After two seasons of mostly one-day race weekends bereft of practice and qualifying, these popular preliminary events return as part of the regular weekend schedule for NASCAR’s top three divisions in 2022 – a welcome change for many drivers, who generally prefer having the grid set based on qualifying speeds instead of a convoluted formula like the one used in recent times.
Qualifying will most often occur in knockout-style, as opposed to the more traditional single-car runs from yesteryear. Most drivers and crew chiefs also like having the opportunity to practice and fine-tune their cars ahead of the race, but the primary beneficiary of this procedural change might be the fans, who can once again see their heroes on track multiple times throughout a race weekend.