NASCAR Changes Qualifying

Posted by Jeremy Dunn Jan 22, 2008

NASCAR took a step in the right direction when it comes to their whacked-out qualifying procedure. In the past, the top 35 teams were locked into the field and the rest had to qualify for the race based on their speeds. In 2007, with the addition of several new teams, several key drivers such as Dale Jarrett, Michael Waltrip, Jeremy Mayfield, Scott Riggs, and Brian Vickers missed numerous races.

On several occasions, the drivers would lay blame on their qualifying draw. On most tracks, the later the draw, the better, mainly due to the cooler temperatures and shade.

Yesterday, NASCAR Vice President of Competition announced that all drivers outside of the top 35 in owner's points will qualify as a group at the end of each qualifying session. This will level things out a bit and will allow the best prepared team in the show. Last season, Kenny Wallace or Kevin Lepage may out-qualify Brian Vickers or Scott Riggs based on their qualifying draw. This year, it will be more difficult for teams such as Front Row Motorsports, Furniture Row Racing, and BAM Racing to squeeze into the show.

The Sprint Cup Series will begin this procedure at California, as the qualifying for the Daytona 500 is based on two qualifying races. The qualifying rule will be in place for the Nationwide Series and Craftsman Truck Series as well. However, the top 30 drivers and teams are locked in as opposed to the top 35.

Other changes announced by NASCAR can be viewed here.

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