A NASCAR Cup race weekend builds toward one long points race, but the running order is set first.
Practice and qualifying come earlier in the weekend. Qualifying — usually single-car runs against the clock, though some venues use group sessions — sets the starting lineup; if rain washes it out, the grid is set by a formula instead.
The race is run in stages. Most events have three stages; the Coca-Cola 600 — the longest race on the calendar, at Charlotte — uniquely runs four. The early stages are mini-races in their own right: in the standard format, the top ten finishers in each of the first two stages bank bonus points on a 10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 scale, and the final stage settles the race win.
That structure keeps the field pushing all race long, because stage results carry championship value of their own — not just the finish.
The 36-race calendar leans heavily on ovals — 32 of them — alongside three road courses and one street race. For how all the points add up, see how the points and playoffs work.