2026 Season - Official Final Rulebook Status: FINAL - Owner audit, contradiction review, loophole review, and October 7, 2026 update complete.
Interpretation: A specific rule or stated exception controls over a general rule covering the same situation.
Section 1 — Driver Status, Rosters & Eligibility
CRL drivers may compete as full-time or part-time drivers in a series. Full-time drivers are points/championship eligible. Only full-time drivers may reserve a car or truck number; part-time drivers do not reserve numbers.
A full-time driver who misses a regular-season race without an approved substitute receives zero championship points. If the driver never physically starts, no career start or finish is recorded. Missing a race by itself is not a rules violation.
1.1 New Driver Advancement to Cup
A new driver must complete five races in either Trucks or O’Reilly, all five in the same series, before a Cup approval vote. If denied, complete five more before a second vote. If denied again, remain in the lower series for the season; the following season the driver may become eligible for all three series. A race left early may count at Admin discretion.
Direct Cup Advancement Exception: A new driver may bypass the standard five-race lower-series requirement by completing at least three non-league evaluation races, with at least three CRL Admin Team members participating in each evaluation race. After the third evaluation race, the Admin Team may require a fourth evaluation race if additional observation is needed. Following the evaluation, at least three Admin Team members must vote to approve direct Cup entry. Evaluation races do not count toward official CRL championship points or career statistics. If direct advancement is not approved, the driver must follow the standard advancement procedure of completing five official races in either Trucks or O’Reilly (all five in the same series) before requesting Cup approval.
Section 2 — Race Participation & Event Entry
The race-day Facebook poll is headcount only. Qualifying launches at 8:30 PM. A driver who misses qualifying but enters before the race session begins loading may race from the rear behind qualifiers. Multiple late joiners use game/entry order. Once loading begins, new entries are closed.
A driver who never participates receives zero championship points and no career start.
2.1 Technical Problems Before Start
A driver already present with a legitimate technical issue between qualifying and launch may receive one short, reasonable reset attempt. If the driver participated in or attempted qualifying but cannot start after the reset, the driver is scored rather than treated as a no-show. Starting qualifying but disconnecting before a lap still counts as participation.
2.2 Disconnect During Loading
If a participating driver disconnects while loading, CRL backs out, recreates the lobby, restores original starting positions, and tries once more. A second failure is scored as a DNF in the applicable position.
Section 3 — Substitute Drivers
A regular-season substitute must be an active part-time CRL driver who is otherwise eligible to compete in that series. A full-time driver may not substitute for another full-time driver, and drivers outside CRL are not eligible to substitute. The substitute must be approved before race start, and the event cannot be delayed while a substitute is found. Suspended drivers cannot use substitutes. No substitutes are allowed during the Chase or Championship Race.
The full-time driver receives all championship points and bonuses earned by the approved substitute. The substitute receives the personal career result. The substitute result does not count toward the full-time driver’s career average finish.
3.1 Substitute Penalties
Race/entry consequences follow the full-time entry where applicable; personal disciplinary consequences stay with the person who committed the violation unless a specific rule says otherwise. Substitute drivers are CRL drivers and are subject to the normal CRL racing and disciplinary rules. Any applicable race/entry penalty may also apply to the full-time entry under the shared-penalty rule.
Section 4 — Championship Points & Scoring
No stages or stage points in 2026. Normal points races award +1 for pole and +1 for fastest lap to points- eligible drivers.
4.1 Daytona Duels
Duels are championship-points races. No pole/fastest-lap bonus applies to Duels. The Duel winner is credited as the Daytona 500 pole winner. Approved-sub Duel points and Daytona 500 starting-position benefit belong to the full-time driver.
4.2 Scoring Terminology
DNF: a driver who qualified/participated and is treated as having started but does not finish is scored in the applicable finishing order and receives those points. A driver who qualified but is unable to complete the opening lap because of a crash or equivalent race-ending situation is listed as DNF, not DNS/No Start.
