Overtime Line

The Overtime Line is a designated point on a NASCAR track that determines when a race becomes official during overtime, ensuring races finish under green flag conditions rather than ending during caution periods.

When a caution flag appears late in a NASCAR race, it can potentially end the competition under yellow flag conditions, which fans and drivers find unsatisfying. The overtime line was created to solve this problem by extending races beyond their scheduled distance when necessary.

Here's how it works: when a race goes into overtime due to a late caution, NASCAR adds two extra laps to the race. During the first overtime lap under green flag conditions, once the race leader crosses the overtime line, the very next flag that appears will end the race - whether that's a caution flag or the checkered flag.

The overtime line is currently located at the start-finish line, though this wasn't always the case. Originally, NASCAR placed this line at various points around the track, often on the backstretch. However, this led to confusing and sometimes disappointing race endings, so in 2017, NASCAR moved the overtime line back to the start-finish line.

This rule replaced NASCAR's previous "green-white-checkered" finish system, which would restart races with just one lap remaining. If another caution occurred before the white flag (indicating the final lap), the race would extend again for another attempt.

NASCAR officially adopted the term "NASCAR Overtime" in 2016, and unlike the old system, there's no limit to how many overtime attempts can occur. The race will keep extending until it finishes under green flag conditions, giving fans the exciting finish they expect from motorsport competition.