NASCAR reduces green-white-checkered restart attempts at Talladega

In the name of safety NASCAR will reduce the number of potential overtime restarts for this weekend’s national division races at Talladega Speedway.

Drivers will have just one attempt at a green-white-checkered flag finish during the Sprint Cup and Camping World Truck series races, a reduction from the three opportunities they have at other tracks. The procedural change is just for Talladega and will revert back to three attempts the following week at Martinsville Speedway.

The lineup coming to the green flag will remain double-file.

“Following extensive dialogue with the industry, we have decided to make a procedural change at Talladega Superspeedway this weekend,” NASCAR executive vice president Steve O’Donnell said in a statement. “In the event the race goes beyond the advertised distance due to a caution, we will use a single attempt at a green-white-checker finish. We take very seriously the responsibility of balancing exciting finishes and safety. We’re confident that this is a positive direction for both.”

Late-race restarts have been a reoccurring issue at Talladega and Daytona International Speedway, NASCAR’s two restrictor-plate tracks. In three instances across all three national division (Cup, Xfinity, trucks) since 2012, a vehicle flew into the frontstretch catch fence shortly after a green-white-checkered restart ensued.

The most recent incident saw Austin Dillon flip wildly into the fencing during the July Cup race at Daytona, sending debris scattering into the grandstands. Dillon was unhurt, but five spectators were treated for minor injuries with one transported to a local medical facility where they were treated and released.

NASCAR executives have spoken openly about changing restarts since Dillon’s accident and drivers have voiced their support for such action. Dale Earnhardt Jr. called multiple green-white-checkered attempts “excessive and gimmicky” in a tweet shortly after NASCAR’s announcement Tuesday.

Talladega is the Round 2 elimination race of the Chase for the Sprint Cup playoff and last year’s event featured two overtime restarts.

“I think it’s a good idea just based on past history of what you have seen on green‑white‑checkered (restarts) as far as really just destroying race cars,” Martin Truex Jr. said during a national teleconference Tuesday. “I think the chances when you go to Talladega of bringing a car home are slim. If you have green‑white‑checkereds there, the chance of not bringing a car home goes up pretty dramatically.

“For the owners and everybody involved,” he added, “I would be OK limiting it to one. Hopefully it doesn’t even come down to one, but you never know.”