What is a choose cone rule and why are NASCAR drivers asking for it?

Restarts have become so important that some NASCAR drivers believe it’s time for the Cup Series to adopt a rule used at short tracks all over the country.

The idea behind double-file restarts is NASCAR is a solid one. It bunches up the field and allows for more excitement before the field begins to naturally spread itself out. In theory, allowing the second-place car to line up right beside the leader and then alternating the cars in odd positions on the inside and the drivers in even positions on the outside is pretty fair.

Alas, theory sometimes has little to do with what happens on an actual NASCAR track, and Bristol Motor Speedway was an excellent example of a place where reality proves a much harsher mistress. The outside lane was so much better on restarts that the drivers in the odd-numbered positions were at a distinct disadvantage — except for the leader, who can pick whichever lane they want.

That leads to all kinds of foolishness like drivers intentionally slowing down to a near stop at the end of pit road trying to get in the right line on a restart, something that almost caused a multi-vehicle wreck Friday at Bristol during the XFINITY Series race. It’s also simply unfair, which is something that Denny Hamlin noted on Twitter Saturday night.

Hamlin’s #chooserule hashtag refers to the choose cone rule that numerous short tracks use to make restarts simultaneously more fair and strategic. With a lap to go before a restart, cars are lined up single file. At a certain point on the track (often indicated by a physical cone, hence the name for the rule), they have to decide which lane to take. This means the first five drivers could all take the high lane at Bristol, for instance, but at some point, others will choose the worse of the two lanes, gambling that the extra track position will at least partially mitigate being out of the preferred groove when the green flag drops.

Austin Dillon also wondered after the Bristol night race if the time was right for the choose cone rule.

If you read through the responses on Hamlin and Dillon’s tweets, you’ll see that there’s a wide range of opinions on the choose cone rule. Some fans love the idea, others aren’t as convinced. There are logistical considerations to factor in, and even though technology could help overcome those — seriously, we can’t be that far away from drivers just being able to push a button on their dashes to pick a lane, and the TV networks could be linked in to communicate the selections to the fans instantly — not many people like the idea of anything that would add even an extra lap or two to every caution.

Hamlin has previously indicated that NASCAR has at least considered the choose cone rule for restarts before, and the last word was simply that it wouldn’t arrive for the 2018 season. Still, this season’s races at tracks like Bristol and Martinsville have provided even more evidence that while it may not be necessary everywhere, it probably is worth more consideration for the short tracks on the schedule.

Here’s an idea: The XFINITY Series has proven a worthy testing ground for other rules changes, why not put the choose cone role into effect for 2019 short track races on that circuit and see what happens? If NASCAR likes what it sees, it could then implement it for the Cup Series for the 2020 season, and the most vocal drivers would at least have the knowledge that it’s being taken seriously.

Otherwise, expect this debate to continue over social media and anywhere else drivers and fans can “choose” to make their opinions heard.