Parked: ordered out by Race Control but remains an official starter; the career result/start remains and counts toward average finish. When multiple drivers are parked, the first driver parked is scored lowest, the second driver parked is scored immediately above that driver, the third immediately above the second, and so on, unless a specific rule requires a different scoring result.
Zeroed Out: no finishing-position championship points and no bonuses, but remains a career start/result and counts toward average finish.
No Start / DNS: a driver who never starts or participates receives zero championship points and no career start/finish, except where a specific technical-failure/participation rule says the driver is scored.
Section 5 — The Chase & Championship
Top 10 eligible full-time drivers at Chase start remain eligible through the finale; no eliminations and no Chase substitutes.
Reset: 2100, 2075, 2065, 2060, 2055, 2050, 2045, 2040, 2035, 2030.
A missed Chase race is zero points but does not remove eligibility. Champion is the Chase driver with most points after the finale. Ties: most wins, then seconds, thirds, fourths, etc.
Section 6 — Starts, Restarts & Choose Rule
Drivers follow Race Control procedures. At the choose, drivers stay toward mid-track and Admins establish the cone location before the race. The normal pre-choose order is odd positions inside and even positions outside; after the choose, the restart lanes are determined by each driver's choice.
Once the choose is complete, the field does not redo the choose because a driver pits, disconnects, disappears, or fails to take the assigned position. If a driver pits after the choose, the field takes the green as scheduled and that driver completes the stop and rejoins under green behind the field. If a driver disappears after the choose, cars behind the missing driver move forward in that same lane; the opposite lane is unchanged. A driver who fails to get into the assigned restart position in time falls to the rear and the restart is not delayed.
Once the restart is initiated, a driver may advance before the start/finish line while remaining in the assigned restart lane. A driver may not change lanes before the start/finish line solely to make a pass. A driver may leave the lane to avoid or pass a car directly ahead that has an obvious actual technical/control problem preventing normal acceleration; a merely slow or poor launch is not automatically a technical problem.
The leader and second-place/outside driver maintain pace speed side-by-side approaching the restart zone. The leader controls the restart and may accelerate anywhere inside the designated restart zone and calls 'green.' If the second-place/outside driver goes before the leader initiates the restart, it is a jumped restart and carries a pass-through penalty. If the leader accelerates before entering the restart zone, the leader receives a pass-through. If the leader reaches the end of the restart zone without initiating the restart, the restart is fair game and drivers may accelerate without being penalized for beating the leader to it.
Laying back: first occurrence - restart called off and warning; second occurrence - the second-place/outside driver is sent to the rear and that lane moves forward. After three failed restart attempts, Race Control may restart the field single-file.
Restart/lineup consequences use the applicable established order: lead-lap cars first, then regular lap-down cars, Lucky Dog, wave-around cars, and applicable tail-end/penalty cars. Wreck-involved cars go to the rear of their applicable lap group where required; choose/procedural tail-end penalties go to the tail end of the longest line. Obvious pre-launch lineup or clerical errors may be corrected and announced.
No driver is penalized for movement, positioning, or another action caused solely by the game and outside the driver's control.
Section 7 — Cautions, Red Flags & Race Restarts
7.1 Current Caution Procedure
CRL currently uses in-game cautions only. Manual-caution procedures below are dormant/reserved and become active only if announced before a race.
7.2 Reserved Manual Cautions
When manual cautions are active, a manual caution may be called when two or more cars are completely spun around as part of the same incident, or when a multi-car wreck occurs. Two separate single-car spins do not combine to create a manual caution, even if they occur on the same lap, in the same segment, or in the same area of the track.
7.2A Late-Race Manual Caution Procedure
With 5 laps remaining or 4 laps remaining, Race Control has sole live discretion to determine whether an incident that otherwise satisfies the manual-caution criteria will result in a manual caution.
If Race Control calls a manual caution with 5 or 4 laps remaining, Race Control has sole discretion to determine whether pit road will be open or closed. There is no Choose Rule for that restart. After permitted pit stops, penalties, and lineup adjustments, the field lines up double-file by running order: odd-numbered positions inside/bottom and even-numbered positions outside/top. Race Control may hold the field for an additional caution lap when reasonably necessary to complete procedure or safely organize the restart.
