NASCAR announces return of qualifying in 2022

For two seasons, qualifying had been eliminated on most races, with the obvious exception of the new tracks and certain road tracks. These measures reduced the number of days of travel and downtime for crew members, allowing the series to weather the COVID-19 pandemic in good conditions.

For 2022, it will be a “Knockout” type qualifying format with direct elimination. If qualifying sessions are planned for each race, their format will vary depending on the type of track.

Single-lap qualifying format

Tracks: Atlanta, Auto Club, Charlotte Oval, Darlington, Gateway, Kansas, Las Vegas, Miami, Michigan, Nashville, New Hampshire, Phoenix, Pocono, Texas.

• 15 minutes of testing per group
• Qualifying heats (Group A / Group B) – car alone on track for 1 lap
  The top five in each group advance to the final phase
• Final qualifying phase – car alone on track for 1 lap

Two-round qualifying format

Routes: Bristol-2, Dover, Martinsville, Richmond.

• 15 minutes of testing per group
• Qualifying heats (Group A / Group B) – single car on track for 2 laps
  The top five in each group advance to the final phase
• Final qualifying phase – car alone on track for 2 laps

Superspeedway qualifying format

Tracks: Daytona 500, Daytona-2, Talladega.

• All cars on track for qualification with the best time
  The top ten advance to the final phase
• Final qualifying phase – car alone on track for 1 lap

Road circuit qualifying format

Tracks: Charlotte Roval, COTA, Indianapolis Road Course, Road America, Sonoma, Watkins Glen.

• 20-minute free practice sessions separated into two groups
• 15-minute qualifying trials with the best time for each group
  The top five in each group advance to the final phase
• Final qualifying phase of 10 minutes with the best time

“Dirt Race” qualifying format

Track: Bristol Dirt

• Two 50-minute practice sessions
• Four qualifying races, the starting order of which will be drawn at random, to determine the grid.