“Will Ruin a Race”—Fans Slam the Latest “Dumb Rule Change” Announced by NASCAR

With the 2023 Cup Series season just a few days away, it’s time to look at the new changes to the NASCAR rules and regulations. With some new significant procedural modifications to the races, NASCAR announced that the road courses will have no caution flags.

Looking forward to maintaining the flow of the races, the governing body also warned the drivers about time penalties in case they attempt any unsafe maneuvers.

With most new changes receiving positive acceptance, there are some that fans are not happy about. Just like the implementation of the Choose rule. Announcing that the Choose rule will now be in effect for Superspeedway and Dirt races, Fox Sports reporter Bob Pockrass shared a tweet.

However, as soon as the news surfaced, NASCAR fans started expressing their disappointment. Here’s why they feel that the Choose rule isn’t a good idea.

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Choose Rule—The right step for NASCAR?

It is clear that not everyone is happy with the Choose rule. With concerns about the weird team orders and the dominance of top teams and manufacturers, there is a looming question about the relevance and effects of the new rule. However, for the past few years, the Choose rule has been viewed as the next logical step.

According to the rule, each driver gets a chance to choose the lane they want to start in before the restart. And honestly, the results of this choice can potentially make the race results more exciting and dramatic.

Back in June 2020, the Athletic’s reporter Jeff Gluck explained why NASCAR should finally choose the Choose rule. Citing the entertainment value and improved driver performances as a positive effect of the rule, Gluck shared an excerpt of David Smith’s statistical study to back his arguments.

Moreover, apart from him, the 2022 NASCAR Cup champ also gave a thumbs up to the implementation of the rule. Joey Logano told Gluck, “I see nothing bad it can bring. It brings another strategy to the table. It’s definitely something to talk about. You don’t have luck coming involved. […] I would love to have that in our sport.”

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With the rule officially being implemented now in 2023, all that is left to do is wait and watch its effects on the sport. Apart from this, NASCAR announced that the restart zones for the first five events will be increased by 50% in length. A change in the Damaged Vehicle Policy will also be implemented wherein a seven-minute repair clock rule will be established.