NASCAR changes qualifying lineup procedure to reduce disparity between groups

With group qualifying one group usually gets an advantage. NASCAR is changing the qualifying procedure to fix that. While the change is to reduce that advantage, is it the right move?

NASCAR had a hiccup last week in qualifying due to the weather. One round, two groups to decide the pole winner. Well, Group B was MUCH quicker than the first group. So, it wasn’t hard to see where the pole would come from.

Well, NASCAR is going to try and eliminate that advantage, sort of. Group qualifying will continue, but the order for 2-10 in the starting lineup will change.

The fastest overall time in the final round still wins the pole, duh. But positions 2-10 will now be as such: The top-5 from Group B will start on the inside row and the top-5 from Group A will start on the outside row.

“The fastest vehicle from Group A and Group B will be assigned starting positions 1st and 2nd based on their fastest single lap speed in the Final round in descending order,” the new rule reads, via Bob Pockrass of FOX Sports. “The 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th fastest vehicles in the Final round from Group A will be assigned starting positions 4th, 6th, 8th, and 10th. The 2nd, 3rd, 4th, and 5th fastest vehicles in the Final round from Group B will be assigned starting positions 3rd, 5th, 7th, 9th.”

I am not sure how this prevents Group B from being faster every week or from winning the pole most weeks. Even if you alternate positions for the 2nd-5th fastest cars in each group, it doesn’t matter. Feels like NASCAR is getting too clever with qualifying here.

NASCAR group qualifying will remain unequal

All this does is complicate things for NASCAR and their qualifying procedures. It also makes it confusing for fans, new and old! If one car has a faster time than another, then they should start ahead of that car, yes?

Alternating positions after the first row does nothing but confuse people. And likely make drivers annoyed. They expect to be ahead of the cars that went slower than them in qualifying, plain and simple.

If NASCAR is so concerned with Group B being faster than Group A there is a simple solution – single-round qualifying. The Xfinity Series and Truck Series do it every week. One car goes out and the teams with more points and who performed the best in the metric score get to go last.

The Cup Series does not have to overcomplicate things. NASCAR is a tough sport to follow as it is. Send cars out one at a time, one lap, fastest lap wins. The drivers and teams performing the best get to go later on giving them a small advantage as the track rubbers in, and an advantage they earned through their performance in the weeks prior.