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You may have heard people in the NASCAR world talking, especially recently, about something called a “choose cone rule” or “choose rule” for restarts. You also may have heard NASCAR will be implementing it for the All-Star Race, an exhibition event, at Bristol Motor Speedway on July 15, but that doesn’t matter much if you don’t fully know what the rule means.
That’s OK, because we’re here to help and break down the basics of the “choose rule” and what it could mean for the future of NASCAR and restarts.
NASCAR’s current restart rules
When the caution flag is out and drivers are preparing for the restart — when the green flag comes back out to signal they can return to full-speed racing — they line up in two rows, one on the inside of the track and one on the outside.
Currently, only the leader is able to select which lane they’d like to start in, and the other 30-some drivers on the track then have to line up based on their track position going into the restart. Aside from the leader, drivers in odd-number positions restart in the inside lane, while those in even-number positions restart on the outside.
So why does this matter?
Although the preferred lane changes depending on the race track, there is often a consensus among drivers and teams about which lane is best, and they can be at a serious disadvantage potentially restarting from the slower lane — especially if it’s late in the race.
And sometimes that can lead to drivers intentionally sacrificing a position while coming off pit road during the caution in order to start in the lane they want.
What is the choose rule then?
The choose rule would open up restart positions while adding even more strategy to it. The rule would allow each driver to select which lane to restart in. It’s utilized at race tracks around the country — mostly short and dirt tracks, as noted by Autoweek‘s Matt Weaver, a longtime choose cone rule advocate — but has yet to be used in NASCAR.
But should the governing body adopt it officially, it could off more benefits than the option to restart in a preferred lane.
Hypothetically, if multiple drivers running up front all opt for the same lane, the next driver behind them could fall in line or choose the opposite lane, and, therefore, make up a bunch of positions with just one decision. Whether or not they could maintain that position in the less dominant lane is a different story.
Why is it also called the choose cone rule?
As The Athletic‘s Jeff Gluck explains: “At a short track, drivers go one way or another around a ‘choose cone’ that prompts them to make a decision; in NASCAR, drivers would likely just pick a lane without a cone on the track.”
Announcing the rule for the All-Star Race on Wednesday, NASCAR said it will be a “designated spot on the track,” and as drivers approach it, they will have to choose the inside or outside lane.
What do drivers think about the choose rule?
A few drivers have been asked about the rule in the last several weeks — prior to NASCAR announcing Wednesday the rule for the All-Star Race — and they’re pretty supportive of the rule and NASCAR implementing it.
Jimmie Johnson said it would simplify restarts for drivers, who wouldn’t have to adjust too much to a potential new rule because “a lot of drivers grew up in a series that has choose cones.” He said NASCAR adopting the rule “could be a win-win for everybody.”
Martin Truex Jr. said he was “murdered” by NASCAR’s restart rule at Darlington Raceway because he kept getting stuck in the inside lane, and it was “frustrating” when what he thought was a top-3 car finished 10th.
Make this happen @NASCAR
— Austin Dillon (@austindillon3) May 21, 2020
Ryan Blaney said it would be “really neat,” but added that “maybe you don’t do it everywhere.” And his teammate, Joey Logano, said he’s “been bringing it up for years,” adding:
“I see nothing bad that it can bring. It’s brings another strategy to the table. It’s definitely something to talk about. You don’t have luck coming involved. You see guys hit their brakes at the end of pit road — number one, that’s not real safe.
“But, two, you try to line yourself up sixth and then the car in front of you gets a speeding penalty, and you’re like, ‘I gave up a spot and now I’m on the bottom too. I really blew it.’ That happens out there so many times that everybody is trying to play the game, so just put a cone out there and say, ‘Go left or right.’ … I tell you, if I see a bunch of 12-year-olds do it in the Summer Shootout at Charlotte Motor Speedway, I’m pretty sure all of us could figure it out.”
So what does it mean that NASCAR is implementing this rule for the All-Star Race at Bristol?
The All-Star Race is not for points in the driver standings, nor does a win lock drivers into the 10-race playoffs in the fall like regular points races. And NASCAR has used the exhibition race to test potential new rules or packages in the past, so this certainly suggests that NASCAR is at least curious about how or if this could work in the Cup Series.
Maybe it will work fabulously, and drivers and fans will push for the rule to officially be adopted. Maybe it will be a total disaster, and NASCAR won’t talk about this rule again for year. Where things go from there is, obviously, still TBD.
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