NASCAR Makes Changes to Superspeedway Qualifying Format

On Monday morning, NASCAR announced a series of modifications to the qualifying format for each of the three NASCAR national series on the superspeedway tracks, Daytona International Speedway and Talladega Superspeedway.

Qualifying will now consist of two rounds of qualifying. In each round, race vehicles will take one timed lap in each round of qualifying. Each car will leave pit road in a “redetermined timed interval as determined by NASCAR”, with the possibility of more than one car on track at the same time.

The first round qualifying order will be set by a random draw. The top-12 lap speeds will advance to the second round, while positions 13 and beyond are determined by the first round speeds.

Between the sessions, a 10-minute break will occur. The cars will be impounded, with only the 12 advancing allowed to adjust tape and utilize a cool-down unit.

The second round qualifying order will be “determined by slowest to fastest speeds from the first round” and will be used to set the top 12 spots.

NASCAR is making the adjustments following a series of complaints from drivers and teams after wrecks occurred during qualifying at Daytona in February.

About the Author

Ashley McCubbin

Joining OnPitRoad.com mid-2013 season, Ashley McCubbin is now the Managing Editor and contributes to each racing division as needed. Since studying journalism at the University of Guelph-Humber, Ashley has published articles on a couple of different websites, while serving as a public relations representative for different short track teams. Born in North York, Ontario, Ashley currently lives in Bradford, Ontario and spends her weekend at the local short tracks in the area. She has spent her entire life at the short track level, falling in love with the sport at the age of five. Beyond her love of short track racing, she also has grown an interest for both NASCAR and the IndyCar Racing Series. She also enjoys taking photos and working on websites, while playing a couple rounds of Candy Crush afterwards.

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