There are eight different flags that NASCAR officials use from the flag stand to control the race. Many are known but sone are a but obscure and require more explanation. Below are the flags used or that can be used during a race:

The four most common ones are:

GREEN	The Green Flag signals the beginning or resumption of racing. The flag is used at the beginning of the race and after a caution period to tell the drivers that the track is clear ande they can resume racing for position and for points.
YELLOW	A Yellow Flag means that there is a hazard on the track due to accident, or various other reasons, and that the drivers should slow down IMMEDIATELY, NO MORE RACING BACK TO THE START/FINISH LINE. A NASCAR tire check or even an animal my somehow get on the track. The first car a lap down now gets there lap back. But they must go to the end of the longest line. Even if he doesn't pit and the rest of the lead lap cars do pit. That driver MUST go to the end of the longest line. Drivers are required to stay behind the pace car. It is FORBIDDEN to pass the pace car. If a driver does it will result in a penalty. Most tracks, except road races and short tracks the yellow flag period will last at least three laps. This to allow time for all drivers to pit and catch back up to the pace car for the restart.
WHITE	A White Flag means that only one lap is remaining in the race. You will only see this flag once per race.
CHECKERED	The race is over when you see the checkered flag. The first driver to received the checkered flag is the winner

The following flags are the most unknown ones:

RED	The Red flag means all competition must stop. This includes drivers on the track and also includes pit crews. If a car is being worked on in the garage area then they too must also stop work when the red flag is displayed. You will see the red flag usually when there is a rain delay or when the track is blocked due to emergency vehicles or a bad accident. The Yellow flag will always follow the red flag so drivers can warm up engines. In some cases maybe even the white flag might be displayed at the same time.
BLACK	A Black Flag also called "The Consultation" flag means that the driver who receiveds it must pit to respond to a NASCAR concern. Frequently Black Flag is given to a driver who breaks a rule of some type such as breaking the speed limit on pit road. A crive can also receive it if there car is smoking, dropping pieces on the track or maybe his car is in danger of dropping pieces on the track. A driver who is not maintaining the minimum safe speed on the track will also receive the black Flag.
BLACK WITH WHITE X	If a driver doesn't pit within five laps they will receive a Black Flag with a white "X" on it. The flag tells the driver that NASCAR is no longer being scored, and the car & driver for that matter has been disqualified from the race until they obey the previous black flag and pit.
BLUE FLAG WITH ORANGE DIAGONAL STRIPE	The Blue flag with the orange diagonal strip is the "courtesy" flag which is telling the driver to "move over". This flag is the only optional and is the only flag a driver may ignore. It can be displayed to a car or a group of cars to let them know that the leaders coming up to them and "Courtsey" should be used and move over to let the leaders race. However, NASCAR take a dim view of anyone who keep on repeatedly and without a pretty good reason ingnors this flag.

Parts of the Race Car*
*Source from The Daytona 500 Program

Place your cursor over the number for name and definition of the Stockcar part.

Definitions

Aerodynamics - As applied to racing, the study of the forces of resistance and pressure that result form air moving over, under, and/or around a moving car.

Air Dam - A strip that hangs under the front grill, very close to the ground. It helps provide downforce at the front of the car.

Apron - The paved portion of a race track that separates the racing surface from the (usually unpaved) infield.

Banking - The slope or steepness that is built into a racetrack. Oval tracks usually have more banking in the corners and are mostly flat. Banked tracks allow tracts to go faster especially in corners.

Bite - Adhesion of a tire to the track's surface. Round of bite describes the turning or adjusting of a car's jacking screw found at each wheel.

Catch Can - Used to catch the over flow of gas that is input to the stock car.

Compounds - A formula of rubber which composes a particular tire. Different tracks require different tire compounds to provide optimum handling.

Contact Patch - The term for the part of the tire that's actually touching the track.

Crew Chief - This is the team leader, whose responsibilities include everything: making assignments in the shop, calling the shots in the pits, and making airline/hotel reservations are just some of the daily duties of the crew chief.

DEI - Dale Earnhardt Incorporated owned by the widow of Dale Earnhardt Teresa. The teams include Dale Earnhardt Jr. #8 sponsored by the Budweiser, Michael "Mikey" Waltrip #15, sponsored by NAPA Auto Parts, and John Andretti #1 currently unsponsored.

