Practice speeds no longer used for qualifying if qualifying washed out
NASCAR announced Tuesday that practice speeds will no longer be used to set the starting lineup for a Sprint Cup Series race if qualifying is rained out.
Instead, owner points will be used to set the field, meaning it's a boost to teams at the top of the standings. If qualifying was rained out and first practice was held (and NASCAR deeemed every team got an opportunity to practice), the speeds from the first practice were used to set the field.
The sanctioning body also announced a change in the Chase that will help Ryan Blaney and the Wood Brothers' No. 21 car if Blaney makes the Chase. The Wood Brothers are one of the few teams in the sport without a charter and are classified as an "open" team. If an open team makes the Chase, NASCAR said Tuesday that it will be guaranteed a berth for all 10 Chase races and not be forced to qualify via speed.
"These changes provide a more even competition field for both Charter and Open teams, rewarding strong performances over the course of a season," NASCAR vice president Jim Cassidy said in a statement. "Earning a berth in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup is extremely difficult and requires consistent elite performance. Those teams should be guaranteed an opportunity to race for the title, and this ensures that will be the case."
All 36 teams with charters are guaranteed starting positions in each race, leaving the four other spots available to open teams. But given the lack of teams attempting Cup Series races this season, there is little chance the No. 21 would miss a Chase race. Sunday's race at Sonoma was just the fourth race of 16 this season where more than 40 cars attempted to qualify for the 40 spots available in a race.
Blaney is currently 17th in the points standings. Assuming Tony Stewart gets into the top 30, Blaney is currently the second driver on the outside of the Chase behind Kasey Kahne. Counting Stewart in the top 30, Jamie McMurray is the last driver in the Chase. he's 13 points ahead of Kahne and 16 ahead of Blaney.
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Nick Bromberg is the editor of From The Marbles on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at nickbromberg@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
