Instant Replay System for NASCAR

Telestream Builds High Definition Instant Replay System for NASCAR Race Officials

December 12, 2011

 

Pipeline video capture and new Replay multichannel video player enable instant race analysis

Nevada City, Calif., December 12, 2011 – Telestream®, a leading provider of video transcoding and workflow automation systems, today announced that it has created a new High Definition (HD) instant replay system for NASCAR race control officials.  Developed for the start of 2012 racing season, Telestream’s new Replay™ multichannel video player combines with its Pipeline™ HD video capture system to provide instant capture and display of 18 high definition 720p camera feeds. This allows race officials to instantly see detailed information to make rapid decisions about on-track aspects of the race.

"The NASCAR race environment presented the perfect challenge for Telestream to provide high-quality video capture and instant synchronous playback in a time-critical situation," said Barbara DeHart, Vice President of Marketing at Telestream. "Together, Pipeline and Replay provide NASCAR or any sports organization with a cost-effective, easy-to-use system for instant event review and analysis."

"The instant replay system that Telestream will be providing NASCAR next season will enable our officials to perform their jobs in an even more efficient and time-sensitive manner," said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR Vice President of Competition. "Having instant access to that many camera angles featuring such high quality video will be a terrific addition to our race weekends."

Telestream’s Pipeline HD video capture system simultaneously acquires multiple camera feeds in high-quality Apple ProRes 720p as well as other HD and SD formats. Video feeds are delivered to shared storage where they are available for immediate playback, editing during capture, or transcoding to other file formats. 

Telestream’s Replay multichannel video player provides instant, synchronous multichannel playback of multiple HD camera feeds for simultaneous review and analysis of incidents from different camera angles. The player also allows officials to easily locate any camera and scrub forward or backward through any portion of the event video.

Highlights of the Pipeline video capture and Replay system developed for NASCAR include:

• Simultaneous capture of 18 HD 720p camera feeds in Apple Pro Res format

• Ability for officials to view on-track incidents through synchronized multiple camera angle displays, including time-stamped track status metadata – in real time or on-demand

• Ability to seamlessly scrub video forward or backward for instant analysis 

• Ability to jump between past and current sequential camera angle clips

• Ability to create tabbed pages such as Start/Finish, Pits, Turn 1, etc. to view video

• Ability to instantly go full-screen on one or more selected camera angles

• A timeline which displays event information over the entire duration of the event

Telestream is demonstrating Pipeline and the new instant Replay system at Sports Video Group’s League Technology Summit in New York City this week.  For more information about Telestream and its products, visit: http://www.telestream.net.

INTERNATIONAL SPEEDWAY CORPORATION TRACKS

NASCAR has banned the use of power tools when teams are transferring fuel.

NASCAR has banned the use of power tools when teams are transferring fuel. The decision Thursday is in response to a fuel fire next to Regan Smith's hauler at Talladega Superspeedway. The fire broke out as spouts from gas cans were being removed so excess fuel could be poured into storage.
A spark from a power tool apparently ignited gas inside one can. No one was hurt in the fire, which sent thick clouds of black smoke through the garage.
There was no previous rule as to how the spouts could be removed. This is the first year these cans have been used.
The ban was issued by NASCAR Vice President Robin Pemberton and applies to all NASCAR series 10/28/11

Shift to fuel injection a quantum leap for NASCAR

Shift to fuel injection a quantum leap for NASCAR

(October 17, 2011)

 CONCORD, N.C.—After Sprint Cup cars transition to electronic fuel injection next season, fans in the grandstands won’t be able to discern a difference in way the cars perform—or in the way they sound.

 Nevertheless, the move from traditional carbureted engines to fuel injection is one of the most important technical changes in the history of the sport.

 First, all the auto manufacturers are behind it, even though fuel injection will add to the cost of building each engine for the series. Offsetting the cost, however, is the benefit of bringing the cars on the racetrack closer to those that are sold in the showroom. In switching to fuel injection, NASCAR is embracing a technology that is common to every street car on the market.

 Sprint Cup drivers continued the process of testing and refining EFI on Monday at Charlotte Motor Speedway. NASCAR plans to roll out the new system for competition in time for the Feb. 26 Daytona 500.

 In place of a carburetor, EFI engines feature a throttle body that controls air flow. Where a carburetor mixes air and fuel, an EFI system injects fuel to each cylinder as needed, resulting in a more efficient fuel flow.

