NASCAR has a special talent for overcomplicating things, and its update to how drivers will qualify for races for the rest of the season was hardly an exception.
And although Joey Logano recognized how complex determining each driver’s starting position is now, he also said it’s pretty fair to everyone.
Since NASCAR returned to the track in May following a 10-week hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has not had practices or qualifying sessions in an effort to limit teams’ time at the track, and it announced in July that will be the case for the remainder of the 2020 season. So previously because of that, starting lineups have been determined by a grouped random draw.
Now, beginning with the Daytona International Speedway road course race August 16, the starting lineups will be based on weighted and averaged metrics:
- 50 percent based on finishing position in the previous race
- 35 percent based on points in the owner standings
- 15 percent based on the fastest lap from the last race
It’s complicated with way more math involved than before, but, as Logano said, it’s fair.
The 2018 champion and Team Penske driver spoke with reporters Thursday via Zoom an hour before NASCAR announced the starting lineup changes. When asked about how he felt about combing those specific factors to determine each team’s starting position, he said he was good with the concept, adding:
“It makes sense. It’s maybe a little bit more confusing than what I would have gone with. If they end up going with the process that has been talked about here, just for the race fans, I feel like it’s confusing.
“But outside of that, it’s fair, and so I guess that’s all that matters. It’s fair, and I’m sure that’s probably what the fans care about the most. If all of us competitors can agree that it’s a fair way to set the lineup, I don’t think any fan is really gonna care how it happened as long as we all feel like you earned your starting position, just like we used to, right?
“You used to earn your starting position by qualifying. Well, now you’re going to earn your starting position by three different ways, whether it’s lap time or finishing, points position — those type of things. You’ve earned every one of those spots. So, although it’s confusing, it’s fair.”
NASCAR is looking at a lineup formula that will consist of points position, finishing position in previous race and fastest lap ranking in the previous race. Joey Logano thinks it’s a fair way to set lineup: pic.twitter.com/shbLj6U4Fv
— Bob Pockrass (@bobpockrass) August 6, 2020
In its announcement, NASCAR also noted that when the 16-driver, 10-race playoffs begin in September, the teams in the playoffs will start at the front of the field.
NASCAR’s senior vice president of competition, Scott Miller, said input from teams, drivers and fans was taken into consideration when making this change designed “to enhance competition as we approach the Playoffs.” He added:
“We received nothing but positive comments from the drivers on the choose rule following the All-Star Race, and felt it was an important addition to the restart procedure. The random draw has served us well during the return to racing, but it is important that starting lineups are based on performance as we approach the Playoffs. The entire industry is aligned on implementing a competition-based system to determine the starting lineup and pit selection order.”
But how the starting lineups will be determined wasn’t the only big announcement from NASCAR on Thursday. Beginning with this weekend’s races at Michigan International Speedway, the “choose rule” will be implemented across all three national series, except at Daytona and Talladega Superspeedway and at road courses.
It also revealed its (hopefully) final version of the 2020 schedule, including the playoffs for all three national series.
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