Once the race is coming to 3 laps remaining / the lap counter shows 3 laps remaining, no manual caution may be called for any incident. From that point through the checkered flag, only a caution officially triggered by the game may place the race under caution. This late-race procedure is a specific exception to the normal Choose Rule and manual-caution procedure where they conflict.
7.3 Lucky Dog
First car one or more laps down regains one lap, passes the field, rejoins, then may pit normally. If the driver otherwise eligible for the Lucky Dog is involved in the incident that brought out the caution, that driver will not receive the Lucky Dog. No Lucky Dog will be awarded for that caution.
7.4 Wave Around
Only if every lead-lap car pits. If one stays out, no wave around. A wave-around driver may not pit afterward before choose/restart; doing so is a pass-through. A Lucky Dog still a lap down may also take a wave around if all lead-lap cars pit.
7.5 Communications Red Flag
For widespread party/voice failure, Race Control may red-flag. Drivers stop safely on backstretch; Admin may park sideways at S/F as signal. Restore last valid S/F order when communications return.
7.6 Disconnect After Green
Within first 10 laps, a legitimate disconnect may trigger a full restart from original order/length. Normally up to two early restarts. A third within 10 laps requires a driver vote and may include defined shortened-race choices. Third is final guaranteed restart. After lap 10, disconnect normally becomes DNF/scored by applicable order.
7.7 Full Event Restart
Before ~25%: original distance. Approaching halfway but below halfway: approximately half distance. At/after halfway: Race Control sets appropriate reduced distance. Restart begins with administrative caution to reconstruct order and allow reasonable pit stops for adjustments. Damage/fuel/tire wear are not recreated. Legitimately lapped cars have status restored as closely as possible. Legitimate disconnected drivers may rejoin lead lap; disconnect-lost laps are not recreated. Parked drivers may not return. Original qualifying/pole bonus remains; fastest lap comes from completed restarted race. Existing warnings/penalties carry unless the restart reason directly invalidates them. Both portions are one event and per-race progression does not reset.
Section 8 — Pit Road Procedures
On green-flag pit stops, call 'pitting' before Turn 3 entry. If the mic fails, drop to the apron on the backstretch for about three seconds as the visual signal. The green-flag pitting call is not required during a manual/administrative caution when Race Control is controlling the field and announcing when pit road is open. Use access roads where applicable. Merge on the backstretch when safe; Daytona, Talladega, and Pocono may merge before Turn 1 if clear. Final-lap pit entry for any reason = DQ to last-place points.
Section 9 — On-Track Racing Rules
Normal racing contact is not automatically a violation; Race Control/Admins consider circumstances and evidence.
9.1 Apron / Out of Bounds
Apron allowed where NASCAR allows it. Out of bounds for competitive advantage at Daytona, Talladega, and EchoPark/Atlanta. Road-course limits are primarily game-enforced. No intentional below-line move to advance, attempt a pass, maintain a position, or avoid losing one. Being forced below, avoiding a wreck, or loss of control is not automatically a violation; any gained advantage must be surrendered safely.
Section 10 — Challenge Flags
Full-time drivers only. Three flags per series per season, tracked independently. Admins have no special flags.
10.1-10.3 Declaration and Review
Challenge an eligible official ruling immediately when announced. Required clip/evidence is due by 8:00 PM Central the following Tuesday. Missing the deadline means there is no valid review and the original ruling stands. Race Control is an active race participant and is not expected to stop racing to review video during the event; judgment-call video review occurs through the Challenge/Admin review process. The Admin Team normally reviews Tuesday and should decide by the end of the meeting; notify the driver as soon as practical. At least two eligible Admins participate. A directly involved Admin may present but cannot vote; an uninvolved Admin who submits evidence may vote. The violation must be established by the required Admin decision; inconclusive evidence does not establish the violation.
10.4 Successful Challenge
Penalty removed, flag retained, violation removed from progression.