 The fuel injection system is run by an electronic control unit (ECU) that adds a level of sophistication previously unavailable to NASCAR teams. After practice or competition, NASCAR and teams can download data from the ECU that has the potential to provide after-the-fact lap-by-lap telemetry for analysis.

 As has been NASCAR’s custom in the past, teams will have no access to real-time telemetry, nor will they be able to change the tuning of the engines during competition.

 Driver Jeff Burton said he felt little difference in the performance of the fuel injection car and the carbureted car he drove in Saturday night’s Bank of America 500 at Charlotte.

 “It’s a minuscule change,” Burton said. “To leave the racetrack Saturday night and then come over here on Monday is really interesting, because you rarely get to do that when you’re testing major changes,” Burton said. “I drove into Turn 1 just like I did on Saturday night, throttled up just like I did on Saturday night, and nothing really felt all that different.

 “And I think that’s a good thing.”

 The first EFI test on a restrictor-plate track is scheduled for Thursday at Talladega. Burton is well aware that NASCAR and the teams have much to learn and many procedural decisions to make before Daytona.

 “When you have a major component change—and this is a big deal—when you do something like this, there’s a lot of things that will change between now and then,” Burton said. “The hard thing about it is, ‘What’s too much?’

 “This does open the box a bit to make (things) more complicated. What (NASCAR’s) struggle is going to be is, ‘Can a lower-funded team operate equally with a top-funded team as it relates to EFI?’ With a carburetor today, it’s a lot easier to do that, and that’s going to be the balance they’re going to have to strike.”

By Reid Spencer
Sporting News NASCAR Wire Service

NASCAR tightening up technical rules

NASCAR tightening up technical rules: A new NASCAR rule, or rather a stricter interpretation of the rules, was just issued to Sprint Cup teams. And reaction is mixed among crew chiefs, who worry the new rule - in part designed as a cost-limiting rule -- might further inhibit technological innovation on the stock car racing trail. The new rule requires teams to submit not only all car parts for pre-race week inspection at the sport's Concord, N.C., R&D center but also to submit all 'tweaks' in designs. The rule is in part a response to:
• the oil-pan issues the Joe Gibbs teams had in June at Michigan, where all three teams showed up Friday with a new oil pan design which NASCAR officials didn't like.
• the Clint Bowyer/2010 playoff controversy over the chassis design of his Loudon, N.H. race car.
• and three, the possibility that a team could slip into the chase with a good run at Richmond (the last race of the regular season) by using a car with unapproved modifications not discovered until well after the race.
The new rule further tightens the technological 'box' that Cup teams must work within these days. And teams have long complained about how tight that box already is. NASCAR Cup director John Darby says "It's just a better way to do business - before a car owner has to invest a lot of money in a part, we can approve it, because they make the big investment.(8-27-2011)

New HANS device approved

New HANS device approved: NASCAR officials have approved the Sport II HANS device for competition in all NASCAR series. The new device features a lower rounded collar and is lighter, making for an easier fit for drivers. "No matter what type of car, what kind of track, drag strip or off-road event, a head and neck restraint should be included in any driver's safety equipment," said Gary Milgrom, vice president of HANS Performance Products.8-13-2011

Pit Road Rule Adjustment

Pit Road Rule Adjustment

The following rule change is effective August 11, 2011 for all three NASCAR national series:

9-15 Pit Procedures During Race -

M. The fuel handler must be in control of the fuel can at all times when fuel is being added to the car.  The fuel handler will not be permitted to perform any adjustments or other pit stop procedures while the fuel can coupler is engaged with the car-mounted adapter.

"In an ongoing effort to keep pit road safer, we have made this adjustment to the duties of the fuel handler. If the fueler's only responsibility is to fuel the car, he will do a better job and make fewer mistakes on pit road." - NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Director John Darby

NASCAR Convertible division

Results from the NASCAR Convertible division. This list is believed to include all stand-alone convertible wins from 1956-1959. Several races were also ran as "Sweepstakes" events where both Convertibles and hardtop Grand National cars were eligible to enter. Winners for these races, when known as such, will be indicated only when a convertible driver won the event. The Darlington races from 1960 through 1962 were part of the Grand National division, although all entries for those races were convertibles.


NASCAR retroactively included the results from the SAFE convertible races in 1955 after purchasing the series. Winners of these races are not currently known.

