NASCAR, in a way, is taking notes from F1’s old playbook. The American stock car series recently renewed its long-standing partnership with Comcast, and as part of the new deal, the sanctioning body is introducing the ‘Xfinity Fastest Lap’ point.
As it stands, the driver and team who secures the fastest race lap during any given points-paying race will be awarded the “bonus point.” The rule spans across all three national divisions and could provide some extra drama during the critical playoff races where a single point is sometimes the difference in advancing forward or facing certain elimination. It will also change the way some competitors approach the superspeedway races — where a mega-draft at the right moment is all one needs to lock down the fastest lap.
Denny Hamlin, Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota, Tyler Reddick, 23XI Racing Toyota, Chase Elliott, Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet
Photo by: Sean Gardner / Getty Images
The introduction of a bonus point for a fastest lap is reminiscent Formula 1’s fastest lap point system (which the series discontinued going into the 2025 season). But in F1, the point was not given to a non-points scorer if they earned the fastest lap. NASCAR has implemented no such boundaries, opening it up for any driver who is eligible for the championship to secure the fastest lap bonus. The only notable ‘rules’ are as follows: In the case of a tie, the driver who finished the race in a higher position will be awarded the bonus point; and Championship 4 drivers won’t be awarded the bonus point if they earn the Xfinity Fastest Lap in the title-decider, which makes sense as they aren’t eligible for stage points either.
For F1, the fastest lap bonus point created controversial moments, such as when drivers who were completely out of contention would take an extra stop just to deny a rival the bonus point, normally with the goal of helping their own teammate. This could certainly happen in NASCAR as well with teammates and manufacturer allies paying close attention to it during the postseason.
If such a rule had existed last year in NASCAR, Kyle Larson, who had the fastest lap in five races — more than any other driver that season — could have won the regular season title. Even two of those additional five points would have been the difference, as he lost to Tyler Reddick by a single point.
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