7 Things Every Rookie Needs To Know

If it’s your rookie season, true NASCAR fans can smell fresh blood from a mile away. No matter how hard you try, a sign on your back says “Student Driver” and is about as visible as those tacky bumper stickers. And even though you won’t be able to hide your rookie vibes, there are a few things you should know to help you navigate the scene as a rookie that can give you a little track credit. Let’s go with a list of 7 since it’s the most championships any single driver has ever won; more on that later.

1. NASCAR is an acronym for the National Association of Stock Car Racing. The entire NASCAR organization is owned by the notorious France Family. Racing is in their blood. You read that correctly; NASCAR is, in fact, a family business. Unlike most professional sports organizations, this sport is owned by a single family.

2. The Rule of Three is more of a Tricky Triangle than Pocono - NASCAR has three makes, three series, three stages, three knockout rounds in the playoffs, and three races in each playoff knockout round.

3. Raise Hell, Praise Dale - Speaking of 3’s. "Raise Hell, Praise Dale" is a popular NASCAR phrase, a rally cry and tribute to the legacy of Dale Earnhardt Sr. Not sure what to say? When in doubt, fill any awkward silence with "Raise Hell, Praise Dale", and you’re back in the race.

4. Richard Petty has the most Cup Series wins at 200 and is widely recognized as the most successful NASCAR driver ever. When someone refers to “The King”, forget Elvis; Richard Petty wears the crown around these parts.

5. Racing is, in fact, a contact sport, on and off the track. Here are three memorable on-track contacts that lead to off-contact that you should know.

1. 1. Kyle Busch vs. Richard Childress (Hold my Watch) - Yes, owner, Richard Childress. This is my favorite because “Hold My Watch” is now a pop culture reference for Richard Childress's notorious asking his grandson, Austin Dillion, to hold his watch before getting Busch in a headlock and allegedly punching him. What makes this even better is that Kyle Busch now drives for Richard Childress Racing and was gifted a Rolex as part of his signing bonus, proving how NASCAR operates with an old-school mentality.
   2. Brad Keselowski vs. Jeff Gordon - This infamous fight occurred at Texas Motor Speedway in 2014.  The No. 2 of Keselowski then collided with Gordon as he tried to split the middle between the No. 24 and Johnson. Gordon spun with a flat tire, falling a lap down and finishing 29th. It was a huge blow to his championship chances. In the moments after the race, Gordon tracked Keselowski down on pit road to exchange words. He stopped his car next to Keselowski’s, climbed out, and moved over to have a chat. A few more words were exchanged between Keselowski and Gordon and then — after Keselowski got a nudge from behind from Kevin Harvick — both crews got involved, which led to punches being thrown.
   3. The most famous fight in NASCAR history was the incident between Cale Yarborough and Donnie Allison during the 1979 Daytona 500 race. Yarborough and Allison, who were within the final lap of the race, made attempts at overtaking each other but unfortunately collided, and this made the two cars spin and veer off at the infield, leaving their respective chances of winning the race irrelevant. In the chaos, Richard Petty came out and moved forward and up to the winning position. Yarborough and Allison got out of their car to confront each other aggressively. It did not take long for Donnie’s brother, Bobby Allison, to jump into the fray. This took place as a live national broadcast and quickly brought an unprecedented focus on NASCAR, making the Daytona 500 a must-watch moving forward.

6. You’ll never understand the points system and forget the playoffs. Complaining about the point system is a right of passage

Up to 40 cars can be in the field at NASCAR Cup Series events. Each finishing spot earns a driver point, from a maximum of 40 points to the driver who finishes first down to one point for the driver who finishes 40th. These points accrue over a season and determine the driver and owner standings.

The addition of three stages to every points-paying race adds a new element. Drivers can earn race points through their performances in Stage 1 and Stage 2. At the conclusion of Stage 1 and/or Stage 2, drivers running first through 10th will receive points, starting with 10 points for first place, nine points for second place, and one point for 10th place. Points earned in those two stages are added to drivers' earnings after the Final Stage, which sets the full race results.

Points are accumulated over each of the 36 races. There is a reset for the 16 drivers in the playoffs after the regular-season finale at Daytona, the series’ 26th race of the season. There are additional points reset in the postseason after the completion of each three-race postseason round.

Additionally, a driver can earn bonus playoff points for the following:

• Five playoff points to the race-winning driver.
• One playoff bonus point to the driver who wins Stage 1 and/or Stage 2 in every event.

Those points are added to a driver’s total once the postseason starts. The accumulated playoff points will carry over at the start of the Round of 16, Round of 12, and Round of 8.

Other key items to know:

• The driver who starts the race receives the points; a relief driver does not earn points.
• Bonus points are not awarded in the final race of the season to the Championship 4 drivers.

Confused yet? Good, me too.

7.  Seven Championships is the most any single driver has ever won. Richard Petty, Dale Earnhardt, and Jimmie Johnson each hold that honor. No little feat, especially with the new playoff points system, but let’s not rehash that again.