Can NASCAR drivers switch cars?

NASCAR drivers are not allowed to switch cars on a race weekend. The rule maintains its consistency across all three series - the Cup Series, Xfinity Series and the Craftsman Truck Series.

Coming to the make of the car, NASCAR vehicles are modified counterparts of consumer cars, which run solely for the purpose of sports and entertainment (under strict rules). These cars need drivers, who are high-performance athletes and can cope with the physical exertion of a race day.

Despite several precautions and having excellent drivers on the circuit, accidents do happen; cars do get damaged during a race or in the build-up to one. It has led to a commonly asked question -

Do NASCAR drivers have back up cars?

As mentioned before, NASCAR rules state that drivers must use the same car throughout the weekend once the race event starts. Hence, any damage that is inflicted upon the car has to be fixed during the weekend by the crew.

Due to the high speeds of the cars during events, at times the damage sustained from an accident can render a car completely useless. In such cases, the driver will have no option but to sit out the event. Moreover, there are also restrictions regarding the change of engine and transmission.

There is an important note to be made - On any NASCAR weekend, there is an option for drivers to switch to their backup cars before the race starts. However, during the race if their car fails or undergoes a wreck, they can’t switch to a backup car.

NASCAR allotts 10 minutes to fix a damaged car and if the team cannot start competing within that time, they are officially retired from the race. Outside of the race, teams can switch out cars but not during the weekend event.