NASCAR Weekend at Indianapolis Features Return of Qualifying

The NASCAR Xfinity and Cup Series head to Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Aug. 14-15 for a unique schedule featuring the road course instead of the oval. This track will be new to a large number of drivers, but they will have early opportunities to log some laps with the return of practice and qualifying.

According to NASCAR’s official schedule, the Xfinity Series drivers will hit the track first with a practice session on Friday, Aug. 13, at 5:30 p.m. ET (NBC Sports Network). They will return the following morning at 10:05 a.m. ET for qualifying to set the stage for the Pennzoil 150 at the Brickyard. The actual race will take place at 4 p.m. ET on NBC Sports Network.

The Cup Series drivers will head onto Indianapolis Motor Speedway’s road course on Saturday, Aug. 14, for a practice session at 11:05 a.m. ET. They will return to the track Sunday morning at 9 a.m. ET for qualifying laps, which air on CNBC. The Verizon 200 at the Brickyard race will then cap off the weekend at 1 p.m. ET. NBC will broadcast the action as the drivers take on the road course for the first time.

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Some NASCAR Drivers Took Advantage of Qualifying Sessions

NASCAR revealed prior to the season only a limited number of races on the schedule would feature practice sessions and qualifying laps. The dirt race at Bristol, the July 4 race at Road America, the first-ever trip to Circuit of the Americas, the Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway, and the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway all helped make up the list. The race weekend at Indianapolis served as another example considering that the road course will pose a new challenge.

Some tracks, such as Nashville Superspeedway and COTA, featured practice and qualifying due to some drivers having no experience. Others, such as Daytona and Charlotte, hosted Crown Jewel races that required the drivers to be at the best of their abilities.

Some drivers took advantage of these practice and qualifying sessions by securing spots at the front of the pack. Tyler Reddick won his first-ever Busch Pole at COTA, becoming the first Richard Childress Racing driver since the late Dale Earnhardt to do so at a road course. Similarly, Stewart-Haas Racing’s Aric Almirola won his first Busch Pole of the season in Nashville, marking a significant moment in a difficult season.

Of the drivers that have won the pole in qualifying in 2021, only Kyle Larson has locked up the win after starting at the front of the pack. He did so during the Coca-Cola 600. The driver of the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet Camaro posted the fastest time and then proceeded to lead 327 of the 400 laps to lock up his second win of the season.

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The 2022 Season Should Feature a ‘Normal’ Schedule

The majority of races on the 2021 schedule have taken place without any practice sessions or qualifying laps to set the starting order. Instead, NASCAR has revealed the lineup each Wednesday, basing it on a formula that takes into account the previous race on the schedule and the owners’ points standings.

According to Fox Sports reporter Bob Pockrass, the 2022 season should feature the return of practice and qualifying sessions at “most, if not all” of the races on the schedule. This move will coincide with the introduction of the Next Gen car, which will reportedly be more cost-effective for the respective NASCAR teams.

For now, the drivers will finish out the regular season and then tackle the playoffs while fighting for points. Without practice sessions, they will have to show up at the track each and every week fully prepared. There will not be time to make adjustments to the stock cars or deal with any unforeseen “bugs” in the system.

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