Chase playoff format coming to NASCAR’s lower divisions

NASCAR is taking its Chase postseason format to the Xfinity and Truck series.

The Xfinity and Truck playoff formats will be similar to the one in the Sprint Cup series, which has used a similar format since 2004.

Xfinity’s Chase will include 12 drivers and the final seven races of the season, concluding at Homestead-Miami Speedway with four drivers eligible for the championship.

The Truck postseason will include eight drivers over the final seven races, also finishing at Homestead.

Also announced Tuesday at the Charlotte Motor Speedway Media Tour at the NASCAR Hall of Fame was a 20-minute caution clock for the Truck series.

The clock, which will be used at each Truck race (except Eldora Speedway, a dirt track in Ohio), will be set to 20 minutes at the start of each green-flag run. A caution flag will be waved when the clock runs down, with no “lucky dog” beneficiary. A caution that comes out before the time expires will reset the clock. The clock will be turned of with 20 laps remaining, except at Canadian Tire Motorsport Park and Pocono Raceway, where it will be turned off with 10 laps left.

This story was originally published January 19, 2016 at 1:03 PM with the headline "Chase playoff format coming to NASCAR’s lower divisions."