Default Rules for Driver Group Game 2024

Join my public leagues to compete with the most players:

DGG League - Cup (ID #2)
DGG League - Xfinity (ID #3)
DGG League - Trucks (ID #4)

Compete in the DGG Leagues (Cup, Xfinity, Trucks) for DGG Hall of Fame Awards eligibility. Since commissioners can modify league settings, including races and drivers, not all leagues offer a standard scoring comparison. Hence, DGG Hall of Fame recognition is exclusive to these Public Leagues.

Each league has a specific Rules page detailing any gameplay changes. While many follow Default Rules, it's wise to check for variations in driver groups, races, and scoring.

Driver Group Game is a weekly game covering the entire 2024 season:

Cup Series: 36 races
Xfinity Series: 33 races
Craftsman Truck Series: 23 races

All series start at Daytona International Raceway, Florida, and end at Phoenix Raceway, Arizona:

Cup Series Race 01: Daytona 500 on Feb. 19, 2024
Xfinity Series Race 01: United Rentals 300 on Feb. 19, 2024
Truck Series - Race 01: Fresh From Florida 250 on Feb. 16, 2024

Note: The Cup Series includes non-points races (Busch Light Clash, Daytona Duels, All-Star Open and Race) not part of the game. Enjoy these as a spectator!

Each series' full season is split into three segments, varying slightly due to their respective schedules.

Cup Series Segments

SPRING:
- Race #01: Daytona 500 on Feb. 19, 2024 at Daytona International Speedway
- Race #13: Goodyear 400 on May. 12, 2024 at Darlington Raceway
SUMMER:
- Race #13: Coca-Cola 600 on May. 26, 2024 at Charlotte Motor Speedway
- Race #26: Cook Out Southern 500 on Sep. 01, 2024 at Darlington Raceway
PLAYOFFS:
- Race #27: Quaker State 400 on Sep. 08, 2024 at Atlanta Motor Speedway
- Race #36: Season Finale 500 on Nov. 10, 2024 at Phoenix Raceway

Xfinity Series Segments

SPRING:
- Race #01: United Rentals 300 on Feb. 19, 2024 at Daytona International Speedway
- Race #13: Pacific Office Automation 147 on Jun. 01, 2024 at Portland International Raceway
SUMMER:
- Race #13: Zip Buy Now, Pay Later 250 on Jun. 08, 2024 at Sonoma Raceway
- Race #26: Food City 300 on Sep. 20, 2024 at Bristol Motor Speedway
PLAYOFFS:
- Race #27: Kansas Lottery 300 on Sep. 28, 2024 at Kansas Speedway
- Race #33: Xfinity Series Championship on Nov. 09, 2024 at Phoenix Raceway

Craftsman Truck Series Segments

SPRING:
- Race #01: Fresh From Florida 250 on Feb. 16, 2024 at Daytona International Speedway
- Race #08: Heart of America 200 on May. 04, 2024 at Kansas Speedway
SUMMER:
- Race #09: Buckle Up South Carolina 200 on May. 10, 2024 at Darlington Raceway
- Race #16: Worldwide Express 250 on Aug. 10, 2024 at Richmond Raceway
PLAYOFFS:
- Race #17: Clean Harbors 175 on Aug. 25, 2024 at Milwaukee Mile
- Race #23: Lucas Oil 150 on Nov. 08, 2024 at Phoenix Raceway

Play Driver Group Game for just $5.00, whether as a player, commissioner, or both, in one or multiple leagues. Payment is securely processed through PayPal, no account needed. Players starting at the season's beginning have until March 10th, 2024, to pay.

New players must register, while returning players can log in to continue in their leagues and view past season histories. Join anytime from the season start until the final 2024 race deadline. The game runs weekly contests, Monday to Sunday, with Monday racing if needed.

Join multiple leagues with just one site registration; each league has its own unique entry form.

Form a Private League by inviting selected friends or colleagues. To join a Private League, obtain its ID# and password from the founder. Alternatively, create a Public league open to all.

Your league membership continues each season, eliminating the need to create new leagues annually.

Your team entry automatically carries over from race to race. While it's best to set an optimal lineup each time, if you miss a race, your previous lineup will be used. Note: if a 'carry over' driver's eligible starts reach 0, they won't earn points.

Weekly Reminder Emails

Weekly email reminders are sent before each race to prompt your entry update before partial lock (details below).

Drivers are categorized into Groups A, B, and C based on past or predicted performance and remain in their assigned group all season, though new drivers may be added. For each race, select an eight-driver team: two from Group A, four from Group B, and two from Group C. Finalize your lineup by clicking 'Save Team'.

