What are the rules for pit stops in NASCAR? All you need to know

A pit stop is a chaotic yet choreographed routine during a NASCAR race when drivers and their crew chief deem it necessary. It is strategically done when drivers require fresh tires, fuel, or any other small adjustments to their stock cars.

The drivers pull down the pit road to their designated pit stalls on the inside circuit of a race track. Moreover, drivers are mandated to drive at a reduced speed of 30 to 55 mph, depending upon the size of the pit road. The crew members of the team wait throughout the race on the pit box to execute the assigned tasks as quickly as possible.

These synchronized pit stops range between 10 to 14 seconds. Additionally, the design of the Next-Gen cars, introduced in 2022, has made pit stops significantly faster because the cars have one center-locking lug nut instead of five nuts.

A total of six crew members are allowed to go over the pit wall. Out of them, two are tire changes, one tire carrier, one fueler, and one jackman. The sixth crew is a utility man who doesn't work on the car but rips the windshield tear-off and provides a water bottle to the driver.

As the team pits several times during the race, teams and their drivers need to adhere to certain rules and regulations for safety concerns and refrain from getting penalized. Let's delve into the list of some of the rules applied on the pit road:

1. Not more than six crew members inside the pit box
2. Driving through not more than three pit boxes
3. Crew members should only climb the pit wall when the car is one pit box away
4. Tossing and throwing equipment
5. To not create an unsafe environment for other competitors
6. Mandatory helmet rule for crew members
7. Driving within the speed limit ranging from 30-55mph on the pit road
8. Tire must be contained in an orderly fashion
9. The outside tire must be changed first
10. Pulling up to the pit under the yellow flag condition
11. Pitting only inside the assigned pit box
12. Should only pit when the pit road is open
13. Should not run over other equipment
14. Should not disobey NASCAR officials and the black flag
15. The pit gun should be controlled back to the pit box after the use
16. Entering the pit road in a single-file
17. Should not pass the caution vehicle
18. Refuel after the green flag and competition caution periods
19. Not jumping the Stop and Go light/sign when returning to the race track during a caution period
20. Drivers should not internationally cause a caution