10.5 Failed Challenge
Original ruling stands, flag lost, plus choice of 25-point deduction OR being held/parked two laps at next start in that series. Choice before green; no choice defaults to 25 points. Stacks with original penalty.
10.6 Suspension Under Challenge
A properly challenged suspension may allow the driver to race pending review unless a specific immediate- safety/removal rule controls. Win: suspension disappears/no failed-Challenge penalty. Loss: original suspension served next applicable race; failed-Challenge consequence served separately afterward.
10.7 Admin Challenge of Race Control No-Call
Race Control has final in-race authority. A full-time Admin in that series may use their personal flag against Race Control’s no-call. If Admin wins, violation becomes active; affected driver may challenge. If driver then wins, driver keeps flag and Admin loses theirs and serves failed-Challenge consequence. If driver loses, original violation plus failed-Challenge consequence apply. Admin without a flag may still bring evidence to Tuesday review.
Section 11 — Party/Lag Procedure
Two independent nearby-driver lag callouts require the driver to drop safely to rear. Five consecutive stable laps before normal racing resumes. Lag returns = two new callouts; unlimited stabilization attempts. Inside final 15, driver may choose to race at own risk.
Per-race lag-incident progression: 1st warning; 2nd green pass-through/rear as applicable; 3rd 25-point deduction; further incidents inside final 15 may trigger Admin-vote suspension. Admins determine lag causation by video. Incidents while actively/safely dropping rear are treated differently.
Section 12 — Communications
Intentionally muting another active driver = 10-point deduction. Failure to share required race-party audio with official stream = separate 25-point deduction. Both may stack to 35.
Section 13 — Intentional Wrecking & Retaliation
Intentional wrecking or intentional attempt is prohibited; an attempt counts even if target saves it. Threat alone is not an offense without an attempt.
13.1 Evidence
Video is required unless there is a direct admission to Admin/Race Control. A direct admission cannot later be withdrawn as merely heat-of-the-moment. The driver is presumed not to have committed the alleged intentional act unless the available evidence establishes it. Admins use the totality of objective evidence, including car behavior, RPM, lift/no-lift when observable, engine sound, avoidance, context/threats, and network/game bubble. Impossible pedal evidence is not required. Inconclusive intent means no intentional- wrecking call, although a lesser supported violation may still apply. No majority establishing intent means the allegation fails.
13.2 First Personal Offense
Immediate park plus 3 Cup, 3 O’Reilly, and 3 Truck race suspensions, served separately/non-concurrently. Driver receives absolute last-place championship points based on field size.
13.3 Racing Under Challenge
A full-time driver properly challenging the first call may remain racing while pending. Part-time and substitute drivers are not eligible for Challenge Flags; if Race Control calls a part-time or substitute driver for intentional wrecking or an intentional attempt, that driver must immediately park and leave the event and may not remain on track pending post-race review. A second intentional wreck/attempt in the same race by a driver who is eligible to remain racing under a properly declared Challenge causes immediate removal and zero-out: no finish points or bonuses, but race remains a parked career start/result and counts toward average finish. Removed pole bonus passes to next eligible qualifier; fastest-lap bonus goes to eligible fastest-lap driver from completed race. Both offenses count personally. Failed original Challenge also applies its original and failed-Challenge penalties; Admins may add discipline. Race Control may restart without offender if necessary.
13.4 Second Personal Offense
100-point deduction plus another 3-race suspension in Cup, O’Reilly, and Trucks, served separately.
13.5 Third Personal Offense
Removal from CRL.
Section 14 — Race Manipulation
Normal team strategy such as push/block/choose not to pass is legal. Drag-braking or another act solely to manipulate finish/points/result is prohibited. Knowingly lying about settings to force a restart because something bad happened is race manipulation.
Section 15 — Penalties & Disciplinary Progression
Specific-rule penalties control. General ladder when no specific penalty: 1st Official Warning; 2nd 25-point deduction; 3rd 2-race suspension; 4th/subsequent Admin Team Review for heavier points, suspension, or removal.
