Should NASCAR’s Time Limit Rule Be Tweaked?

Was the time limit rule for the NASCAR Cup Series’ Chicago Street Race a good idea? Should it be tweaked?

Kevin Nix: Yes, with only a small tweak of knowing even sooner in advance when the hard cutoff is. Ideally, if there is a chance of inclement weather, NASCAR would have a time set before the race even starts. As it was, the limit was executed very well during the race and allowed drivers and teams to work backward strategically from race’s end. Alex Bowman and Tyler Reddick were on different strategies in the final laps, and if Reddick hadn’t hit the wall on the final lap, the two drivers would’ve raced down to the wire with a photo finish possible. It’s a much better idea than previous things NASCAR has tried.

James Krause: The time limit rule is excellent, and I’m glad that NASCAR has started setting hard times to end races that have the potential to end by sundown. The format from a time standpoint was perfect, and while I understand the thought of throwing out stage breaks to get more of the race in, keeping them was the best thing NASCAR could do to not upend pit strategies. I hope we don’t see too many time-limit races in the future, but Sunday (July 7) was exciting in part because of the set time limit.

Vito Pugliese: Yes, with the sun going down in a city surrounded by buildings — and one that needed to go back to normal for 5 million people — it was the best option available. I take that back; the best option available would have been starting at 1 p.m. ET and giving itself another couple of hours with which to work.

Phil Allaway: This is something that was all but forced on NASCAR due to the fact that its policies on racing the next clear day really don’t work with street races. Going forward, it will need to inform teams earlier. That said, it wasn’t dropped on everyone during the red flag.

Mike Neff: The time limit was a good idea just because we were running out of time. The greater travesty is starting the race at nearly 5 p.m. Everyone knows that the weather in the summer frequently includes afternoon showers. If you start the race at 2 p.m. ET, you will avoid rain delays.

Samuel Stubbs: Yes. In the future, there needs to be a rule about start times regarding tracks without lights. TV may dictate start times, but NASCAR can’t like poor TV ratings when races are rain-shortened.

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