I see that NASCAR is again following other racing series and is instituting so called knock out qualifying. It sure works well in other series, who knows, it may help spice up the NASCAR show too.
I wonder which short track will try this. It would be a gift for everyone who hates sitting thru individual cars qualifying. And with qualifying in groups, there’s a good show before the races.
Not sure how this is gonna work out. When you put OVER 43 cars on the track at the same time, I can see 1 or 2 things happening…
Drafting will come into play and the multi-car teams will find a way to manipulate the system.
OR… the track becomes so clogged up, few guys will get any consistent smooth laps.
I’d like to see the field split into maybe 3 groups, fastest guy from the fastest group gets the pole, 2nd fastest in that group starts 4th, then 7th, etc…
As for short tracks trying this idea, its already being done. LM’s at Volusia (Speedweeks anyways) divides the field into groups (6 last time I was there anyways), and each group hot laps together, on the clock, then invert the top 4 for the heat races… but only 3 go straight to the A Main.
Winner of heat 1 starts on pole, winner of 2 starts 2nd, down through the 18 that qualified.
This guarantees that drivers WILL stand on the pedal in the hot laps so he can get in the top 4 inversion. Fastest guy HAS to pass someone to get in, and each pass from there gets you 6 positions further towards the front for the A Main.
You HAVE TO stand on it all night if you wanna race the A at Volusia.
I wondered about the draft playing into the speeds too. I know they are not planning to use this system at Daytona, they like the 125s for qualifying.
I think they’re planning to carve up the field into 3 groups. The fastest 20 cars will go into the second session, the others will be placed in the race according to their fastest lap times. Then, the fastest 10 cars of the second session go on to the final session, and they’re fighting for the top ten to start the race. A ten car fight for the pole. Could be interesting to watch. They’re planning to use this system with Cup, Nationwide, and Trucks.
Everything I read about Volusia tells me that track has some very good management with some very good ideas.
Columbus Motor Speedway in Ohio
uses the group qualifying thing for the compact class also,and have done it this way for that division only for at least the last 3 years that I know of.But this determines the starting lineup of the feature as that class runs no heats.