Overview
- John Probst, NASCAR’s president of event management, confirmed Friday that starting grids for races where qualifying is canceled will be set strictly by owner points beginning in 2027.
- Through 2026 NASCAR used a weighted metric that combined 30% owner standings with 70% the entry’s most recent race finish to set qualifying order and rainout lineups.
- Teams and NASCAR flagged a fairness problem after multiple early-season qualifying cancellations caused poor recent finishes to push some contenders deep in the field.
- NASCAR says the metric will still determine normal qualifying order when sessions run, but it is also testing changes such as an All‑Star–style qualifying run with a pit stop at a few events and reducing superspeedway qualifying to one round.
- The change gives teams with strong owner standings more protection on rain-affected weekends and should be easier for fans to follow, while any new qualifying formats would be rolled out only after negotiation and trial.