NASCAR Cup Series

NASCAR: Added Segments Mean New Flags In 2017?

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 11:23 p.m. ET

Fansided, Christopher Olmstead/FanSided via Beyond the Flag

The 2017 NASCAR season is going to be a little bit different now that NASCAR has announced the new format. With every lap of every race potentially meaning something, fans are sure to get a different type of action on the track this season.

With the new format comes race segments. During a NASCAR race there are not going to be three segments. The first two segments will award drivers championship points for being inside of the top-10 when the segment ends as well as a playoff point for the driver who is leading when a segment comes to an end. The final segment of the race will be the run to the finish where drivers can earn a win (plus five playoff points) and championship points for wherever they finish in the final running order.

According to a recent report from the Arizona Republic, the addition of segments could also bring with it some new flags. The report confirms that NASCAR has not made anything official, but this does seem to be the way in which things are heading.

When approximately 25 percent of the 312 laps are complete (a little more than 75 laps; teams will be told in advance the exact distance), stage one will end. NASCAR is likely to signal this with a newly designed – and as yet not revealed – flag color and design.

While not a huge deal for fans on race day, having a flag of a different color to signify the end of a segment does make sense.

Essentially when a segment ends it will be like a caution. Caution will come out on the track and cars will have a chance to hit pit road before the next segment begins. To distinguish between the end of the segment and a normal caution, a different colored flag would be a nice and simple touch.

Then again, I am sure NASCAR will be all in this season on informing fans when a segment is coming to an end. So while it might make sense to have a different colored flag, it might not actually matter when it comes to race day.