1956 race winners (Bob Welborn champion) :
2/25/1956 Daytona Beach, FL Curtis Turner (1)
3/18/1956 Charlotte, NC Curtis Turner (2)
3/25/1956 Hillsboro, NC Curtis Turner (3)
4/8/1956 Fayetteville, NC Bob Welborn (1)
4/12/1956 Atlanta, GA Fonty Flock (1)
4/15/1956 Montgomery, AL Marvin Panch (1)
4/22/1956 Hickory, NC Bob Welborn (2)
4/28/1956 Lancaster, SC Larry Odo (1)
4/29/1956 Greensboro, NC Bob Welborn (3)
/6/1956 Old Bridge, NJ Frank Mundy (1)
5/12/1956 Raleigh, NC Frank Mundy (2)
5/20/1956 Langhorne, PA Danny Letner (1)
5/25/1956 Roanoke, VA Curtis Turner (4)
5/26/1956 Columbia, SC Jimmy Massey (1)
5/30/1956 Kansas City, KS Frank Mundy (3)
6/2/1956 Tulsa, OK Frank Mundy (4)
6/8/1956 Oklahoma City, OK Allen Adkins (1)
6/10/1956 Hutchinson, KS Frank Mundy (5)
6/17/1956 Sedalia, MO Frank Mundy (6)
6/22/1956 Norfolk, VA Curtis Turner (5)
6/24/1956 Wilson, NC Curtis Turner (6)
6/30/1956 Chicago, IL Tom Pistone (1)
7/1/1956 Flat Rock, MI Curtis Turner (7)
7/4/1956 Syracuse, NY Curtis Turner (8)
7/6/1956 Toronto, ON Don Oldenberg (1)
7/7/1956 Buffalo, NY Joe Weatherly (1)
7/14/1956 Belmar, NJ Curtis Turner (9)
7/21/1956 Abbottstown, PA Curtis Turner (10)
7/28/1956 Ft.Wayne, IN Curtis Turner (11)
8/3/1956 Winston-Salem, NC Curtis Turner (12)
8/4/1956 Columbia, SC Curtis Turner (13)
8/5/1956 Hickory, NC Gwyn Staley (1)
8/10/1956 Charlotte, NC Jimmy Massey (2)
8/12/1956 Flat Rock, MI Allen Adkins (2)
8/17/1956 Rochester, NY Joe Weatherly (2)
8/19/1956 Heidelberg, PA Joe Weatherly (3)
8/25/1956 Raleigh, NC Curtis Turner (14)
8/31/1956 Greenville, SC Curtis Turner (15)
9/2/1956 Atlanta, GA Joe Weatherly (4)
9/5/1956 Asheville, NC Curtis Turner (16)
9/9/1956 Chicago, IL Curtis Turner (17)
9/16/1956 LeHi, AR Curtis Turner (18)
/18/1956 Shelby, NC Curtis Turner (19)
9/23/1956 Martinsville, VA Jimmy Massey (3)
9/29/1956 Spartanburg, SC Curtis Turner (20)
9/30/1956 Weaverville, NC Curtis Turner (21)
10/14/1956 Hillsboro, NC Curtis Turner (22)
10/26/1956 Martinsville VA SWEEPSTAKES