Same-rule progression follows driver CRL-wide. Points deduction applies in series where violation occurred. Part-time drivers remain subject; Admins choose an appropriate alternative when points cannot meaningfully apply.
15.1 Overlapping Violations
Do not stack substantially overlapping rules for the same underlying action. Apply the more severe penalty; same type/level means serve one. Truly separate acts may stack, including independent Code of Conduct misconduct. Mere disagreement/upset is not extra misconduct; escalation, threats, abuse, or refusal of legitimate instructions may be.
Section 16 — Official Warnings & Probation
Named-driver official warning starts probation; general field warning does not. Normal probation is five applicable races, with scope set by violation. Five clean races do not erase original violation for season progression. During active probation, another violation may advance overall discipline even if under a different rule; specific mandatory penalties still control. Prior documented substantially similar conduct may be considered after probation.
Section 17 — Suspensions
Series counts are tracked separately. Only races actually run burn suspension races. Off weeks/canceled unmade-up races do not; postponed races count when run. True doubleheaders can count as two.
17.1 Daytona Cup Week
Duel + Daytona 500 together count as one Cup suspension event. Suspended driver misses both but burns one Cup suspension race. Clash does not count; All-Star likewise may be skipped at Admin discretion so suspension applies to a points race.
17.2 Serving Suspension
Suspended driver is barred from complete event including qualifying/heats/Duels/race, no sub, zero points. Championship race is not protected. Part-time suspension applies to next scheduled race regardless of claimed intent. If issued after that series raced that week, starts next scheduled race. Unserved suspension carries into next season.
Section 18 — Refusal To Serve In-Race Penalty
Serve official in-race penalty or properly declare eligible Challenge. A driver who is not eligible for a Challenge Flag has no right to remain on track pending review and must immediately comply with any
official in-race penalty or removal order. Otherwise Race Control black-flags driver. Driver is scored last among currently running drivers until penalty served. Serving does not erase additional refusal discipline. If black-flagged driver intentionally interferes/wrecks/ruins event, Race Control may stop/restart without them and bar them pending Admin meeting. Permanent removal requires Admin majority.
Section 19 — Game/Lobby Settings
19.0 Race Length & Wear Settings
Unless CRL officially announces an event-specific exception before the event, the standard race length and wear settings are:
• Cup Series: 50% race length with 2X wear.
• O’Reilly Series: 100% race length with 1X wear.
• Truck Series: 100% race length with 1X wear.
Correcting wrong settings is a race-procedure correction, not a mid-race written-rule change. Minor setting errors generally do not stop race once underway; major errors may. If caught during countdown and time allows, correct before launch.
19.1 Major Error After Green
Confirmed major error in first 10 laps -> appropriate restart/correction. After lap 10 -> league-wide driver vote. If restart approved, use full-event restart-distance procedure. If claimed error cannot be confirmed, keep racing.
19.2 Violations Caused by Wrong Settings
Penalties directly caused by wrong settings may be discarded case-by-case; unrelated violations remain.
Section 20 — Race Control & Admin Authority
One designated Race Control has final in-race authority. Other Admins may advise/call observed violations but cannot override Race Control live. Obvious clerical/communication errors may be corrected immediately.
20.1 Transfer
Temporary handoff returns authority to original Race Control when they return; temporary calls stand. Permanent replacement selected by remaining Admins; sole remaining Admin automatically takes over. If no Admin remains, outside Admins may select a participating non-Admin as event-only temporary Race Control. All transfers announced.
Section 21 — Admin Voting & Reviews
Five Admins; majority of eligible Admins. Directly involved Admin may present but cannot vote. Uninvolved evidence-submitting Admin may vote. Eligible Admins must vote rather than abstain because decision is hard. Tie -> discuss/revote; final tie means proposal fails. May defer if needed to obtain full eligible vote.
21.1 Tuesday Review
Tuesday is normal review point for incidents, discipline, and Challenges across all series. Multiple incidents may be considered together while preserving mandatory penalties. Serious/time-sensitive matters may
require earlier meeting. Delayed review does not automatically bar driver unless severe/immediate rule or temporary hold applies.
