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NASCAR to have practice, knockout qualifying for 2022 season

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Take a behind the scenes look of Kyle Larson's historic NASCAR Cup Series Championship celebration.

Knockout qualifying will set the starting lineup for nearly all Cup, Xfinity and Camping World Truck Series races next season, NASCAR announced Friday morning.

The sanctioning body also announced the return of practice to most events in each series in 2022.

“NASCAR is excited to return practice and qualifying to its race weekends,” said Scott Miller, NASCAR senior vice president of competition, in a statement. “We missed seeing cars and trucks on track all weekend long, and so did our fans.

“We worked closely with our broadcast partners, teams and racetracks to create an exciting, unique qualifying format, while keeping several of the efficiencies that helped our entire industry successfully navigate the pandemic.”

MORE: 2022 NASCAR qualifying and practice formats

Every event across NASCAR’s three national series will have qualifying in 2022.

For a majority of the Cup schedule, the field will be split into two groups and participate in a practice and qualifying event that will last about two hours. Cup practices will be 15 minutes per group on most ovals and 20 minutes per group on road courses.

Six Cup weekends, five NASCAR Xfinity weekends and eight Truck weekends will feature an extended practice weekend schedule, which will feature one standalone 50-minute practice as well as a qualifying event.

The Daytona 500 field will be set the same way as before. The front row will be determined by qualifying, which will be held Feb. 16. The rest of the starting lineup will be set by the two qualifying races.

The other three superspeedway events - both races at Talladega and the August event at Daytona - will not have practice. Those events will have qualifying only before the race.

Additional details, including when practice and qualifying sessions will be held on race weekends, tire allotment, backup car rules and other procedural matters will be determined at a later date.

Here is the format for each national series:

NASCAR Cup Series

Oval Qualifying


  • Group A and Group B will each receive 15 minutes of practice
  • Groups set by odd/even finishing order of previous race
  • Qualifying Round 1 (Group A) – single car, one lap*

    • Top 5 transfer to Final Round
  • Qualifying Round 1 (Group B) – single car, one lap*

    • Top 5 transfer to Final Round
  • Qualifying Final Round (10 cars) – single car, one lap*
  • * -- Two laps at Bristol, Dover, Martinsville and Richmond

Superspeedways


  • Qualifying Round 1 (all cars) – single car, one lap

    • Top 10 transfer to Final Round
  • Qualifying Final Round (10 cars) – single car, one lap

Road courses


  • Group A and Group B will each receive 20 minutes of practice
  • Qualifying Round 1 (Group A) – 15-minute timed session

    • Top 5 transfer to Final Round
  • Qualifying Round 1 (Group B) – 15-minute timed session

    • Top 5 transfer to Final Round
  • Qualifying Final Round (10 cars) – 10-minute timed session

Bristol Dirt


  • Two 50-minute practice sessions
  • 4 qualifying races determine the field and lineup for the main race, order based on random draw

Extended Practice Weekends


  • Events: Daytona 500, Atlanta-1, Bristol Dirt, Gateway, Nashville, Phoenix-2
  • One standalone 50-minute practice replaces group practice sessions
  • Qualifying procedure is based on the track type, following the procedures above

NASCAR Xfinity Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series (90 minutes)

Oval Qualifying


  • 20-minute practice for all vehicles
  • Qualifying (all vehicles) – single vehicle, one lap*

* -- Two laps at Bristol, Dover, Martinsville and Richmond

Superspeedways


  • Same as NASCAR Cup Series format

Road Courses


  • All vehicles receive 20 minutes of practice in a single session
  • Qualifying Round 1 (Group A) – 15-minute timed session

    • Top 5 transfer to Final Round
  • Qualifying Round 1 (Group B) – 15-minute timed session

    • Top 5 transfer to Final Round
  • Qualifying Final Round (10 vehicles) – 10-minute timed session

Dirt (Trucks)


  • Two 50-minute practice sessions
  • 4 qualifying races determine the field and lineup for the main race, order based on random draw.

Extended practice weekends


  • Xfinity: Daytona-1, Atlanta-1, Portland, Nashville, Phoenix-2
  • Trucks: Daytona, Atlanta, Bristol Dirt, Knoxville, Sonoma, Mid-Ohio, Nashville, Phoenix-2
  • One standalone 50-minute practice replaces group practice sessions
  • Qualifying procedure is based on the track type, following the procedures above