NASCAR’s changes to Cup Series qualifying, explained

How NASCAR hopes to fix its major qualifying issues.

NASCAR Monster Energy Cup Series group qualifying with the 2019 aero package has produced total chaos at intermediate tracks thus far this season, and the series was forced to tweak its rules after an embarrassing fiasco at Auto Club Speedway two weeks ago, where a total of zero drivers recorded times in the final qualifying session.

NASCAR’s new regulations mean that drafting is essential in qualifying, and as a result, no one in the field wanted to be the first car on the track. Leading a line of cars means that every driver behind the leader has a significant advantage, and we’ve seen ridiculous traffic jams on pit road throughout qualifying as drivers try to hook up with drafting partners while waiting for the last possible second to get on the track.

Starting with Friday’s qualifying session for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway, NASCAR will regulate which areas of pit road drivers are allowed to queue in, in an effort to alleviate gridlock.

Via NASCAR.com:

“Starting at Texas, vehicles not immediately making a qualifying attempt will be staged in a track-specific area designated by NASCAR. Once a vehicle leaves the area, it must continue directly onto the race track — it cannot stop at the end of pit road and wait in a gamesmanship play.”

NASCAR is also mandating that if a driver does not complete a lap during a given round, their qualifying times will be wiped, and they’ll have to start at the back of the field. In theory, this should keep drivers from gambling on taking the track in the final minute.

NASCAR remains adamantly opposed to a return to single-car qualifying.

“One of the things we wanted to hold true to is not to go back to single-car qualifying,” Miller said. “Single-car qualifying is two things – it’s boring and it’s expensive. It also doesn’t create a good show.”

Single-car qualifying may be boring, but it’s also the only way to ensure that the fastest individual cars in the field start at the front. There will always be a contingent of fans calling for the return of single-car qualifying, but NASCAR appears to be satisfied enough with a slightly modified system. We’ll see if the new regulations solve the issues on Friday night. Qualifying at Texas is set to begin at 7:40 p.m. ET on FS1.