NASCAR adds 4th stage to Coca-Cola 600

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - NASCAR is adding a fourth stage to the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Memorial Day weekend.

The series said Monday that the stages in the 400-lap race will be uniformly set at 100 laps apiece. Races this year have had three stages under a format change announced in January.

Marcus Smith, president and chief operating officer of Speedway Motorsports Inc., says the challenges of the 600 mean it is "only fitting that teams have an opportunity to be rewarded for the extra effort required to win." An additional stage win and an extra playoff point could be critical for teams later in the summer.