NASCAR revealed its qualifying and practice procedures for the 2025 national series seasons on Dec. 12.
The changes include more practice time, with group practices in the series expanding from 20 to 25 minutes.
Additionally, all qualifying sessions except those on superspeedways will be one-round efforts, with two laps at short tracks and one at larger, non-superspeedway circuits. Road courses will feature one session divided into two groups.
NASCAR is bringing back row determination for the starting lineup being based by qualifying speed rather than by group, as a result of the return to one session for all drivers.
At superspeedways, it will retain a final round for the 10 fastest qualifiers from the first session,
“I think it’s going to be welcomed by the industry,” Brad Moran, Cup director, said, per NASCAR.com. “We’ve gotten a lot of feedback throughout the year, and we made a couple of adjustments through the year, and we really wanted to take a whole fresh look at it. A lot of this came into play back in COVID, when we tightened things up, so we’re kind of going back a little to what we used to do again. We’re going to have a little more practice, which is obviously better for the fans and the partners.”
Superspeedway races will remain without practice sessions in 2025, except for a 50-minute round before Daytona 500 qualifying.
About the author
Rutherford is the managing editor of Frontstretch, a position he gained in 2015 after serving on the editing staff for two years. At his day job, he's a journalist covering music and rock charts at Billboard. He lives in New York City, but his heart is in Ohio -- you know, like that Hawthorne Heights song.
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Awesome!!!
I hate the current process of two groups with the top 5 from each group having a second round to determine the top 10.
I’ve always felt the one round one chance method perfect. No do overs, no excuses. Just go out and run the fastest lap you can when it’s your turn. What could be more simple? What could be more fair.
Unfortunately, if my understanding is correct from what I read on Jayski, we won’t be able to watch them unless we are willing to stream them…
“Next season, FOX Sports will broadcast P&Q for The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, the DAYTONA 500, the All-Star Race at North Wilkesboro Raceway, as well as P&Q for the NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series. Prime Video will broadcast NASCAR Cup Series P&Q for the first half of the season excluding the events outlined above; TNT Sports will broadcast P&Q on Max and truTV for the second half of the NASCAR Cup Series season.“
NA$CAR will try to find more money any place they can which means the networks have to do the same, while always telling us they are doing what is best for their fans.
Doesn’t qualifying determine pit box these days? All charter cars are in.
Early 90s still, if I remember, first qualifying set the top 25 spots. Next days second round set the rest of the field, but a top 25 could risk a second run to improve or loose position.
Car owners didn’t share much in those days, either.