As NASCAR prepares for its first street race in San Diego, the sanctioning body has thrown a surprise into the weekend by overhauling its caution procedures, and the move has been well-received by fans. But despite that, many are now asking if these changes can work in San Diego; why not roll them out across every track on the schedule?
This weekend, NASCAR is shaking up caution procedures ahead of it’s firt ever race weekend at San Diego’s Naval Base Coronado.
With the San Diego circuit stretching 3.4 miles, conventional caution procedures would otherwise chew through race distance at an alarming rate. The new rule will also fast-track the free pass and waive-around process.
Without these protocol changes, a single full-course yellow could swallow a massive portion of race time while burning through multiple laps under pacing conditions.
The quickie” caution system would trim the number of pacing laps before pit road opens and before the field is reorganized, helping the race get back to green-flag conditions without unnecessary delay.
NASCAR will station local Sports Car Club of America officials at corners around the 3.4-mile layout. Their road racing experience will allow race control to receive condition reports without delay, making it easier to clear debris or respond to incidents without immediately throwing lengthy full-course yellow flags.
Pit road, positioned between Turns 16 and 1 on the driver’s right, will operate in reverse flow, as at Watkins Glen. That setup will force teams to complete pit stops without delay to prevent bottlenecks during the shortened caution windows.
While fans have welcomed NASCAR’s decision to shake up the caution procedure, many believe the sanctioning body should not stop at San Diego.
One fan wrote, “Why can’t they do this at every track? They sit there and waste fucking 30 laps under yellow for the dumbest shit.”
Another commented, “I’ve said the pace lap speed under caution is way too fing slow and needs to be higher for every big track. Then def shorten the time everywhere and the need to be under caution.”
A third follower did not hold back either, saying, “They need to do this at EVERY race. Along with getting rid of this ‘fuel saving’ racing. It’s NOT RACING!”
Another fan viewed the move through a slightly different lens, posting, “So they CAN expedite caution procedures everywhere else, they just elect not to, instead shortening the product the fans see and the amount of time drivers have in the race. Nice one NASCAR, only about 2 and a half years late to the issue.”
Whether NASCAR chooses to take this feedback beyond San Diego remains to be seen. For now, however, the rule change has earned a thumbs-up from a large section of the fanbase.
Stay close to the on-track action this weekend and every weekend by following our Race Weekend Dashboard for everything you need to know before, during, and after the race. Share your thoughts by joining the discussion on Discord or X, and follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and YouTube for further updates.
