TALLADEGA, AL – Today NASCAR unveiled modifications to the qualifying format taking place at superspeedways across all three national series. The updated format will take effect at Talladega Superspeedway’s May 1-3 spring weekend event featuring the GEICO 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series and Winn-Dixie 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series.
Qualifying for the GEICO 500 and Winn-Dixie 300 will consist of the following:
- Two rounds of qualifying, with the top-12 posted lap speeds advancing to the second round
- Race vehicles taking one, timed lap in each round of qualifying
- Each race vehicle will be released in a predetermined timed interval as determined by NASCAR, with the sanctioning body reserving the right to have more than one vehicle engaging in qualifying runs at the same time
- Qualifying order for the first round will be determined by a random draw; final round qualifying order is determined by slowest to fastest speeds from the first round
- A 10-minute break will occur between the first qualifying round and the final round
- Upon completion of the first qualifying round, the field will be set with positions 13 and beyond determined from first round qualifying speed
- The 12 fastest vehicles from the first round will have their speeds reset for the final round with starting positions 1-12 determined by the fastest laps in the final round
- NASCAR will impound race vehicles following each qualifying lap; vehicles advancing to the final round will be allowed to adjust tape and utilize a cool-down unit during the 10-minute break only
Qualifying will air live on FOX at Noon CST. Both the Winn Dixie 300 and GEICO 500 races will air live on FOX on May 2 (2 p.m. CST) and May 3(Noon CST), respectively. Fans can save $10 off pricing on single-day GEICO 500 tickets until this Friday, April 3.
“We are set for another incredible weekend at Talladega,” said track Chairman Grant Lynch. “For more than 25 years, we have had different body style configurations of the cars and different sized restrictor plates but one thing has remained constant: The competition on the race track has been as good as anywhere in the world. That is why we continue to hold the records for number of lead changes (88) and most drivers to ever lead laps (29).
“We anticipate once again when they cut ‘em loose on May 2 for the Winn-Dixie 300 and May 3 for the GEICO 500, we will see the same type of racing that the drivers can only provide at one place in the world – and that is Talladega Superspeedway.”
The NASCAR Camping World Truck Series will utilize the new format for the first time when the series returns to Talladega Superspeedway for the fred’s 250 Powered by Coca-Cola, along with the Sprint Cup Series’ Alabama 500, October 23-25. The new format will also be used during the July events at Daytona International Speedway.
About Talladega Superspeedway
NASCAR speeds back into Talladega Superspeedway May 1-3 for the GEICO 500 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series race and Winn-Dixie 300 NASCAR XFINITY Series event. NASCAR’s Most Competitive Track (record 88 lead changes in 188 laps), with the circuit’s steepest banking (33 degrees) and longest distance (2.66 miles), is the most fun and fan-friendly, offering up hundreds of acres of free camping, amazing kids ticket prices and special offers for military members and college students. Talladega Superspeedway is NASCAR’s “Party Capital” thanks to the track’s infamous infield, which features the traditional Saturday Night concert and the world renowned Talladega Blvd, home of the “Big One on the Blvd” party. The historic venue features the most comfortable seats in motorsports, large video viewing boards (a new initiative planned for future implementation at all ISC tracks) lining the frontstretch and endless activities for fans throughout its event weekends. Log on to www.talladegasuperspeedway.com or call 877-Go2-DEGA for more information.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States. NASCAR consists of three national series (the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series™, NASCAR XFINITY Series™, and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series™), four regional series, one local grassroots series and three international series. The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the TUDOR United SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. Based in Daytona Beach, Fla., with offices in eight cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races in more than 30 U.S. states, Canada, Mexico and Europe. For more information visit http://www.NASCAR.com and http://www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR at www.Facebook.com/NASCAR and Twitter: @NASCAR.
