NASCAR announces practice and qualifying format for 2022

DAYTONA BEACH, FL. – NASCAR on Friday announced the format for the return of practice and qualifying in 2022.

For all oval races, with the exception of the superspeedways and Bristol Dirt, the field will be split up into two groups: Group A and Group B.

Each group will be set by the odd/even finishing order of the previous race. Each group will also receive 15 minutes of practice.

In Round 1 of qualifying, each car in each group will run one single-car lap. The Top 5 in each group will advance to the final round. In the final round, each car will run one single-car lap and the fastest qualifier earns the pole position.

Bristol, Dover, Martinsville and Richmond will each feature two laps, instead of one.

The first Atlanta, Gateway, Nashville and second Phoenix races will all feature the same oval qualifying format but each race weekend will be an extended practice weekend – meaning each weekend will be paired with one standalone 50-minute practice session.

All superspeedway races, except for the Daytona 500, will not feature a practice session. The superspeedway races will have the same format as the oval races but the field will not be split up into two groups for the first round.

The Daytona 500 will feature the same qualifying format but will be paired with a standalone 50-minute practice session.

Road-course races will feature a 20-minute practice session for each group and a 15-minute timed qualifying session for each group, with the Top 5 in each group transferring to the final round.

The final round will feature a 10-minute timed session with the fastest qualifier earning the pole position.

The NASCAR Cup Series race at Bristol Dirt will feature two 50-minute practice sessions and four qualifying races to determine the field and starting lineup for Sunday’s race. The lineup for qualifying races will be based on a random draw.

The NASCAR Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series will each have a 20-minute practice session for all vehicles and single-car, one-lap qualifying for all vehicles. Two laps will be run at Bristol, Dover, Martinsville and Richmond.

Qualifying for each series’s first Atlanta, second Phoenix and Nashville races will be paired with one standalone 50-minute practice session, instead of group qualifying.

The NXS and NCWTS will each have one 20-minute practice session at road course races.

The field will be split up into two groups for qualifying: Group A and Group B.

The two groups will each participate in a 15-minute timed session, with the Top 5 in each group transferring to the final round.

In the final round of qualifying, the 10 drivers will participate in a single 10-minute timed session with the fastest qualifier earning the pole.

The NXS’s group qualifying will be paired with one standalone 50-minute practice session at Portland.

The NCWTS’s group qualifying will be paired with one standalone 50-minute practice session at Sonoma and Mid-Ohio.

The NASCAR Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series will each have the same format as the NASCAR Cup Series at superspeedway tracks – and NCWTS will have the NASCAR Cup Series Bristol Dirt format at Bristol Dirt and Knoxville.

SOURCES:
NASCAR