Points from a substitute driver in a partially- or fully-locked roster count for your team, charging the original driver a start. This applies even if a driver starts but hands over mid-race. If a replacement is announced before partial lock, you must select them to earn points, and this will count as a driver usage. No points are awarded if the original driver is still selected.

I don't want to blow-up someone's game

I aim for leniency to avoid ruining your season over an unexpected driver replacement. The timing of such announcements is crucial. I'll determine how close to partial lock this occurs and if the above rules apply clearly in each situation.

Each driver can be used in a maximum of nine races per team. After nine races, they won't earn points, even if listed in your entry. This limit is fixed regardless of when you join. Driver starts don't reset at season segments; using a driver nine times in one segment makes them ineligible for points thereafter. Drivers at zero starts won't earn qualifying points, even on your Bench. Track your driver starts on the entry form.

I learned the value of qualifying BONUS points from Marlon Clark (Hot Rod Lincoln), a Fantasy NASCAR Expert on my site. He shared a spreadsheet showing his season-long qualifying points accumulation, which consistently placed him ahead and contributed to his top 1% scores at Yahoo! every year.

Starting Drivers & Bench drivers

Your entry form features eight drivers from three groups, hence 'Driver Group Game':

Two 'Group A' (A1, A2), four 'Group B' (B1, B2, B3, B4), two 'Group C' (C1, C2).
All earn Qualifying Bonus points (1st-5th place).
Starters' (A1, B1, B2, C1) also earn Lap, Stage, Finish points; they count towards maximum starts.
'Bench' (A2, B3, B4, C2) only earn Qualifying Bonus; no usage count.
If NASCAR sets the race lineup without qualifying, no qualifying points are awarded, except in the Truck Series."

First Race of the Season

For the season's first races, Cup (Daytona 500) and Xfinity (United Rentals 300), qualifying bonus points are not awarded due to unique Cup qualifying rules and to accommodate new entries. However, the Truck Series will earn qualifying points from the start, as it does for all races, regardless of race time lock.

Your League. Your Rules.

Since 2023, leagues can opt out of the default Partial-Lock before Qualifying, a choice available to Commissioners. Without this lock, lineups remain open until Qualifying. You can set Qualifying Bonus points to 0, or, like 'DGG League - Trucks', award them despite knowing starting positions. This offers a strategy choice: secure upfront points or select drivers likely to finish strong.

'Partial' Lock

Your Cup and Xfinity entry forms 'Partially Lock' 60 minutes before scheduled qualifying. The exact lock time is shown on your entry form and under 'About > League Rules' in each league. Initial lock times are set for 8AM ET on qualifying day, subject to updates as race schedules finalize. Keep an eye on updates and check the reminder email for the correct time.

'Full' Lock

'Full' Lock occurs just before the green flag, based on NASCAR Media's Weekend Schedule. Be aware, the lock may happen minutes before the actual start. Avoid last-minute changes based on pre-race commentary; stick to the scheduled lock time to prevent an incomplete roster.

If NASCAR moves the start time earlier than published, entry forms will lock at the new time. For later start times (due to weather or other reasons), the original entry deadline remains unchanged.

It's Like Thunder, Lightnin'

Once entries are locked, they won't be reopened for any reason.

FINISH POSITION reflects the driver's place at race end, based on Unofficial Results.

Disqualification from post-race inspection doesn't alter a driver's Stage Positions, Finishing Position, or Laps Led.

I don’t penalize players for choosing a driver whose team is found cheating post-race.

Driver scores update post-qualifying and post-race, reflecting in league standings. Below are default scoring values; commissioners can adjust these to fit their league’s preferences.