1957 race winners (Bob Welborn champion) :
11/11/1956 Jacksonville, NC Joe Weatherly (5)
/16/1957 Daytona Beach, FL Tim Flock (1)
3/10/1957 Fayetteville, NC Glen Wood (1)
3/17/1957 Greensboro, NC Curtis Turner (23)
3/24/1957 Manassas, VA Joe Weatherly (6)
3/31/1957 Hillsboro, NC Joe Weatherly (7)
4/7/1957 Richmond, VA Glen Wood (2)
4/13/1957 Greenville, SC Curtis Turner (24)
4/14/1957 Wilson, NC Joe Weatherly (8)
4/20/1957 Hickory, NC Curtis Turner (25)
4/22/1957 Winston-Salem, NC Curtis Turner (26)
5/5/1957 Langhorne, PA Curtis Turner (28)
5/12/1957 Darlington, SC Fireball Roberts (1)
5/17/1957 Charlotte, NC Curtis Turner (29)
5/18/1957 Asheville, NC Curtis Turner (30)
5/25/1957 Spartanburg, SC Curtis Turner (31)
5/30/1957 Syracuse, NY Possum Jones (1)
5/31/1957 Old Bridge, NJ Bob Welborn (4)
6/2/1957 Weaverville, NC Bob Welborn (5)
6/7/1957 Atlanta, GA Bob Welborn (6)
6/14/1957 Rochester, NY Bob Welborn (7)
/22/1957 Winston-Salem, NC Bob Welborn (8)
6/23/1957 Concord, NC Curtis Turner (32)
6/26/1957 Philadelphia, PA Bob Welborn (9)
6/29/1957 Chicago, IL Glen Wood (3)
7/4/1957 Raleigh NC SWEEPSTAKES
7/19/1957 Columbia, SC Curtis Turner (33)
8/2/1957 Raleigh, NC Bill Amick (1)
8/6/1957 Virginia Beach, VA Bill Amick (2)
8/11/1957 Martinsville, VA Bill Amick (3)
8/17/1957 Fayetteville, NC Possum Jones (2)
8/23/1957 Charlotte, NC Glen Wood (4)
9/15/1957 Langhorne PA SWEEPSTAKES Gwyn Staley (1)
9/22/1957 North Wilkesboro, NC Paul Goldsmith (1)
10/6/1957 Martinsville VA SWEEPSTAKES Bob Welborn (10)
10/13/1957 Virginia Beach, VA Gwyn Staley (2)
10/30/1957 Wilson, NC Billy Myers (1)
10/31/1957 Columbia, SC Joe Weatherly (9)

1958 race winners (Bob Welborn champion) :
2/22/1958 Daytona Beach, FL Curtis Turner (34)
3/16/1958 N. Wilkesboro, NC Billy Myers (2)
3/23/1958 Richmond, VA Joe Weatherly (10)
4/7/1958 Winston-Salem, NC Bob Welborn (11)
4/13/1958 Weaverville, NC Bob Welborn (12)
4/26/1958 Hickory, NC Bob Welborn (13)
5/2/1958 Columbia, SC Billy Carden (1)
5/4/1958 Wilson, NC Curtis Turner (35)
5/10/1958 Darlington, SC Curtis Turner (36)
5/16/1958 Charlotte, NC Lee Petty (1)
5/18/1958 Atlanta, GA Fireball Roberts (2)
6/8/1958 Martinsville, VA Fireball Roberts (3)
6/22/1958 Birmingham, AL Curtis Turner (37)
7/12/1958 Columbia, SC Bob Welborn (14)
7/19/1958 Greenville, SC Bob Welborn (15)
7/27/1958 Myrtle Beach, SC Bob Welborn (16)
8/8/1958 Charlotte, NC Ken Rush (1)
8/22/1958 Winston Salem NC SWEEPSTAKES
9/7/1958 Wilson, NC Bob Welborn (17)
9/14/1958 Salisbury, NC Bob Welborn (18)

1959 race winners (Joe Lee Johnson champion) :
2/20/1959 Daytona Beach, FL Shorty Rollins (1)
2/22/1959 Daytona Beach FL SWEEPSTAKES
3/8/1959 Fayetteville, NC Joe Lee Johnson (1)
3/15/1959 Richmond, VA Joe Lee Johnson (2)
3/22/1959 Hickory, NC Curtis Turner (38)
4/5/1959 Marlboro, MD Rex White (1)
4/24/1959 Charlotte, NC Joe Weatherly (11)
4/26/1959 Hillsboro, NC Joe Weatherly (12)
5/9/1959 Darlington, SC Fireball Roberts (4)
5/16/1959 Columbia, SC Bob Welborn (19)
5/17/1959 Weaverville, NC Bob Welborn (20)
5/23/1959 Winston-Salem, NC Glen Wood (5)
6/7/1959 Martinsville, VA Tom Pistone (2)
6/14/1959 Atlanta GA SWEEPSTAKES
7/4/1959 Daytona Beach FL SWEEPSTAKES
7/18/1959 Columbia, SC Richard Petty (1)
7/31/1959 Greenville, SC Lee Petty (2)
8/9/1959 Nashville TN SWEEPSTAKES
8/16/1959 Weaverville NC SWEEPSTAKES Bob Welborn (21)
8/23/1959 Charlotte, NC Ned Jarrett (1)
9/27/1959 Martinsville VA SWEEPSTAKES
5/14/1960 Darlington SC Joe Weatherly (13)
5/6/1961 Darlington SC Fred Lorenzen (1)
5/12/1962 Darlington SC Nelson Stacy (1)

