NASCAR increases practice times and simplifies qualifying format
Today, NASCAR announced changes to both the practice and qualifying formats across all three divisions starting in 2025.
Practice time will be increased in 2025. Additionally, most qualifying sessions will be just one round.
Practice and qualifying in the NASCAR Cup Series will be shown via Prime Video in the first half of the 2025 season. TNT Sports on Max and TruTV will share coverage in the second half of the season. FOX Sports has practice and qualifying rights for The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, the Daytona 500 and the NASCAR All-Star Race.
Xfinity practice and qualifying will be viewed on The CW. Fox Sports will broadcast all Truck Series sessions.
Cup Series director Brad Moran
“I think it’s going to be welcomed by the industry,” Moran said.
“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.”
Moran added, “We’re going to have a little more practice, which is obviously better for the fans and the partners.”
2025 practice / qualifying format
– Group practice goes from 20 to 25 minutes.
– Qualifying will be single lap runs at most tracks. (Short tracks will be best of two laps.)
– Road courses will still have group qualifying.
– Single-round qualifying at every track except for superspeedways, which will still implement a final round of time trials for the fastest 10 cars.
– Starting position based solely on qualifying results, rather than row-by-row designations according to qualifying group.
Standard practice and qualifying
– 25-minute practice each for Group 1 and Group 2
– Groups will be determined by metrics (70% based on previous race finish by owner; 30% based on owner points position. The best scoring cars in metrics will be placed in Group 2)
– Qualifying: One lap, one round
Tracks: Las Vegas, Phoenix (spring), Miami, Darlington, Texas, Kansas, Charlotte oval, Nashville, Michigan, Pocono, WWT Raceway, New Hampshire
Short track practice and qualifying
– 25-minute practice each for Group 1 and Group 2
– Qualifying: Two laps, one round
Tracks: Martinsville, Bristol, Dover, Iowa, Richmond, North Wilkesboro (Trucks), Lucas Oil IRP (Trucks)
Superspeedway qualifying
– No practice, except for a 50-minute pre-qualifying session at Daytona 500
– Qualifying: One lap, two rounds
– Fastest 10 cars in opening round advance to final round
– Starting positions 1-10 will be based on finish in final round; remainder of field will start based on qualifying results in first round
Tracks: Atlanta, Talladega, Daytona (summer)
Road course practice and qualifying
– 25-minute practice each for Group 1 and Group 2
– 20-minute qualifying each for Group 1 and Group 2, multiple cars on track
– One round of qualifying
Tracks: Chicago, Sonoma, Watkins Glen, Charlotte Roval, Portland (Xfinity), COTA (Xfinity, Trucks; Cup Series will have expanded practice procedures)
Expanded practice weekends
Weekends scheduled to have separate practice and qualifying sessions:
Cup: The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, Daytona 500, COTA*, All-Star Race, Mexico City, Indianapolis, Phoenix championship
Xfinity: Daytona, Rockingham, Mexico City, Indianapolis, WWTR, Phoenix championship
Trucks: Daytona, Rockingham, Michigan, Lime Rock, Watkins Glen, New Hampshire, Charlotte Roval, Phoenix championship
