The 2025 NASCAR season has ushered in a transformative era for qualifying procedures, aiming to simplify the qualifying process, enhance fairness, and ensure consistency across NASCAR’s three national series: the Cup Series, Xfinity Series, and Craftsman Truck Series. Historically, qualifying formats have evolved significantly, from single-car timed laps to an F1-style knockout system introduced in 2014. While the knockout format initially generated excitement, it quickly revealed flaws as teams exploited the rules. A notable incident occurred during the 2019 Auto Club Speedway race when drivers strategically delayed posting their times in the final round, resulting in no recorded laps, an event that underscored the urgent need for reform.
In response to these challenges, NASCAR has implemented a comprehensive overhaul of its qualifying rules for 2025. The new format eliminates group-based qualifying entirely, streamlining the process into a single round where drivers complete one or two timed laps based on track type. For oval tracks like Charlotte Motor Speedway and Las Vegas Motor Speedway, each driver will make one timed lap, while short tracks such as Bristol Motor Speedway will allow two laps per driver. This change ensures fairness and reduces strategic manipulation while emphasizing pure speed as the primary factor for determining starting positions.
As NASCAR moves forward with these updates, fans can anticipate a more straightforward and engaging qualifying experience that balances tradition with innovation. However, with the 2025 season up and running it is important to be in the loop regarding the new changes made to practice and qualifying sessions. And yes, NASCAR is finally turning a corner for good with practice runs, unlike the post-pandemic years.
Detailed Changes in NASCAR’s Qualifying Rules
The cornerstone of the new system is the performance metrics-based line-up formula. As motorsports journalist Bob Pockrass explained on X (formerly Twitter), “The metrics changed this year… it is 70% based on previous race finish by owner; 30% based on owner points position.” This formula rewards consistency and recent performance, allowing teams with better results to qualify later in single-car sessions a distinct advantage at tracks where conditions improve over time.
For oval tracks longer than 1.022 miles, such as Charlotte Motor Speedway, Kansas Speedway, and Michigan International Speedway, qualifying now consists of one timed lap per driver. The fastest lap determines starting positions directly without additional rounds. At shorter ovals like Bristol Motor Speedway or Martinsville Speedway, drivers are allowed two laps, with their best time recorded as their qualifying speed.
Superspeedways like Daytona International Speedway retain a two-round format. In the first round, all drivers complete a timed lap and the ten fastest advance to a second round where they compete for pole position. This format applies to other superspeedways, such as Talladega and Atlanta.
Road courses, including Sonoma Raceway, Watkins Glen International, and Circuit of the Americas, continue to use group-based qualifying. Drivers are split into two groups based on their metric scores. Each group has 20 minutes to set their fastest lap times. The results from both groups are combined into a single starting lineup without additional rounds.
Alongside these qualifying updates, NASCAR has expanded practice sessions for most tracks. Teams now have 25 minutes per group before qualifying at standard tracks, providing more time for setup adjustments in response to track conditions. At marquee events like the Daytona 500, practice times have been extended further to 50 minutes, a significant increase compared to previous seasons.
The metrics changed this year … it is 70% based on previous race finish by owner; 30% based on owner points position. https://t.co/EyJLOvSHOn
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) March 19, 2025
At superspeedways like Talladega, where drafting plays a major role during races but less so in qualifying, expanded practice sessions allow teams to fine-tune their vehicles for single-lap performance rather than race-day strategy.
A notable addition for 2025 is the Open Exemption Provisional Rule, which guarantees starting positions for world-class drivers entering select races even if they fail to qualify through traditional means. This rule was designed with high-profile entrants like Helio Castroneves in mind for marquee events such as the Daytona 500. Castroneves made headlines this season by securing a provisional spot under this rule despite being unfamiliar with NASCAR’s unique demands.
While NASCAR has been casual about its tweaks to qualifying order and groups, Kevin Harvick found a major problem that affects smaller and low-budget teams.
Reviving Random Draw: Kevin Harvick’s Call for a Qualifying Shake-Up
Kevin Harvick’s recent critique of NASCAR’s current qualifying procedure has reignited discussions about fairness and competition in the sport. Harvick argues that the present metric-based system, which determines qualifying order using previous race results and championship standings, creates a cycle that disproportionately benefits top-performing teams while punishing those struggling to climb the rankings. “If you get into that hole, it’s hard to get out of it because it starts with inspection, you’re behind,” Harvick explained.
Harvick’s call for a return to the random draw system is rooted in NASCAR’s history, where unpredictability played a key role in leveling the playing field. “I think we should go back to the random draw,” Harvick stated, emphasizing how this format could foster more intrigue and competitiveness among teams. The random draw system allowed drivers from all tiers to have an equal shot at favorable starting positions, regardless of their prior performance or championship standings. This was evident when David Ragan secured a surprising pole position at Talladega in 2013, showcasing how anything could happen in NASCAR when the playing field was leveled.
As NASCAR continues to refine its rules for 2025 and beyond, Harvick’s proposal offers a compelling case for revisiting the random draw system. “I just think that the random draw would put a little more intrigue back into qualifying,” he concluded. By mixing up qualifying orders weekly, NASCAR could restore unpredictability and provide struggling teams with a fair shot at recovery. It will be interesting to see a Hyak Motorsports car trying to topple a lap time set by a Hendrick Motorsport driver. Qualifying laps might be the perfect platform for NASCAR to sell its parity racing with the Next Gen car.
The post NASCAR Qualifying: All You Need to Know About the Sanctioning Body’s Rule Book Shake-Up appeared first on EssentiallySports.
