NASCAR has adjusted the practice and qualifying procedures for all three national series going into the 2025 season.
Teams will now have additional practice time while reverting to only one round of qualifying with the drivers’ starting positions based on their qualifying speeds. However, there will be exceptions to this at certain racetracks.
Additionally, a practice session has been added to the Daytona 500 schedule. It will be a 50-minute session that occurs prior to qualifying on Wednesday, Feb. 2.
The procedures for the Cup Series are as follows:
Standard practice and qualifying
- 25-minute practice for Group 1; 25-minute practice for Group 2Groups and qualifying order are 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 will be one lap, one round
- Tracks: Las Vegas, Phoenix (spring), Miami, Darlington, Texas, Kansas, Charlotte, Nashville, Michigan, Pocono, St. Louis, New Hampshire
Short track practice and qualifying
- 25-minute practice for Group 1; 25-minute practice for Group 2
- Qualifying will be two laps, one round
- Tracks: Martinsville, Bristol, Dover, Iowa, Richmond
Superspeedway qualifying
- Qualifying will be one lap, two rounds
- The fastest 10 cars in the first round advance to the final round
- Starting positions 1-10 will be based on the fastest qualifying time in the final round; the remainder of the field will start based on qualifying results in the first round.
- Tracks: Atlanta, Talladega, Daytona (summer)
Road course practice and qualifying
- 25-minute practice for Group 1; 25-minute practice for Group 2
- 20-minute qualifying for Group 1, multiple cars on track; 20-minute qualifying for Group 2, multiple cars on track
- One round of qualifying
- Tracks: Chicago, Sonoma, Watkins Glen, Charlotte Roval
Here are the procedures for the Xfinity Series are as follows:
Standard practice and qualifying
- 25-minute practice for Group 1; 25-minute practice for Group 2
- Qualifying will be one lap, one round.
- Tracks: Phoenix (spring), Las Vegas, Miami, Darlington, Texas, Kansas, Charlotte, Nashville, Pocono
Short track practice and qualifying
- 25-minute practice for Group 1; 25-minute practice for Group 2
- Qualifying will be two laps, one round.
- Tracks: Martinsville, Bristol, Dover, Iowa
Superspeedway qualifying
- Qualifying will be one lap, two rounds
- The fastest 10 cars in the first round advance to the final round
- Starting positions 1-10 will be based on finish in the final round; the remainder of the field will start based on qualifying results in the first round.
- Tracks: Atlanta, Talladega, Daytona (summer)
Road course practice and qualifying
- 50-minute practice for all cars
- 20-minute qualifying for Group 1, multiple cars on track; 20-minute qualifying for Group 2, multiple cars on track
- One round of qualifying
- Tracks: COTA, Chicago, Sonoma, Watkins Glen, Portland, Charlotte Roval
Here are the procedures for the Craftsman Truck Series:
Standard practice and qualifying
- 25-minute practice for Group 1; 25-minute practice for Group 2
- Qualifying will be one lap, one round.
- Tracks: Las Vegas, Miami, Texas, Kansas, Charlotte, Nashville, Pocono, Darlington
Short track practice and qualifying
- 25-minute practice for Group 1; 25-minute practice for Group 2
- Qualifying will be two laps, one round.
- Tracks: Martinsville, Bristol, North Wilkesboro, Lucas Oil IRP, Richmond
Superspeedway qualifying
- Qualifying will be one lap, two rounds
- The fastest 10 trucks in the first round advance to the final round
- Starting positions 1-10 will be based on finish in the final round; the remainder of field will start based on qualifying results in the first round.
- Tracks: Atlanta, Talladega
Road course practice and qualifying
- 50-minute practice for all cars
- 20-minute qualifying for Group 1, multiple trucks on track; 20-minute qualifying for Group 2, multiple trucks on track
- One round of qualifying
- Tracks: Watkins Glen, Charlotte Roval
The weekends where teams will have expanded practice sessions in the Cup Series are: The Clash, Daytona 500, Circuit of The Americas, All-Star Race, Mexico, Indianapolis and Phoenix finale. In the Xfinity Series it will be Daytona, Rockingham, Mexico, Indianapolis, St. Louis and Phoenix finale. And in the Craftsman Truck Series it will be Daytona, Rockingham, Michigan, Lime Rock, Watkins Glen, New Hampshire, Charlotte Roval and Phoenix finale.
COTA will have the same format Cup Series teams ran at Watkins Glen and the Charlotte Roval last season. There will be two groups of drivers that have two sessions each (a total of 40 minutes) of practice. Practice will lead into qualifying.
FOX Sports will broadcast practice and qualifying the Clash, Daytona 500, All-Star Race and all Craftsman Truck Series races. Prime will broadcast Cup Series practice and qualifying for the first half of the season, excluding those Fox Sports broadcasts. TNT Sports will broadcast practice and qualifying on Max and truTV for the second half of the Cup Series season.