NASCAR Basics Trivia Quiz

Answer: qualifying

Typically qualifying rules now go into an F1 style group qualifying rather than single car runs. When the qualifier is rained out, the starting order is determined by the points standings.

Answer: Pole sitter

The "Bud pole award" is given to the driver that wins the pole. The pole position is an excellent way to start a race, but by no means does it mean that the driver will win the race.

Answer: True

40 positions (cars) are available in every race. It was reduced form 43 to 40 in 2016. Every once in a while, less than 40 cars will actually be in the race.

Answer: they start in the back of the field

Drivers have won races from the back of the field, just because a driver starts near the back, doesn't mean they have no chance of winning.

Answer: 22

There were 2 cars in each row 1-21 and the last row had one car, which was the field of 43. The 2 car row allows more room for the drivers to warm up their tires.

Answer: True

The pit crew consists of 8 people: the rear tire carrier, the rear tire changer, the front tire carrier, the front tire changer, the jack-man, the gas man, the gas runner, and the catch can man.

Answer: crew chief

The crew chief is in constant communication with the driver so he knows what the car is doing. They are also experts in all aspects of the race car and they make the final call when something needs to be done to the car.

Answer: pit box

The pit box is simply a taped off, rectangular area, on pit row. The car must be inside the pit box before the pit crew can service it.

Answer: False

Many times a celebrity will be asked to drive the pace car during any given race. The pace car comes out during the parade laps and during yellow and red flags.

Answer: Parade laps

The pace car drives at a certain speed so that the race cars can see how fast they are going at a certain rpm. The drivers also use this time to heat up their tires, but it is not referred to as a warm up lap.

Answer: the start finish line

There are high speed cameras at the start/finish line that take pictures of all the cars as they finish the race, so that there can be no question as to who won and where everyone placed.

Answer: True

In midseason 2003, NASCAR implemented a rule that all drivers may not pass when the yellow flag is displayed. They must follow in order to the flag stand, or they will be penalized. Before this rule change, drivers could race back to the 'yellow'. The rule was implemented in order to get safety crew and vehicles to a car that needed emergency assistance.

Answer: red

The 8 flags are as follows: GREEN-starts the race, YELLOW-caution, RED-stops the race, BLACK-a black flagged driver must pit to fix their car, BLACK WITH WHITE X-after the back flag is shown and a driver hasn't responded within 5 laps, and this flag is shown to tell the driver that he is no longer being scored, BLUE WITH DIAGONAL ORANGE STRIPE: this flag is shown to let a driver know that the leaders are coming up on him and that he should move over and let them by, WHITE-one lap to go in the race, CHECKERED-finishes the race.

Answer: drafting

With all the new technology in the car's aero package, drafting has become less important than it has in the past, but it is still a factor.

Answer: True

The pit crew can adjust the car to help this situation. The driver will tell the crew chief about the problem and the crew will have the neccessary tools with them when the car pits.

Answer: spotters

The spotters are in constant communication with the drivers. They are located up in the stands at different points along the track, and they also talk to each other to make deals if the driver needs help on the track.

Answer: tight

When this happens, the driver will have problems steering the car in turns. This condition puts the driver at risk of hitting the wall because the car wants to drift up in the turns.

Answer: False

It's the spoiler that creates rear downforce. The valance creates front downforce. Without these innovations on the cars they would be lighter on the track and would wreck more often. There are also roof flaps that flip up in case the car slides backwards, these also direct downforce to keep the car on the ground.

Answer: all tracks have their own pit road speed

Most tracks have 55 mph as their pit road speed, but a few are slower. The pit road speed is for the safety of the crews, and they must be at the pit road speed when they cross the line at the beginning of pit road. When you hear the announcer say the the driver is "whoa or whoaing" their car down, this is the driver slowing down at the last possible second to comply with the pit road speed.

Answer: restrictor plate

This device is used at a couple of the larger tracks to keep speeds at a safe level. What is does is it restricts the amount of air and gas that goes into the combustion chamber, therefore reducing the car's power, which in turn doesn't allow the car to go much faster than 200 mph.

Answer: False

Nitrogen is used because it contains less moisture than compressed air. Regular air expands too much during the race which would affect the car's handling, so they use the nitrogen which doesn't expand very much.

Answer: they sweat out the fluids

Because of the high temperatures in the cockpit of the car, the drivers typically sweat out fluids during the race. This is similar to other athletes that run a lot. Believe it or not, race car drivers are athletes. Their bodies are exposed to high heat, and g-forces, and they are constantly shifting, braking, and steering which at high speeds takes a lot of physical strength.

Answer: 5

Once a car had led a lap they were awarded 5 bonus points. This only happened once per race. If they dropped back then lead again, they received nothing extra, just the same 5 pts.

Answer: True

In 1992, under the then scoring system, Alan Kulwicki won the championship at the season's last race in Atlanta by 10 points. He stayed out as long as he could to get the then 10 bonus points for most laps led, then pitted which allowed Bill Elliot to win the race, but Kulwicki won the championship.

Answer: victory lane

The winner is awarded 40 points (plus 3 pts bonus for winning). The other 39 places descend in points from there, down to one point for last.