The NASCAR Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway was similar to the Daytona 500 in a sense that fuel saving was a major priority. For the first two stages, the drivers were tasked with saving fuel, which allowed a third line to develop. However, it was nearly impossible to pass in the Final Stage with no third line due to drivers not worrying about fuel.
Following the event, several drivers complained about the fuel saving and brought up changes, such as a fourth stage, to combat the issue. Later, Elton Sawyer, NASCAR Vice President of Competition, went on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio and was asked about the possibility of adding a fourth stage.
“I don’t think there’s anything that’s off the table,” Sawyer said. “We look at it as do we want to take fuel mileage completely out of the event? And sure, we could do that, with where we put stage breaks.”
TYLER REDDICK WINS AT TALLADEGA https://t.co/6dIqLzXhqq pic.twitter.com/R0pg9qmwei
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“But does that add to the entertainment value of superspeedways? Does that take away from it? I’m sure there are fans that for the most part enjoyed what they saw on Sunday and there are those who have a different view. That’s what fans enjoy about our sport, and our passionate fans about what they do and don’t want to see and it’s our job to put all of that together and put the best product out there.”