Penalites in NASCAR: The Drive Through

Like any other sport NASCAR has rules and drivers who break those rules must suffer the consequences in the form of a penalty of some sort. Breaking rules found during car inspections or the more severe penalties frequently involve a rather large fine. Most rules that are broken during the race usually involve serving some sort of penalty on the track. The on track penalties are losing a lap, being required to line up at the end of the longest line, a stop and go penalty, and the drive or pass through penalty.

NASCAR lines up in a double row to start a race. When a caution flag is waved the cars line up single file except when a car is a lap or more behind; those cars line up beside the other cars in a double file. If a driver has a longest line penalty then they must line up at the end of whichever row is longest.

If a driver is being penalized a lap the NASCAR official in the driver's pit hold the car until all the cars have made one lap. A stop and go penalty is when the driver must come down pit road and come to a stop in his pit stall before continuing on.

But the pass or drive through penalty is when the driver must serve a penalty by driving down the length of pit road at pit road speed. At a track like Daytona, Atlanta, and Talladega where the on track speeds can reach 200 miles per hour a pass or drive through penalty at the pit road speed of 55 miles per hour can be detrimental if the driver must serve the penalty under a green flag. A drive through penalty can easily cost a driver a lap and perhaps two if the penalty is served while under green flag conditions. Obviously if a drive through penalty must be served the driver would rather do so under the caution flag when on track speeds are much slower and closer to pit road speeds. One of the most common reason for having t serve a drive through penalty is for breaking the pit road speed limit. Drivers must also serve a penalty if they leave their pit stall with anything other than the car like a wrench or catch can still attached to the car. If a tire rolls away from the pit stall and the driver leaves his pit stall then the driver must also serve a penalty.