Not Classified

Not Classified (often abbreviated as NC) is a race result given to drivers who start a motorsport event but fail to complete enough of the race distance to receive an official finishing position or score championship points.

When you watch a race, you'll notice that the official results show drivers ranked by their finishing positions—first place, second place, and so on down the order. However, some drivers appear at the bottom of the results sheet marked as "Not Classified" instead of receiving a numbered position. This happens when they don't meet the minimum requirements set by the racing series to be considered an official finisher.

The most common reason for receiving a Not Classified designation is failing to complete a certain percentage of the total race distance. Different racing series have different rules, but many require drivers to finish at least 90% of the race distance to be classified. For example, in a 100-lap race, a driver might need to complete at least 90 laps to receive an official position, even if their car breaks down before the finish.

This rule exists to ensure that only drivers who genuinely compete in most of the race receive points and official recognition. Without this requirement, a driver could complete just a few laps, retire to the garage, and still claim a finishing position simply because other drivers also retired later in the race.

It's important to understand that Not Classified is different from disqualification. A disqualified driver is removed from the results entirely due to rule violations or illegal equipment. A Not Classified driver participated legally but simply didn't complete enough distance to be ranked.

Not every retirement results in a Not Classified status. If a driver's car breaks down with only a few laps remaining, they may have already completed enough distance to be classified. In this case, they receive an official finishing position based on how many laps they completed, even though they didn't cross the finish line.

The NC designation appears in various forms of motorsport, from Formula 1 and IndyCar to sports car racing and touring car championships. Each series publishes its specific classification rules in its sporting regulations, which teams and drivers must follow.

For drivers and teams, receiving a Not Classified result means earning zero championship points for that race. This can significantly impact championship standings, especially in close battles where every point matters. The result still appears in their racing record, showing they participated in the event but didn't meet the classification threshold.