DGG LEAGUE - CUP League ID: 2

Public League: YES
Use Lucky Dog Scoring?: NO
Lead Most Laps: 5 points
Lead a Lap: 5 points
Qualify Pole: 10 points
Qualify 2nd: 5 points
Qualify 3rd: 4 points
Qualify 4th: 3 points
Qualify 5th: 1 points
Stage Finish: 1: 10 points
Stage Finish: 2: 9 points
Stage Finish: 3: 8 points
Stage Finish: 4: 7 points
Stage Finish: 5: 6 points
Stage Finish: 6: 5 points
Stage Finish: 7: 4 points
Stage Finish: 8: 3 points
Stage Finish: 9: 2 points
Stage Finish: 10: 1 points
Race Finish: 1: 100 points
Race Finish: 2: 90 points
Race Finish: 3: 88 points
Race Finish: 4: 86 points
Race Finish: 5: 84 points
Race Finish: 6: 82 points
Race Finish: 7: 80 points
Race Finish: 8: 78 points
Race Finish: 9: 76 points
Race Finish: 10: 74 points
Race Finish: 11: 72 points
Race Finish: 12: 70 points
Race Finish: 13: 68 points
Race Finish: 14: 66 points
Race Finish: 15: 64 points
Race Finish: 16: 62 points
Race Finish: 17: 60 points
Race Finish: 18: 58 points
Race Finish: 19: 56 points
Race Finish: 20: 54 points
Race Finish: 21: 52 points
Race Finish: 22: 50 points
Race Finish: 23: 48 points
Race Finish: 24: 46 points
Race Finish: 25: 44 points
Race Finish: 26: 42 points
Race Finish: 27: 40 points
Race Finish: 28: 38 points
Race Finish: 29: 36 points
Race Finish: 30: 34 points
Race Finish: 31: 32 points
Race Finish: 32: 30 points
Race Finish: 33: 28 points
Race Finish: 34: 26 points
Race Finish: 35: 24 points
Race Finish: 36: 22 points
Race Finish: 37: 20 points
Race Finish: 38: 18 points
Race Finish: 39: 16 points
Race Finish: 40: 14 points
Driver Group A Max Starts: 9 per driver
Driver Group B Max Starts: 9 per driver
Driver Group C Max Starts: 9 per driver
NASCAR Series: CUP Series
Lock A: YES
Segments: 1 points

DGG LEAGUE - XFINITY League ID: 3

Public League: YES
Use Lucky Dog Scoring?: NO
Lead Most Laps: 5 points
Lead a Lap: 5 points
Qualify Pole: 10 points
Qualify 2nd: 5 points
Qualify 3rd: 4 points
Qualify 4th: 3 points
Qualify 5th: 1 points
Stage Finish: 1: 10 points
Stage Finish: 2: 9 points
Stage Finish: 3: 8 points
Stage Finish: 4: 7 points
Stage Finish: 5: 6 points
Stage Finish: 6: 5 points
Stage Finish: 7: 4 points
Stage Finish: 8: 3 points
Stage Finish: 9: 2 points
Stage Finish: 10: 1 points
Race Finish: 1: 100 points
Race Finish: 2: 90 points
Race Finish: 3: 88 points
Race Finish: 4: 86 points
Race Finish: 5: 84 points
Race Finish: 6: 82 points
Race Finish: 7: 80 points
Race Finish: 8: 78 points
Race Finish: 9: 76 points
Race Finish: 10: 74 points
Race Finish: 11: 72 points
Race Finish: 12: 70 points
Race Finish: 13: 68 points
Race Finish: 14: 66 points
Race Finish: 15: 64 points
Race Finish: 16: 62 points
Race Finish: 17: 60 points
Race Finish: 18: 58 points
Race Finish: 19: 56 points
Race Finish: 20: 54 points
Race Finish: 21: 52 points
Race Finish: 22: 50 points
Race Finish: 23: 48 points
Race Finish: 24: 46 points
Race Finish: 25: 44 points
Race Finish: 26: 42 points
Race Finish: 27: 40 points
Race Finish: 28: 38 points
Race Finish: 29: 36 points
Race Finish: 30: 34 points
Race Finish: 31: 32 points
Race Finish: 32: 30 points
Race Finish: 33: 28 points
Race Finish: 34: 26 points
Race Finish: 35: 24 points
Race Finish: 36: 22 points
Race Finish: 37: 20 points
Race Finish: 38: 18 points
Race Finish: 39: 16 points
Race Finish: 40: 14 points
Driver Group A Max Starts: 9 per driver
Driver Group B Max Starts: 9 per driver
Driver Group C Max Starts: 9 per driver
NASCAR Series: XFINITY Series
Lock A: YES
Segments: 1 points