NASCAR changing Cup qualifying procedures

6/03/11

NASCAR changing Cup qualifying procedures: NASCAR is changing its NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying rules effective next week at Pocono Raceway .... qualifying order will be determined by the driver's fastest lap in first practice. The times on the speed sheet will be inverted with the slowest cars attempting their qualifying runs first. The go-or-go-home cars will now qualify among the 35 teams locked in on owner points and not be separated by the field. The NASCAR Sprint Cup director does reserve the right to change a driver's qualifying order or allow "adjustments or repairs" to cars after the car has taken the green flag at the start/finish line. And all cars must qualify with a full fuel cell. According to the NASCAR bulletin: "Qualifying consists of two consecutive timed laps (EIRI). The fastest lap determines qualifying position. NASCAR reserves the right to have more than one car engage in qualifying runs at the same time. Cars will be released in selected increments until all cars have had an opportunity to attempt qualifying." EIRI stands for "except in rare instances." In case of a rain-out of practice, a random drawing will be held for cars set up in the garage area to determine qualifying. If qualifying is rained out, the order of the field will be set according to Section 9-5 of the 2011 NASCAR Sprint Cup rule book. According to the rule book "all available starting positions will first be assigned to those car owners who have entered in the event prior to the drawing deadline. All available starting positions will be assigned including those starting positions previously designated as provisional starting positions on the Official Entry Blank. NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Championship points for the event will be assigned to those non-qualifier car owners provided they have entered in the event prior to the entry deadline

The New Qualifying Procedures for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, starting at Phoenix in Feb 2011

The New Qualifying Procedures for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, starting at Phoenix in Feb 2011:

Qualifying order set by LAST practice speeds, slowest to fastest.
Non-Top 35 drivers grouped together at end of session.
Starting grid set by practice speeds if qualifying canceled.
Starting lineup set by owners points of all practices and qualifying are canceled.

New Qualifying Procedure in 2011 – The qualifying order will be set based upon slowest to fastest practice speeds. Inclement Weather Qualifying – If bad weather cancels qualifying, the final starting lineup will be determined by practice speeds. The same rule book procedures will be used to determine eligibility to start a race. If weather cancels practice sessions, then the starting lineup will be set by points, per the rule book.(1-26-2011)
What happens if qualifying gets rained out? [rules book]
If it is the first five races of the season, the previous season OWNERS points are used:
#1) - Previous season Owner Points [position 1-35][top 35 teams do NOT need to attempt ALL the races]
#2) - Race winners from the previous and current season not already in the field
#3) - ALL Past Cup Champions not in by 1 or 2
#4) - Current season Owner Points [Top 35][not in by rules 1-3]
#5) - Current season race attempts ties broken by current owners points standings [not in by rules 1-4]

After the 5th race of the season, the current season OWNERS points are used:
#1) - First 35 by current Owner Points [position 1-35][top 35 teams do NOT need to attempt ALL the races]
#2) - Last Years Cup Champ or the Event Champion if not already in the field
#3) - Car Owners whose team has won in the previous and current season not already in the field
#4) - Drivers who have won in the previous and current season not already in the field
#5) - ALL Past Cup Champions not in by 1 thru 4 [is NOT charged against the 6 past champ provisionals]
#6) - Most Qualifying Attempts [not starts] with Owners points as the tie breaker
#7) - Qualifying Order Position
(all above apply as long as the team was entered by the entry deadline - usually 7-13 days before the race)

WHY DONT NASCAR TIRES HAVE TREAD

The reason NASCAR tires don’t have tread is simple: grip. The tires you find on street cars have tread to provide grip in wet conditions. The tread channels water away from the tire’s contact patch. In fact, NASCAR indeed has a rain tire that is used for the Nationwide Series. If our dry-weather tires (also known as “slicks”) were to have tread it would remove rubber that could otherwise be making contact with the asphalt and provide more grip. Some racing series, such as short-track divisions and Formula 1 purposefully add tread or grooves to their tires to slow cars down in the turns.

