NASCAR is making a significant change to how starting lineups are determined in 2027, and that might not be the only qualifying shakeup coming next season.
John Probst, NASCAR’s president of event management, confirmed Friday, Nov. 6, that the sanctioning body will abandon its current qualifying metric when weather or other circumstances prevent a qualifying session from taking place. Beginning in 2027, starting lineups for those races will instead be determined strictly by owner points.
The announcement comes during championship weekend at Homestead-Miami Speedway, just hours after NASCAR CEO Steve O’Donnell acknowledged concerns about the existing system during his annual State of the Sport address.
And while the new procedure for canceled qualifying sessions is confirmed, NASCAR is also exploring two other possibilities: eliminating the second round of superspeedway qualifying and introducing pit stops into qualifying at select races.
NASCAR Is Changing How Starting Lineups Are Set in 2027
For years, NASCAR has relied on a formula to determine starting lineups whenever qualifying cannot be completed.
That formula considers several factors, including previous race results and owner points, rather than simply awarding starting positions based on the championship standings.
The system has occasionally produced starting grids that look considerably different from the current points order, particularly early in the season when teams have fewer races behind them.
That has raised questions about fairness, especially when multiple qualifying sessions are canceled during the opening weeks of a season.
Speaking Friday on SiriusXM NASCAR Radio, Probst confirmed that NASCAR will move away from the formula in 2027.
Probst also mentions that NASCAR is looking at an All-Star-like qualifying format for some races in 2027 (with a pit stop in the middle).
Under the new procedure, owner points alone will determine starting positions when qualifying is canceled.
It’s a straightforward adjustment, but one that could have meaningful consequences for teams. A strong position in the owner standings would carry an additional benefit on weekends when drivers never get the opportunity to qualify.
The change also removes the influence of individual race results from the canceled-qualifying calculation.
Importantly, this applies to races where qualifying cannot be held. NASCAR has not announced a wholesale replacement of its normal qualifying procedures.
NASCAR Considering Pit Stops During Qualifying at Select Races
The confirmed change might be only the beginning.
Probst also revealed that NASCAR is considering bringing an All-Star-style qualifying format to a small number of races in 2027.
“We are looking at that All-Star style qualifying where you actually have a pit stop for maybe a very select few races next year,” Probst said during his SiriusXM NASCAR Radio appearance.
It’s an intriguing possibility because it would introduce another element of competition into the qualifying process.
Rather than focusing exclusively on a driver’s speed over a lap, the format could also put a pit crew’s performance under pressure, with time gained or lost during a stop potentially affecting the outcome.
However, NASCAR has not identified which tracks might use the format or announced exactly how it would work.
Another proposal involves superspeedway qualifying.
Probst said NASCAR is considering eliminating the second round at those tracks, which would remove the additional session currently used to settle the front of the starting grid.
Neither proposal has been approved or formally announced for 2027.
For now, the confirmed change is the move to owner points when qualifying is canceled. But with NASCAR openly discussing new formats and a possible superspeedway adjustment, qualifying could look noticeably different at several races next season.
And after years of debates about how NASCAR sets its starting grids, the sanctioning body is showing a willingness to rethink the process.
NASCAR Confirms Major Qualifying Change for 2027, With More Changes on the Table