DGG LEAGUE - TRUCKS League ID: 4

Public League: YES
Use Lucky Dog Scoring?: NO
Lead Most Laps: 6 points
Lead a Lap: 3 points
Qualify Pole: 10 points
Qualify 2nd: 5 points
Qualify 3rd: 4 points
Qualify 4th: 3 points
Qualify 5th: 1 points
Stage Finish: 1: 10 points
Stage Finish: 2: 9 points
Stage Finish: 3: 8 points
Stage Finish: 4: 7 points
Stage Finish: 5: 6 points
Stage Finish: 6: 5 points
Stage Finish: 7: 4 points
Stage Finish: 8: 3 points
Stage Finish: 9: 2 points
Stage Finish: 10: 1 points
Race Finish: 1: 100 points
Race Finish: 2: 90 points
Race Finish: 3: 88 points
Race Finish: 4: 86 points
Race Finish: 5: 84 points
Race Finish: 6: 82 points
Race Finish: 7: 80 points
Race Finish: 8: 78 points
Race Finish: 9: 76 points
Race Finish: 10: 74 points
Race Finish: 11: 72 points
Race Finish: 12: 70 points
Race Finish: 13: 68 points
Race Finish: 14: 66 points
Race Finish: 15: 64 points
Race Finish: 16: 62 points
Race Finish: 17: 60 points
Race Finish: 18: 58 points
Race Finish: 19: 56 points
Race Finish: 20: 54 points
Race Finish: 21: 52 points
Race Finish: 22: 50 points
Race Finish: 23: 48 points
Race Finish: 24: 46 points
Race Finish: 25: 44 points
Race Finish: 26: 42 points
Race Finish: 27: 40 points
Race Finish: 28: 38 points
Race Finish: 29: 36 points
Race Finish: 30: 34 points
Race Finish: 31: 32 points
Race Finish: 32: 30 points
Race Finish: 33: 28 points
Race Finish: 34: 26 points
Race Finish: 35: 24 points
Race Finish: 36: 22 points
Race Finish: 37: 20 points
Race Finish: 38: 18 points
Race Finish: 39: 16 points
Race Finish: 40: 14 points
Driver Group A Max Starts: 6 per driver
Driver Group B Max Starts: 6 per driver
Driver Group C Max Starts: 5 per driver
NASCAR Series: Craftsman Truck Series
Lock A: NO
Segments: 1 points

Default driver groups are listed below; leagues may adjust these based on their preferences.

Cup Driver Groups

Group A

Chase Elliott - A
Christopher Bell - A
Denny Hamlin - A
Kyle Busch - A
Kyle Larson - A
Martin Truex Jr - A
Ryan Blaney - A
William Byron - A

Group B

Alex Bowman - B
Austin Cindric - B
Austin Dillon - B
Brad Keselowski - B
Bubba Wallace - B
Chris Buescher - B
Daniel Suarez - B
Erik Jones - B
Joey Logano - B
Josh Berry - B
Michael McDowell - B
Ricky Stenhouse Jr - B
Ross Chastain - B
Ty Gibbs - B
Tyler Reddick - B

Group C

AJ Allmendinger - C
Andy Lally - C
Anthony Alfredo - C
Aric Almirola - C
Austin Hill - C
BJ McLeod - C
Brodie Kostecki - C
Cam Waters - C
Carson Hocevar - C
Chandler Smith - C
Chase Briscoe - C
Cody Ware - C
Cole Custer - C
Conor Daly - C
Corey Heim - C
Corey Lajoie - C
Daniel Hemric - C
David Ragan - C
Garrett Smithley - C
Grant Enfinger - C
Harrison Burton - C
Jenson Button - C
Jimmie Johnson - C
JJ Yeley - C
Joey Hand - C
John Hunter Nemechek - C
Jonathan Davenport - C
Jordan Taylor - C
Josh Bilicki - C
Justin Haley - C
Kamui Kobayashi - C
Kaz Grala - C
Kimi Raikkonen - C
Matt Crafton - C
Mike Rockenfeller - C
Noah Gragson - C
Riley Herbst - C
Ryan Newman - C
Ryan Preece - C
Shane van Gisbergen - C
Sheldon Creed - C
Timmy Hill - C
Todd Gilliland - C
Travis Pastrana - C
Ty Dillon - C
Will Brown - C
Zane Smith - C

Xfinity Driver Groups

Group A

AJ Allmendinger - A
Alex Bowman - A
Austin Hill - A
Chandler Smith - A
Chase Elliott - A
Christopher Bell - A
Cole Custer - A
Justin Allgaier - A
Kyle Busch - A
Kyle Larson - A
Riley Herbst - A
Ross Chastain - A
Sam Mayer - A
Sammy Smith - A
Ty Gibbs - A
Tyler Reddick - A
William Byron - A

Group B

Anthony Alfredo - B
Brandon Jones - B
Brennan Poole - B
Brett Moffitt - B
Dale Earnhardt Jr - B
Daniel Suarez - B
Jeb Burton - B
Joey Logano - B
John Hunter Nemechek - B
Josh Williams - B
Noah Gragson - B
Parker Kligerman - B
Parker Retzleff - B
Ryan Sieg - B
Ryan Truex - B
Shane van Gisbergen - B
Sheldon Creed - B

