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Whenever 30-plus NASCAR stock cars line up and take the green flag for a race, chances are, there's going to be a break in action at some point. Whether it's a car spinning out of control and slamming into one of the SAFER barriers around the track, a piece of car debris that's lying in the middle of the track, or anything that prevents the race from continuing safely, a caution is called.
For more serious matters, such as multi-car pileups, extensive track clean-ups, or even inclement weather, a red flag is thrown. Here we take a look at the difference between a caution flag and a red flag in NASCAR.
Caution flags are yellow and are thrown for minor incidents
Anytime a yellow flag is thrown, the race is halted to a slow pace behind the race's pace car, which drives up on the track and leads the field in a single-file line until the race is safe to resume. Caution flags are often thrown for cars that spin out, debris that blocks the track and/or makes it dangerous to race on, or accidents such as oil leaks that make the track slippery.
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Once the track is clear of any wrecked race cars or car pieces, the race can go back under the green flag, which is the flag that's thrown indicating that the race can restart at full speed.
Red flags stop the race from continuing
Unlike during a caution where cars still make laps at a slow pace, red flags completely halt the event, and cars are forced to come to a stop either on pit road or on the racetrack. Red flags are often for something more serious, such as a crash involving a high number of cars that requires more time to clean up.
In more serious cases, a red flag could be displayed for a driver injured in a crash that requires medical attention.
Red flags are also thrown for rain delays. If NASCAR race control feels the precipitation is too dangerous to continue, the red flag is thrown. The cars are halted on pit road and are often covered with tarps until the rain stops and the track is dry enough to continue the action.
NASCAR implemented "stage breaks" in 2017, which added two automatic cautions
Prior to 2017, a caution was only thrown if something prevented the race from continuing safely. In 2017, that changed when NASCAR introduced stage breaks.
There are two stage breaks in every race at the NASCAR Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and Truck Series level, and are signaled with a green and white checkered flag. The timing of the breaks varies among tracks.
For instance, in the 200-lap Daytona 500, the race runs 60 laps until the end of the first stage, another 60 until the end of the second stage, and the final 80 laps determine the ultimate winner.
The winners of stages are awarded 10 points towards the season standings and one playoff point, which is added to the driver's total when the playoffs begin and if they make said playoffs. The rest of the top-10 finishers in the stages are also awarded season points, making it crucial to be near the front when the stages are nearing the finish.
