NASCAR XFINITY Series teams will have the option to use flange-fit composite bodies at three races later this season. The move is designed as the first step for the series to move toward incorporating flange-fit bodies into full-time use by 2019.

Five Star RaceCar Bodies will supply the body parts. The only parts they will not supply will be the hood, upper nose and fenders, which will be supplied by Chevrolet, Ford or Toyota, depending on team manufacturer alliance.

Teams will have the option of using the bodies at Richmond Int’l Raceway, Dover Int’l Speedway and Phoenix Raceway later this year. The body will remain optional in 2018 at all tracks with the exception of superspeedways before being used in full in 2019.

“Definitely the amount of labor it takes to re-tool a car (is a big benefit),” XFINITY Series director Wayne Auton told NASCAR.com. “The labor…is where the owners are going to save the money. The body parts are about the same as what a steel body costs but the (savings will be in) labor time, the turnaround time.”

Unlike the current steel bodies, which are welded to the chassis, the composite bodies are bolted on via bracing and can be removed with ease.