Why are the numbers on top of NASCAR racecars facing the infield?

Question

This question was asked last night on Speed, and Chad said it was for scoring purposes, which I don't understand. Could someone elaborate?

Answer 1

It was developed for scoring.

As Sally B said, manual scoring is still used as a backup. In the scorers stand there is a clock placed so it is in view of the scoring line (not necessarily the start/finish line). Each team has a scorer that writes down the time on that clock each time their car crosses the scoring line, the clock counts only in full seconds not minutes/hours. Every 10 laps the scorer holds up the clipboard they are keeping score on. On the bottom of the clipboard is the cars number. NASCAR keeps track in 10 lap increments for manual scoring.

Go to your local NASCAR sanctioned track, usually near the starters stand they will place a box with a digital readout sometime after qualifying. That is used for scoring at your local track.

Answer 2

Why would the scoring loop "machine" need to read the numbers on the top of the cars? It's all electronic...

Anyways, I have no clue. It looked like Chad wasn't positive as Mikey picked on him a little bit as usual.. but I bet they will clear it up next week and let us know exactly! hopefully...

Answer 3

There was an excellent article recently on NASCAR.com regarding scoring. The numbers face the infield where the manual scoring folks can read the cars better. Scoring is done by very complicated processes: the electronic "loop", the manual scoring (each team sends one person to the scoring room and that person scores their team's car), and then the video for visual comparison. There are some new methods on the drawing board which would eliminate the manual scoring eventually but for now NASCAR still uses it as a safeguard. The manual scoring and the "loop" are verified against each other every four laps I believe. Each team person has a time clock/stamp and as their car passes the start finish line they stamp the card.

A lot of the old tracks were very banked so with the numbers slanted toward the infield it made the manual scoring of yesteryear much easier.

Answer 4

It all goes back to way back in the day, the numbers faced the infield so that scorers could see the numbers on the banked turns. But scoring is much more advanced electronically, that numbers on top aren't necessarily as important.  

Answer 5

So spotters can see the car numbers accross the tracks.On larger tracks spotters are on front and back streches.

Answer 6

The cars are electronicaly scored meaning which lap they are on & the position of the cars.  Apparently what Chad was saying was that they aren't 100% comfortable relying only on the electronic ways so they have actual people on the inside of the track to keep up with the scoring just in case the electronic system fails or misses something.  So therefore it's easier for the human scorer to see the car numbers if they are facing infield where they are seated.

>>Will I Am....I did see Chad & Mikey arguing over it, they are pretty cute together.  I just leaned more toward what Chad said, Mikey didn't seem to really have much reasoning  behind his answer.  I do hope they clear it up for us next week.

Answer 7

i missed the end of the show so I don't have a clue.  

Answer 8

i dont think nobody knows

Answer 9

so they can read them from the infield to score them

Answer 10

the scoring tower is on the inside of the track

Answer 11

What Chad was talking about. Is so the scoring loop "the machine" will be able to read it and score it.