Dirty Air - The air used and discarded by the lead car.

DNF - Stands for did not finish

DNQ - Stands for did not qualify

Donut - The black circle you see on the side of a car after rubbing along side another car tar. Or, after a driver wins, he spins his car around in tar burning circles, thus leaving a series of donuts.

Draft - The aerodynamic effect that allows two or more cars traveling nose-to-tail to run faster that a single car. When one car follows closely, the one in front cuts through the air, providing less resistance for the car that follows

Drag - The resistance a car experiences when passing through air at high speeds. A resisting force exerted on a car parallel to its air stream and opposite in direction to its motion.

Equalize - Cars are required to run tires with inner liners, which are actually small tires inside of the standard ones. When the inner lining loses air pressure to the point of matching the pressure within the outer tire, the tire is equalized.

Factory - Slang term used to designate the Big Three auto manufactures: Chrysler, GM, and Ford. The "Factory days" refer to the 1950's and 60's, when the manufactures actively and openly provided sponsorship, money and technical support to their corresponding race teams.

Fabricator - A person who specializes in creating the sheet metal were of a stock car. Most teams employ two or more.

Garage - Area of the race track where cars are housed during an event; also provides a work area for the teams while at the races.

Groove - Slang term for the best route around the race track; the most quickest or efficient way around the track for a particular driver. The "low grove: takes a car closer to the apron then the outside wall, while the "high groove' takes a car to the closer to the outside wall for most of the lap. In road racing the term is "line." The drivers search for a fast groove and it can change depending on track and weather conditions.

Happy Hour - Slang after for the last official practice session held before an event. This takes place the day before the race and after all qualifying and supports races have been completed.

Imitator - The nickname of the late Dale Earnhardt who was also know as "The Man in Black".

Kitty Litter - Used on road courses, kitty litter is referred to the small pebble pits that surround the areas on a road course. The pits have rows furrowed in them and are used to slow the stock cars when they get off course. When the car stops in the kitty litter it usually requires a tow truck to be removed.

Lapped Traffic - Cars that have completed at least one full lap less than the race leader.

Loose - Also known as free or oversteer. A condition created when the back end of the vehicle wants to overtake the front end while entering or exiting a turn.

Marbles - Pieces of rubber that are accumulated on the outside of the racetrack. Stock cars chew the rubber off the tires where they land along the outside of the wall.

NASCAR - The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing

NASCAR Cup Scene - The Newspaper for NASCAR which can be found at www.sceneplus.com.

NASCAR On-Line or NOL - NASCAR on-line is the official web site for NASCAR.

Neutral - A term driver's use when referring to how their car is handling when a car is neither loose nor tight.

Oval Office - Think of it as the "Principal's Office" for NASCAR. This is the where drivers go to discuss what happend during the race. If NASCAR thinks a driver has done something they shouldn't have they are called into the "Oval Office"

Pace Car - The official vehicle that runs in front of the field before the race starts and during all cautions. The pace car paces the field and NASCAR strictly forbids drivers to pass the pace car.

Pit Road - The area where pit crews service the cars. Generally located along the front straightaway.

Pit Stall - The area along pit road that is designated for a particular team's use during pit stops.

Pole Position - Slang term for the first position on the starting grid, awarded to the fastest qualifier.

Provisional - Also known as provisional starting spot. A provisional are the starting spots 39-43 that are given to drivers who are not among the 38 fastest qualifiers. Provisional starting spots are determined by drivers standing points or for the first races of the year they are determined by previous year's owner's points or by a past Winston (Now Nextel) Cup champion.

Push - Also known as tight or understeer. Push is a condition that occurs when the front tires of a vehicle will not turn crisply in a corner. When this condition occurs, the driver must get out of the throttle until the front tires grip the racetrack again.

Quarter Panel - The sheet metal on both sides of the car from the C-Post to the rear bumper below the deck lid and above the wheel well.

Race for the Championship - The last ten races of the season to determine the Nextel Cup Champion. The top 10 drivers with ten races to go are positioned 50 points apart.

