▁fully ▁aware ▁of ▁rules ▁inf ra ctions ▁until ▁after ▁they ▁were ▁issued ▁a ▁penalty ▁the ▁next ▁morning . ▁This ▁prevent ed ▁teams ▁from ▁being ▁able ▁to ▁strateg ize ▁and ▁make ▁up ▁the ▁penalty ▁def ic its ▁during ▁the ▁race ▁itself . ▁In ▁some ▁cases , ▁the ▁penalty ▁dropped ▁them ▁one ▁or ▁more ▁positions ▁in ▁the ▁final ▁stand ings . ▁By ▁the ▁early ▁to ▁mid - 1 9 9 0 s , ▁in - race ▁pen alt ies ▁became ▁the ▁preferred ▁method ▁of ▁assess ment , ▁namely ▁the ▁stop ▁& ▁go ▁penalty , ▁and ▁currently ▁the ▁drive - through ▁penalty . ▁ ▁The ▁most ▁famous ▁instances ▁of ▁protest ▁occurred ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 1 ▁and ▁ 2 0 0 2 . ▁ ▁Starting ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 , ▁a ▁new ▁electronic ▁scoring ▁system ▁was ▁implemented , ▁simpl ifying ▁the ▁scoring ▁process . ▁In ▁that ▁year , ▁officials ▁were ▁done ▁compiling ▁the ▁official ▁stand ings ▁very ▁early ▁Sunday ▁evening , ▁but ▁still ▁with h eld ▁the ▁official ▁release ▁until ▁ 8 ▁a . m . ▁the ▁next ▁day . ▁By ▁ 1 9 9 3 , ▁the ▁rules ▁were ▁am ended ▁such ▁that ▁the ▁official ▁stand ings ▁would ▁be ▁released ▁approximately ▁six ▁hours ▁following ▁the ▁conclusion ▁of ▁the ▁race ▁( r ather ▁than ▁the ▁next ▁morning ). ▁This ▁was ▁largely ▁because ▁computer ▁and ▁G PS - based ▁scoring ▁systems ▁had ▁autom ated ▁the ▁process , ▁and ▁bar ring ▁any ▁equipment ▁mal functions ▁( as ▁happened ▁at ▁Texas ▁in ▁ 1 9 9