Talladega Stages to Shorten for Better Racing

NASCAR will shorten the lengths of its final two stages in the April 26 race at Talladega Superspeedway to address fuel-saving concerns on superspeedways.

Next January will also bring the return of a “Preseason Thunder” test session at Daytona International Speedway, assessing potential technical changes to the cars that could lessen the impact of conservation strategies at superspeedways.

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Though the precise lengths have yet to be announced, Probst said the final two stages at Talladega will be short enough to complete without a fuel stop.

“Generally, how a lot of our speedways were laid out, it was a short stage, a short stage and then a long stage to the end,” Probst said. “Going into Talladega, we’re going to flip that.”

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This year, the first stage likely will be closer to 100 laps, with the last two stages under 50 laps apiece, when the Cup Series returns to the 2.66-mile oval in two weeks. NASCAR.com