For years, short tracks across the country have used a choose cone, which allows drivers to select the lane they restart during races.
On Wednesday night, NASCAR gave the choose rule a try, and it proved to be uncontroversial yet effective.
The NASCAR All-Star Race has historically been an experimental event. The sanctioning body has tried everything from manipulated pit strategies, stages (before they were implemented for all races in 2017), and unique rules packages.
This year’s running was no different. It was even more inventive than ever before. The race ran at Bristol Motor Speedway instead of its usual location of Charlotte Motor Speedway, the numbers on the sides of the cars were shifted closer to the rear wheels to allow sponsor logos to be better seen, and glow lights were placed under the rear of the vehicles in the main event for aesthetic purposes.
But none of that affected the actual race itself. The only thing different about the competition was the choose rule. A V-shape was painted on the track, and drivers had to decide under caution which side of it they passed to restart on the top or bottom lane.
“There’s no funny business of people trying to start in a different lane or do something that they didn’t choose to do,” Kevin Harvick said. “I think that went really well. For the most part, I don’t think there were any issues.”
Some tracks like Bristol or Martinsville Speedway have preferred grooves. It’s not uncommon to see drivers intentionally let other cars pass them before the exit of pit road so they can start in a different lane than the one that would have been theirs by leaving the pits regularly.
In recent years, Bristol has become known for having a preferred top groove. However, that use of the PJ1 traction compound on the bottom lane in the corners negated this advantage. In effect, the choose rule wasn’t as dramatic as it might have appeared at Martinsville or perhaps Dover International Speedway.
“Seemed like a lot of times guys were restarting kind of in their positions, maybe one-off here or there, but not a whole lot different,” Kyle Busch said. “There was a time where I think there was like four or five guys that chose the outside, one guy on the inside. I went ahead and took that inside spot. I think I netted out back even again.
“I thought it worked. I thought it worked well, went well. Maybe we’ll see it happen more.”
Some Cup Series drivers have advocated for the use of a choose rule even before it was announced for the All-Star Race. Two months ago, Austin Dillon suggested its use via Twitter after the series raced at Darlington Raceway.
“It’s time for a choose cone. @TooToughToTame is the perfect place to try it,” Dillon tweeted. “The bottom is at a disadvantage this will create drama and allow us to decide our fate. Paint something on the track before the start finish line. One to go we choose our destiny.”
All-Star winner Chase Elliott said the use of a choose rule has been necessary for a while because it puts more of a decision into the drivers’ hands for double-file restarts.
“I think the choose rule has been needed for a long time. I think it should be that way every week,” he said. “I don’t think there’s really a reason to not have it. There’s no reason to me why you shouldn’t have the choice, or you should be automatically told where you’re going to line up when one lane has an obvious advantage just based on where you come off of pit road.
“To me, life isn’t fair, but it just makes way more sense to put it in our hands. It either works out for you, or it doesn’t. If it doesn’t work out, it’s your own fault, not the luck of the draw, where you come off of pit road.”
NASCAR doesn’t have any plans to rerun it this year. The sanctioning body is typically receptive to what the drivers and fans like though, so it can’t be discounted that it could eventually be implemented one day again.
