Several incredible photo finishes throughout the 2024 NASCAR season led NASCAR fans to ponder what would happen if a NASCAR race ended in an actual tie.
On the final lap of February's Ambetter Health 400 at Atlanta Motor Speedway, Daniel Suarez prevailed by 0.003 seconds over Ryan Blaney and Kyle Busch in a three-wide charge to the finish line.
3-WIDE AT THE LINE! WHAT A FINISH. Repost to congratulate Daniel Suárez on his Atlanta Motor Speedway WIN! pic.twitter.com/RdewRqJiwg
Just 10 races later, Kyle Larson took a win at Kansas Speedway in the closest race in NASCAR history since the advent of electronic scoring. Larson edged Chris Buescher out for the win by just 0.001 seconds, and at first glance, it appeared Buescher had actually won the race.
After reviewing the slow-motion frontstretch photo finish camera, NASCAR awarded the win to Larson by inches.
UNBELIEVABLE FINISH! KYLE LARSON WINS AT KANSAS. WOW. pic.twitter.com/O7K3pOnmTw
But what if Buescher had crossed the line at the exact moment that Larson did?
For those wondering if the drivers would be considered co-winners, that would not be the case. NASCAR has tiebreakers baked into the Rule Book, which would allow the sanctioning body to name a singular driver as the official race winner for each race.
While it has never had to revert to the tiebreaker procedure at the end of a race, here is how the tiebreaker would play out if two drivers tied for the win in a NASCAR Cup Series event.
1. Laps Led: Whichever driver led the most laps throughout the event would get the nod as the race official race winner. If both drivers led the exact same number of laps during the race, there are additional levels of tiebreakers.
2. Number of laps completed in second place: If the two drivers, who tied for the race win, each recorded the same number of laps led during the race, the tiebreaker would go to the driver who completed the most laps in the second position. If both drivers tie in that metric, the tiebreaker would move on to most laps completed in third place, and then fourth place, etc. until the tie is broken.
If the drivers remain tied after that process, there is one final metric which would break the tie once and for all.
3. Driver who took the lead earliest: If all other tiebreaker procedures for the win have been exhausted, the race win will come down to which of the drivers took the lead earliest. For example if one driver started from the pole and led Lap 1, while the other driver didn't take the lead for the first time until let's say Lap 25, the driver who led Lap 1 would be named the race winner.
While it is entirely possible for a NASCAR race to end in a complete dead heat, NASCAR has ensured by way of the Rule Book that no race will ever be considered a tie in the record books. There will always be one race winner, and a lot of losers in each NASCAR Cup Series race.
Toby Christie is the Editor-in-Chief of Racing America. He has 15 years of experience as a motorsports journalist and has been with Racing America since 2023.
© 2024 ABG-SI LLC – SPORTS ILLUSTRATED IS A REGISTERED TRADEMARK OF ABG-SI LLC. – All Rights Reserved. The content on this site is for entertainment and educational purposes only. Betting and gambling content is intended for individuals 21+ and is based on individual commentators' opinions and not that of Sports Illustrated or its affiliates, licensees and related brands. All picks and predictions are suggestions only and not a guarantee of success or profit. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER.
English 
Français