Safe to say, NASCAR is not your average uncomplicated sport. Well, not anymore. It now has complex rules, shocking penalties, a complicated points system, and a unique qualifying procedure. Even if we say that all these terms are mapped by the fans by now, there comes another curve ball in regard to the flags that fly in a race. In this article, let’s talk about the caution flag and all the consequences it brings with it.

Simply put, if a caution flag flies during the closing laps of a NASCAR race, the race goes under ‘Overtime’, and, going by the name, it indicates that the race will extend beyond its stipulated time. A wave of Green-White checkered flags puts the race in overtime, but how does this work, and under which conditions do races undergo overtime? Let us find out.

Understanding NASCAR’s overtime

This particular rule has seen its fair share of tweaks and updates, but since 2017, it has remained intact. So for overtime to come into play, the race has to be under caution during the closing laps. The restart attempt consists of a green flag lap, and a white flag lap, followed by the black-and-white checkered flag to finish the race.

However, two scenarios can lead to the initiation of overtime during a race. The first one is if the caution flag is displayed before the leading driver crosses the finish line. The overtime cannot be put into effect if the leader has crossed the start/finish line under the white flag. The second scenario is if the caution period is continued into the lap before the scheduled white flag lap, which is the final lap of the race.

The interesting part about overtime is that it can be attempted as many times as necessary so NASCAR can announce an undisputed winner of the race. The climax of the race is certainly an important affair, and NASCAR has a history of wrecks happening in the final few laps. Therefore, the element of overtime does come in handy to pick out a winner. Interestingly, NASCAR did see its first overtime of the 2024 season, and it was at the exhibition event of the Clash at the Coliseum.

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Overtime can be a gruesome affair and one that can change the fortunes of a team. Luckily for Tyler Reddick and 23XI Racing, they found themselves on the winning side of things when overtime was issued during the 2023 Circuit of The Americas race.

Reddick’s first win for 23XI Racing came in overtime at Circuit of The Americas

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The COTA race was among the most nerve-wracking affairs of the season. It had multiple cautions and restarts. This can make the drivers lose focus during the dying moments of the race. However, despite the triple overtime scenario, Reddick held his nerve and brought home the first win of the season for his new team. Kyle Busch was breathing down Reddick’s neck as he just finished behind him, and the gap between the two drivers was just 1.411 seconds.

Interestingly, No. 45 of 23XI went on to repeat this feat in the playoff race at Kansas Speedway, which helped him secure his spot in the second round. It was Chris Buscher’s late crash into the wall that sent the race into overtime. Making the most of the scenario, Reddick made a smart pit stop and even held his team owner, Denny Hamlin, to clinch a nail-biting win for his team. The margin between the P1 and P1 drivers was just 0.327 seconds.

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With the 2024 NASCAR Cup Series season just around the corner, we can expect more such rules to come into play, changing the fortunes of the team, for good and bad.