Restrictor Plate - An aluminum plate that is placed between the base of the carburetor and the engine intake manifold with four holes drilled in it. The plate is designed to reduce the flow of air and fuel into the engine's combustion chamber, thereby decreasing horsepower and speed.

Rookie Strip - The yellow stripe that is across the back of all Nextel Cup rookie cars which allows drivers to recognize rookie drivers on the track.

Round - Slang term for a way of making chassis adjustments utilizing the race car's springs. A wrench is inserted in a jack bolt attached to the springs, and is used to tighten or loosen the amount of play n the spring. This, in turn, can loosen or tighten the handling of the car.

Scuff - A tire that has been used at least once, usually in practice, and is being saved for future races.

Setup - Slang term for the tuning and adjustments made to a race car's suspension before and during a race.

Short Track - Race tracks that are less then one mile in length.

Silly Season - Slang for the period that begins during the latter part of the current season, wherein some teams announce driver, crew and/or sponsor changes.

Spotter - The person located high above the race track and who communicates with the driver. The spotter's job is to tell the driver the location of other driver's on the track, and to help tell him of accidents on the track or debris.

Spring Rubbers - Used to adjust the spring rebound, or the stiffness on car, which effect the car's handling. The teams can insert, or remove the spring rubbers during the race and it will adjust the car's handling. The spring rubbers are semi-circular pieces of rubber that are inserted into the coil springs.

Stagger - A concept that has largely been eliminated with the use of radial tires. It refers to the difference in tire circumference between the left and right side tires on the car. Typically the left-side tires would be a smaller circumference in order to help the vehicle handle better on left turns.

Stay Dry - The compound NASCAR uses on the track to absorb oil and water.

Stick - Slang term used for tire traction.

Stickers - Slang term used for new tires. The name is derived from the manufactures' stickers that are affixed to each new tire's contact surface.

Stop n' Go - This is a penalty, usually assessed for speeding on pit road. The penalty is to be stopped for one full second in the team's stall before being allowed to return to the track. This is also called being black flagged.

Sway Bars - Sometimes it is also referred to an antiroll bar. The bar is used to resist or counteract the rolling force of the car body through the turns, or a place where sways go to have a drink.

Superspeedway - An oval racetrack of one mile or more in length.

Template - A device used to check the where shape and size to ensure compliance with the rules. The template closely resembles the shape of the factory version of the race car.

Tethers - Tethers are new to the NASCAR scene. Tethers are steel cables attached to the car's hood, various pieces of sheet metal, and the wheel hub's to prevent the parts from flying off the car during crashes and going into the stands thus protecting fans from being injured.

Tight - A car is said to be tight if the front wheels lose traction before the rear wheels do. A tight race car doesn't seem able to steer sharply enough through the terns. The term understeer can also be used.

Triangle Course - A racetrack that has only three distinct corners, such as Pocono (Pa.) Raceway.

Tri-Oval - A racetrack that has a fifth turn, typically at the start-finish line, in addition to the standard four corners.

Trailing Arm - A rear suspension piece that holds the rear axle firmly on the sides, but allows the axle to travel up and down as needed.

Turbulence - Air that trails behind a race car and disrupts the flow of the air to the cars behind it.

Valance - See Air Dam

Victory Lane - The spot on the racetrack infield where the race winner parks for the celebration. It is also called the winner's circle.

Wedge - The term used to adjust the weight on the car's chassis. A jackscrew is used to turn to either add or subtract pressure from the coil spring, which shift's the weight of the car and effects the car's handling. When you hear that "A round of wedge" it means turning the jackscrew one time. A penalty is accessed when a driver leaves the pit stall with the jack screw still on the car.

Weight Jacking - The practice of shifting a car's weight to favor weight distribution over certain wheels.

Wind Tunnel - A structure used by teams to determine the aerodynamic efficiency of their vehicles, Consisting of a platform on which the vehicle is fixed and a giant fan to create wind currents. Telemetry devices determine the airflow over the vehicle and its coefficient of drag and downforce.

Point's Explanation

The following is an explanation of the points system that NASCAR currently uses.

A driver gets 5 points for leading a lap, and 10 more points for leading the most laps. The MAXIMUM points a driver can get is 195 points per race.