The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series heads into its first off weekend of the 2014 season for the Easter break with eight races in the books. The 2014 season is the second with the Generation 6 race car which was introduced to help usher in more on track competitiveness during the races.
There didn’t seem to be an overwhelming increase in on track racing and passing during the 2013 season especially on the intermediate tracks but NASCAR has kept tweaking the rules package to make things better and after eight races in 2014 the numbers show that the racing has become better.
There have been 29,541 total green flag passes in the first eight races of 2014 compared to 23,178 in 2013. That is a big increase. Furthermore there have been 346 green flag passes for the lead compared to only 181 last season. Another big increase which is a good indication that the racing is better. The leader is not at as big of an advantage with clean air clearly by the numbers this season.
There have been an average of 12 different leaders and 25.6 lead changes per race so far compared to 8.6 different leaders and 17.4 lead changes in 2013. Also all three manufacturers, Chevrolet, Ford, and Toyota, have all scored at least one win in 2014.
The average margin of victory so far this season is a mere 0.588 seconds which is the lowest since the 2008 season.
One point to note is that in 2013 Kansas Speedway, an intermediate track, was the eighth race of the season where in 2014 Darlington Raceway, a track not of the 1.5 mile variety, was the eighth race. Even with that the numbers stand as showing that racing is on the rise in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.
As the season gets back underway with race nine at Richmond International Raceway on Saturday, April 26th it should be the continuation of more exciting racing.
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