NASCAR has unveiled a series of changes to its 2025 practice and qualifying procedures, designed to enhance the racing experience for both fans and drivers.
Key Changes:
- Expanded Practice Time: Group practice sessions will now be 25 minutes long, allowing teams more time to fine-tune their setups.
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Simplified Qualifying: Most tracks will feature single-round qualifying, with the exception of superspeedways, which will still implement a final round of time trials for the fastest 10 cars.
- Starting Lineup: The starting lineup will be determined solely by qualifying results, eliminating the previous row-by-row designation system.
- Broadcast Changes: NASCAR has partnered with new broadcast partners for the 2025 season, and there will be changes to the broadcast schedule for practice and qualifying sessions.
- NASCAR Cup Series practice and qualifying sessions will be shown on Prime Video in the first half of the season. Second half of the season will be by TNT Sports on Max and TruTV (exception is that FOX Sports will have the rights for practice and qualifying for The Clash at Bowman Gray Stadium, the Daytona 500 and the NASCAR All-Star Race.
- Xfinity Series practice and qualifying will be on The CW
- Truck Series will be broadcast on FOX Sports
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
Note: The NASCAR Cup Series weekend at Circuit of The Americas will feature expanded road course qualifying, with cars assigned to two groups. Two 20-minute practices will be held for each group (40 minutes total per car), with those sessions leading into qualifying. *NASCAR.com
These changes are aimed at improving the overall racing product and providing fans with more exciting on-track action. By simplifying the qualifying process and increasing practice time, NASCAR hopes to create more competitive and unpredictable races. As the 2025 season approaches, fans can look forward to a new era of NASCAR racing with these exciting changes.
