In NASCAR, why is it at times, cars that are at the end of the lead lap end up behind the pace car?

Question

During a caution flag, I thought the pace car gets in front of the leader, and all the lead lap cars can "catch up". Sometimes this don't happen and I was wondering why.

Answer 1

They do not pit and stay on the tail end of the lead lap.  They are hoping that a another caution comes out while they are still in front of the leaders so they will get their lap back.

Answer 2

lap down cars have to pit after lead lap cars...and if the lap down cars don't pit, they're in front... i don't know why there's a lucky dog, but it make the race more interesting....anyway, there are two ways for a driver to get a lap back:

1) Lucky Dog

2) Get it back the hard way (pass the leader)

so, if they have the right "strategery" (as kyle petty says) they can be double-file or in front of the leader on a single-file restart and get their lap back...

most times it sucks that they're up front b/c the "lead lappers" have to put up with them...

Answer 3

The cars are a lap down usually because they just pitted under green.  The caution comes out and all the lead lap cars pit.  The lap down cars stay out because they have already pitted.  The cars come out of the pits and they are now behind those lap down cars.  (Now they are on the tail end of the lead lap) Its quite simple!

Answer 4

its just racing

Answer 5

This happens only when the leader pits and a car 1 lap down does not.

Here are the steps to this happening:

1.  Car A is a lap down to the leader (Car B).

2.  Caution comes out

3.  Car B (leader) pits

4.  Car A does NOT pit and stays on the track.  They have now gotten their lap back because they have completed another lap and the race leader has not.  However, they are not allowed to pass the pace car.  So, the leader lines up behind them, putting them at the "tail end of the lead lap."  So, they can easily go back to being 1 lap down if the leader passes them.

It is sort of hard to explain.  I hope this helped!  In a nutshell, they were a lap down, completed the extra lap while the leader was pitting, and are now back on the lead lap.  However, due to rules forbidding them to pass the pace car, they are in front of the leader, almost 1 lap down.

This happens most frequently when a caution comes out during green flag pit stops.

**Edit** The Lucky Dog is something entirely different.  That is still awarded.

Yes, the field is frozen.  But, when you pit, you give up your place on the track and line up according to where you are when you come off of pit road.  If you stay on the track, you get to keep your place.  So, when the leader gets off of pit road, they file in BEHIND you, therefore putting you back on the lead lap (if you were one lap down that is).