If it didn’t rain, your tires wouldn’t have grip either. That’s why it’s very important to keep an eye on the tread-depths and tire wear on your street-car. If you were to hit a wet patch with no tread it could spell disaster

Post race inspection rules change

2/2011
Post race inspection rules change a tad: In 2011, NASCAR will have two random teams selected for post-race inspection, John Darby, Cup series director explained. Last year, NASCAR took the first car out as a random for post-race inspection. That's why you saw cars go to the garage early and go back out at different times in the race to not be the first car out. Darby said that NASCAR is changing how that random will be selected. "There will still be a random inspection from the cars outside the top 35 (in car owner points), but we're going to make it more random,'' Darby said. "We're going to do it very similar to the way we do the (random) for the big group of the cars at the end of the race, drawing a number kind of situation so nobody really knows who that random will be.'' What will happen is that the crew chief of the first car out of the race will be asked by NASCAR to select two numbers. One will represent a car not in the top 35 in car owner points to be selected for post-race inspection. Another number will represent a car in the top 35 in car owner points for post-race inspection

NASCAR 2011 CHANGES

(Jan. 26, 2011) — NASCAR announced Wednesday that it has added a wild card element to setting the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup field and it has simplified its points system for 2011, making it easier for fans, competitors and the industry to understand.


While the 12-driver Chase field remains intact, the final two spots will be determined by the number of wins during the first 26 races.

The top 10 in points following Race No. 26 – the “cutoff” race – continue to earn Chase berths.

Positions 11 and 12 are “wild card” qualifiers and will go to non-top-10-ranked drivers with the most wins, as long as they’re ranked in the top 20 in points. The top-10 Chase drivers will continue to be seeded based on wins during the first 26 races, with each win worth three bonus points. The wild card drivers will not receive bonus points for wins and will be seeded 11th and 12th, respectively. It’s a move aimed towards rewarding winning and consistency during the regular season.

Brian France, NASCAR Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, made the announcements at the NASCAR Hall of Fame during NASCAR’s annual media event as part of the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour.

The fans tell us that winning matters the most with them, so we’re combining the tradition of consistency in our sport with the excitement that comes along with winning,” said France. “This makes every race count leading into the 26th race of the season at Richmond, when we set the field for the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup.”

The new points system – which applies to all NASCAR national series – will award points in one-point increments. As an example, in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, race winners will earn 43 points, plus three bonus points for the win. Winners also can earn an extra point for leading a lap and leading the most laps, bringing their total to a possible maximum of 48 points.

All other drivers in a finishing order will be separated by one-point increments. A second-place finisher will earn 42 points, a third-place driver 41 points, and so on. A last-place finisher – 43rd place – earns one point. In the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, the last-place finisher receives eight points, to account for that series’ 36-driver race field.

“Many of our most loyal fans don’t fully understand the points system we have used to date,” said France, referencing the system that has been in use since 1975. “So, we are simplifying the points system to one that is much easier to understand. Conceptually, it is comparable to our previous system, but it is easier to follow.”

During his remarks Wednesday night, France reflected on the outstanding competition the sport enjoyed in 2010 and expected to see that high-caliber of racing to continue once the green flag drops for the 53rd running of the Daytona 500 Feb. 20.

“NASCAR enters 2011 with positive momentum and a great sense of excitement and optimism,” said France. “We’re extremely excited for the launch of the season. Leading the season off with Daytona, Phoenix and Las Vegas, we believe our fans are in store for some of the best racing the sport has to offer.”

2011 NASCAR RULE CHANGES

Pick a Series – Drivers in all three national series now must select the series where they’ll compete for a driver championship. Drivers still may compete in multiple series and help their teams win owner titles in series where they’re not competing for a driver title. The move helps spotlight young talent in the NASCAR Nationwide and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.
New Qualifying Procedure – The qualifying order will be set based upon slowest to fastest practice speeds.

Inclement Weather Qualifying – If bad weather cancels qualifying, the final starting lineup will be determined by practice speeds. The same rule book procedures will be used to determine eligibility to start a race. If weather cancels practice sessions, then the starting lineup will be set by points, per the rule book.

Tire Rules Revision – NASCAR Sprint Cup Series teams now are allowed five sets of tires for practice and qualifying instead of six. They must return four of those sets to Goodyear in order to receive their race allotment, and may keep one set of practice/qualifying tires. Tire allotments for race weekends will vary according to historical performance data.

Closed Loop Fueling System – Introduced in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, this goes into effect for all three national series in 2011.
It combines a more efficient fueling system with the elimination of the catch-can man, considered the most “vulnerable” pit-crew member. Teams now will use six, rather than seven, over-the-wall pit-crew members.

Evolution Of NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Car – NASCAR continues to work with the manufacturers and teams to enhance the look of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series car. The cars have new fronts this season and the body makeover will continue to help appeal to fans and aid manufacturer identity.