NASCAR to use owner points for lineups when qualifying is canceled in 2027
NXTbets Pro | Published On: November 6, 2026
NASCAR qualifying changes
Steve O’Donnell, in his first State of the Sport press conference as NASCAR CEO, said the series will review its qualifying metric this offseason and may adjust qualifying at select events in 2027. He did not announce a new format at the address. Under the current formula, canceled qualifying sessions also factor in recent race results. The change to owner points alone narrows that calculation.
Fairness concerns
John Probst said the move is meant to address fairness concerns, and that issue sits at the center of NASCAR’s thinking. Several qualifying sessions were canceled early this season. When qualifying disappears, the lineup formula becomes more than an administrative detail. It decides who starts near the front, who faces traffic early and who gets a chance to build track position from a favorable spot. That makes the fallback rule a competitive issue, not just a procedural one. NASCAR’s review of the metric suggests the series wants a more consistent answer when the session cannot run. The owner-points rule gives the series one clear standard for those cases. It also reduces the number of moving parts in a lineup decision, which can matter when teams, drivers and fans all want a straightforward explanation for how the field was set.
NASCAR qualifying format
NASCAR is not stopping with the owner-points change. The series is also considering additional qualifying changes for next season, which opens the door to a wider reset of how some events are lined up. One idea under discussion would eliminate the second round of qualifying at superspeedways, a change that would simplify the format at some of the sport’s fastest and most unpredictable tracks. Another proposal would create an All-Star-style qualifying format for a limited number of races, one that would include a pit stop during the qualifying attempt. That would add a new layer to the process and make qualifying itself more of a showpiece on selected weekends. O’Donnell said the review is underway.
