fans wondering if Spire Motorsports could…
What do you think about this? Let us know your opinion on Discord or X. Don’t forget that you can also follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube.
Denny Hamlin fires off on Carson Hocevar, Sheldon Creed finally gets his long-awaited breakthrough, and 13-year-old Keelan Harvick makes a massive career move. From sharp words on a podcast to a feel-good victory and a headline-grabbing development deal, this episode covers three very different stories that could all have long-term ripple effects.
There’s controversy, redemption, and a glimpse at the next generation all wrapped into one packed show. Some reputations are being tested, others are being rebuilt, and one young driver may have just taken the first major step toward the Cup Series.
Watch Also
