When the lug nut rule first got changed, PitTalks.com was a big advocate against it. Hitting four lug nuts was the future of pit road and over a year and a half, teams had gotten used to the rule and were moving on.
Here’s the reality: the rule has actually crippled two different stats, the first being the pit stop time. Every crew member wants to go fast and going back to five nuts has hurt pit times by over half a second on average, based on our calculations. It’s not easy re-adjusting to slow pit stops, but crews have managed.
On the flip side, the amount of loose wheels has almost gone away. Before NASCAR reinforced the five lug nut rule, we had been tracking known loose wheels at Sprint Cup Series races. We had confirmed 24 loose wheels up until the race at Richmond International Raceway on April 24. Since the rule was reinforced with penalty on April 25 heading into Talladega race weekend, we have only been able to confirm one loose wheel.
A big reason for that is the penalty that comes with breaking the five lug nut rule. A $20,000 fine and one-race crew chief suspension is a huge hit to teams. Teams have slowed down to ensure no lug nuts come off and that all are tight at the end of the race.
Whether you agree with the rule or not, you can’t argue with the numbers: 24 to 1.
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