Race Strategy

A NASCAR race is like a 200-mile-per-hour game of chess, with each team formulating strategies -- often on the fly -- to win the race. Winning a NASCAR race is a combination of speed and smarts. The fastest car doesn't always necessarily win the race -- often, it's the team that manages its equipment the best and knows how to balance the capabilities of its car with the conditions of the race.

A number of factors play into race strategy:

TIRES

Tires must be changed periodically throughout the race as they wear down. Oftentimes, late in the race, a crew chief will call for only two tires -- or even no tires -- to be changed during a pit stop, rather than four. This strategy is referred to as short-pitting. This saves valuable seconds in the pits, although it may cost seconds on the track, because a car with four fresh tires is almost always faster.
• More about tires

FUEL

At any given moment, a crew chief must calculate fuel mileage and decide when to enter the pits for fuel. Variables such as caution flags and average speeds can often affect the amount of fuel used, and a crew chief must be able to recalculate during the course of the race to ensure the car can finish the race with the least number of fueling stops possible. Drivers must often adjust their driving style to account for fuel usage, which can be the difference between pitting late in the race and stretching a tank of fuel to the finish.

CAR ADJUSTMENTS

Conditions of the racing surface may change during the course of the event, necessitating adjustments to the car. Wind, temperature and other factors all play a part. A delicate balance must be struck by the crew chief -- the slightest over-adjustments or under-adjustments can take a car out of contention. Some adjustments include tire pressure, spring stiffness and chassis weight distribution.
• More about pit stops