Group C

Akinori Ogata - C
Alex Guenette - C
Alex Labbe - C
Andre Castro - C
Aric Almirola - C
Armani Williams - C
Austin Green - C
BJ McLeod - C
Blaine Perkins - C
Boris Said - C
Brad Perez - C
Brent Sherman - C
Caesar Bacarella - C
Carson Kvapil - C
Chad Finchum - C
Cj Mclaughlin - C
Connor Mosack - C
Conor Daly - C
Corey Heim - C
Daniel Dye - C
Daniil Kvyat - C
David Starr - C
Dawson Cram - C
Dean Thompson - C
Devin Jones - C
Dexter Stacey - C
Ed Jones - C
Frankie Muniz - C
Garrett Smithley - C
Gray Gaulding - C
Greg Van Alst - C
Hailie Deegan - C
Jade Buford - C
Jeffrey Earnhardt - C
Jeremy Clements - C
Jesse Iwuji - C
Jesse Love - C
JJ Yeley - C
Joe Graf Jr - C
Joey Gase - C
Jordan Anderson - C
Josh Berry - C
Josh Bilicki - C
Justin Bonsignore - C
Katherine Legge - C
Kaz Grala - C
Kyle Sieg - C
Kyle Weatherman - C
Leland Honeyman Jr - C
Matt DiBenedetto - C
Miguel Paludo - C
Myatt Snider - C
Natalie Decker - C
Nathan Byrd - C
Nick Leitz - C
Parker Chase - C
Patrick Emerling - C
Preston Pardus - C
RC Enerson - C
Ryan Ellis - C
Ryan Vargas - C
Sage Karam - C
Taylor Gray - C
Thomas Annunziata - C
William Sawalich - C

Truck Driver Groups

Group A

Aric Almirola - A
Ben Rhodes - A
Chase Purdy - A
Christian Eckes - A
Christopher Bell - A
Corey Heim - A
Jake Garcia - A
Kyle Busch - A
Matt Crafton - A
Nick Sanchez - A
Ross Chastain - A
Ty Majeski - A

Group B

Bret Holmes - B
Daniel Dye - B
Dean Thompson - B
Grant Enfinger - B
Lawless Alan - B
Layne Riggs - B
Matt Mills - B
Stewart Friesen - B
Tanner Gray - B
Taylor Gray - B
Timmy Hill - B
Ty Dillon - B
Tyler Ankrum - B
Zane Smith - B

Group C

Andres Perez de Lara - C
Armani Williams - C
Austin Wayne Self - C
Bayley Currey - C
Blake Lothian - C
Brendan Queen - C
Brett Moffitt - C
Bryan Dauzat - C
Cam Waters - C
Carter Fartuch - C
Clay Greenfield - C
Clayton Green - C
Clint Bowyer - C
Codie Rohrbaugh - C
Colby Howard - C
Conner Jones - C
Connor Mosack - C
Connor Zilisch - C
Conor Daly - C
Corey Lajoie - C
Cory Roper - C
Dale Quarterley - C
Dawson Sutton - C
Derek Lemke - C
Hailie Deegan - C
Jack Hacksworth - C
Jack Wood - C
Jake Drew - C
Jason M White - C
Jeffrey Earnhardt - C
Jennifer Jo Cobb - C
Jesse Love - C
John Atwell - C
Johnny Sauter - C
Josh Reaume - C
Justin Carroll - C
Kaden Honeycutt - C
Keith Mcgee - C
Kris Wright - C
Landen Lewis - C
Logan Bearden - C
Luke Fenhaus - C
Marco Andretti - C
Mason Maggio - C
Mason Massey - C
Max Gutierrez - C
Memphis Villarreal - C
Nick Leitz - C
Norm Benning - C
Parker Kligerman - C
Rajah Caruth - C
Sammy Smith - C
Samuel Lecomte - C
Spencer Boyd - C
Stefan Parsons - C
Stephen Mallozzi - C
Thad Moffitt - C
Todd Peck - C
Toni Breidinger - C
Trey Hutchens - C
Tyler Hill - C
Will Rodgers - C
William Sawalich - C

How to Play Driver Group Game

Cup Series Segments

Xfinity Series Segments

Craftsman Truck Series Segments

Weekly Reminder Emails

I don't want to blow-up someone's game

Starting Drivers & Bench drivers

First Race of the Season

Your League. Your Rules.

'Partial' Lock

'Full' Lock

It's Like Thunder, Lightnin'

DGG LEAGUE - CUP League ID: 2

DGG LEAGUE - XFINITY League ID: 3

DGG LEAGUE - TRUCKS League ID: 4

Cup Driver Groups

Group A

Group B

Group C

Xfinity Driver Groups

Group A

Group B

Group C

Truck Driver Groups

Group A

Group B

Group C