21.2 Driver Participation
Affected driver may present explanation/evidence. Refusal does not stop decision. After decision, affected driver may request each eligible Admin’s vote and reasoning. No lobbying during active review.
Section 22 — League-Wide Driver Votes
Primarily participating drivers. Legitimately disconnected driver may vote if present. Officially penalty-parked driver gets no vote. Voluntarily parked driver still present may vote/abstain. Legitimately eligible joiner present may vote. Majority of votes actually cast; abstentions/N/A/nonresponses excluded. No fixed timer. Tie: owner breaks if racing; otherwise Race Control. Announce outcome, not necessarily individual totals.
Section 23 — Admin Disciplinary Reconsideration
Admin disciplinary votes are not Challenge Flag eligible. One reconsideration meeting per disciplinary decision, normally by following Tuesday. Request does not pause penalty unless majority says so. No extra penalty for requesting. If overturned, remaining discipline canceled; a race already missed under authorized temporary serious hold remains credited as one-race suspension.
23.1 New Evidence
After reconsideration, reopen only for genuinely new/significant evidence, determined by Admin majority. Same clip/argument/disagreement is not new. Reopened case may uphold/reduce/overturn. No pile-on for same act, but broader documented pattern or separate violation may support more discipline. No hard cutoff; elapsed time/circumstances matter. Driver gets another reasonable chance to respond.
Section 24 — Pending Disciplinary Review
Pending review does not automatically suspend. Serious incident: majority may temporarily hold driver out; less serious normally continues. If authorized hold causes missed race and larger suspension follows, missed event counts toward it.
Section 25 — Required Admin Meetings, Removal & Reinstatement
Driver required to meet Admin Team before racing who refuses is immediately removed. Admins may proceed without driver and set permanent or specified removal. Expiration only permits consideration, not automatic return. Permanent removal and reinstatement require majority. Personal dislike/grudges/friendships cannot be basis. After first reinstatement denial, driver may plead case and receive one additional vote; second denial is final unless Admins later reopen. Reinstated driver returns on Admin-set probation.
Section 26 — Administrative Conduct
Admins must act in good faith. Good-faith wrong call is not Admin Abuse. Heated disagreement/attitude or legitimate warning of possible discipline is not automatically abuse. Admin Abuse progression: 1st warning; 2nd three race weeks suspended from all Admin duties but may race; 3rd removal from Admin Team. Underlying driver penalties may stack. Deliberate punishment based on dislike, grudge, friendship, favoritism, or improper personal reason may be Admin Abuse.
Section 27 — Emergency & Pre-Race Procedural Decisions
Written CRL rules are not changed after a race begins. Normal substantive changes should be decided before race, preferably by end of Tuesday Admin meeting. If unexpected pre-race issue and time allows, normal standard is 3-of-5 Admin approval. If too late, Race Control may make a temporary emergency pre- race procedural decision and must announce what changes and what written procedure is affected. If enough Admins are available, a driver may request an Admin-only vote; majority controls for event. Admins review afterward. A good-faith call later found wrong does not automatically invalidate completed race; fix going forward. Correcting wrong game/lobby settings is not a written-rule change.
Section 28 — Reporting Violations
Drivers are expected to speak up about possible violations/settings issues, but there is no automatic penalty for failure to report. Race Control/Admins may independently call observed violations. A violation not caught live may still be reviewed later where another rule permits.
Section 29 — Rulebook Interpretation
Enforce rules by plain meaning and written procedures. A specific rule or stated exception controls over a general rule covering the same situation. Do not stretch unrelated rules to invent penalties. A genuinely new situation may be addressed through established review/emergency procedures and may lead to a future clarification/addition. Goal: consistent enforcement, not technicalities to punish or escape legitimate penalties.
Final Publication Status
Owner audit / cleanup / contradiction / loophole review: COMPLETE
Known unresolved gray areas requiring an owner ruling: NONE
Known rule conflicts remaining: NONE
Publication status: FINAL - Ready for Discord