ALT-1 What are Drive through Penalties
NASCAR has a variety of tools at their disposal to keep drivers in "check" during the race as part of a much larger arsenal post-race. Race-in-progress penalties can range from refusing to score the car forcing the driver to pit (black flag) all the way to going to the end of the longest line or a drive-through penalty.
A drive-through penalty is when a driver is directed by NASCAR officials to make a drive down pit road. This is significant because for this pass, the driver must slow to pit road speed and not accelerate above it until they clear pit road and the mark predetermined to be the end of the pits.
This penalty is served during a green flag portion of the race. The penalty aspect occurs because as the driver comes down pit road they are going the much slower pit road speed while the remaining cars on the track are going racing speed.
In addition they are not permitted to stop in their pit box for any adjustments, fuel, or other reasons while serving this penalty.
The main reason for receiving this penalty is speeding down pit road. However, do not confuse this penalty with forcing the driver to return to pit road for loose lug nuts, leaving the gas can or catch can in the car and exiting pit road, or other forms of forcing the driver to come down pit road. In those instances, the driver is made to stop inside their pit box and correct the problem or they can even be held by a NASCAR official for a pre-determined period of time.
The cars have no speedometers, so how can a driver determine how fast they are going or at least gauge pit road speed?
The pace car drives a few laps before the start of the race. These laps are run at pit road speed. This gives the drivers a chance to match the RPM of their cars to the gear they are in so they know, for example that if they are in fourth gear 3500 RPM is pit road speed because during the pace laps, that was the RPM their car was at while in fourth gear. That helps to reduce speeding.
Pit road speed has been set due to injuries on pit road during races from speeding cars.
Typically, after a driver has forced themselves to drive the relatively slow speed of pit road, the penalty has placed them at the end of the lead lap traffic. However, on smaller tracks, it can also put them one full lap behind the leader, almost guaranteeing they will not visit victory lane for that race.
The penalty is not as severe on super speedways. These tracks are so long that they should be able to come out in front of the racing pack, then if a caution comes out before they are passed, they can circle around and rejoin at the end of the lead lap traffic.
It is a very good tool to help keep pit crews and drivers safer on pit road. None want the pit road speed tour during the race.
