What should NASCAR do with Qualifying?

Y Its part of the weekend events therefore part of the show.

never mind that Scott Miller above says qualifying is part of the show right? :D

"I think it’s something that we tried to try to provide a good show, we were optimistic, and it didn’t work out.”
 
never mind that Scott Miller above says qualifying is part of the show right? :D

"I think it’s something that we tried to try to provide a good show, we were optimistic, and it didn’t work out.”
Imagine that :cheers:
 
never mind that Scott Miller above says qualifying is part of the show right? :D

"I think it’s something that we tried to try to provide a good show, we were optimistic, and it didn’t work out.”

That's a complete change of tune from a month ago...lol

I'm happy, the group format just does not work for ovals. Keep it strictly to road courses was the right decision. Bravo NASCAR for making the change!
 
never mind that Scott Miller above says qualifying is part of the show right? :D

"I think it’s something that we tried to try to provide a good show, we were optimistic, and it didn’t work out.”
“We tried to make qualifying into a show and it failed”. More accurate.
 
I understand WHY the format had to change back, but I for one (maybe the only one) am gonna to miss the group qualifying terribly. Group qualifying got me actually WATCHING qualifying again on a regular basis, because it was quick and action packed. I seriously doubt I'll watch much qualifying now, unless I'm STUCK in the house on Friday or Saturday afternoon, which seldom if ever happens. I simply don't CARE enough about it to spend the amount of time required for single car qualifying, and I REALLY don't want to have to listen to a half dozen announcers try to MAKE me care for that long.
 
Group qualifying got me actually WATCHING qualifying again on a regular basis, because it was quick and action packed. I seriously doubt I'll watch much qualifying now

Complete opposite for me. I've only watched it a handful of times since they switched to the group format. I'll go back to watching again now that it's back how it's supposed to be.
 
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Say what!? This is awesome news! Not gonna lie, this makes me want to start watching NASCAR again! :D
A change in the qualifying format is enough to bring you back? o_O I've always considered it a side show at best; interesting but not worth paying to get into the tent.
 
I understand WHY the format had to change back, but I for one (maybe the only one) am gonna to miss the group qualifying terribly. Group qualifying got me actually WATCHING qualifying again on a regular basis, because it was quick and action packed. I seriously doubt I'll watch much qualifying now, unless I'm STUCK in the house on Friday or Saturday afternoon, which seldom if ever happens. I simply don't CARE enough about it to spend the amount of time required for single car qualifying, and I REALLY don't want to have to listen to a half dozen announcers try to MAKE me care for that long.
I'll miss the group qualifying of '15, '16, '17, even early '18. I certainly won't miss what it looked like at the 1.5ers with this year's package. Since there didn't appear to be any solution to keeping both package and group format, the easiest thing all around was to go back to single car.

Another thought (yeah, I know; I gotta stop that): there's a new car coming in a year and a half. If NASCAR thought the new car would fix the qualify games, they would have found some way to salvage group / round Q until it got here. Since they pitched in the towel, that makes me think the new car might be as aero-dependent as the current one.
 
A change in the qualifying format is enough to bring you back? o_O I've always considered it a side show at best; interesting but not worth paying to get into the tent.
NASCAR is a subjective form of entertainment, my friend.

I'm only in my early 30s, but I was always more of a NASCAR purist who left because of all the changes that were made in recent years. Stuff was being changed that wasn't broken to begin with IMO, so I eventually lost interest. I went from actively following it and watching full race weekends to only watching the Cup races on Saturday/Sunday to falling asleep during those races, and then to nothing at all.

Going back to single car qualifying is a reversal of a major change that I strongly disliked, and that alone is enough to make me consider getting back into NASCAR. Other factors, such as the aforementioned departure of one Brian France, and to a lesser extent, the fact that I'm playing the NASCAR Heat 3 video game, certainly help a lot too.
 
"Used to" has nothing to do with it. There's been plenty of things that have changed for the better. Group qualifying was not one of them IMO.
True, but that doesn't mean single-car / one-lap is the way things are 'supposed to be'. Why is Q 'supposed to be' that way? What makes that superior to, oh, fastest lap out of five; or fastest 5-lap average; or fastest practice speed; or points standings; or any of a dozen other methods?
 
True, but that doesn't mean single-car / one-lap is the way things are 'supposed to be'. Why is Q 'supposed to be' that way? What makes that superior to, oh, 5 laps; or best practice speed; or points standings; or any of a dozen other methods?
Drafting shouldn’t be a factor in qualifying. JMO.
 
True, but that doesn't mean single-car / one-lap is the way things are 'supposed to be'. Why is Q 'supposed to be' that way? What makes that superior to, oh, fastest lap out of five; or fastest 5-lap average; or fastest practice speed; or points standings; or any of a dozen other methods?

It's the simplest, fairest, and most sensible form of determining the starting lineup. Less variables than the other ways you mentioned. All of the other benefits that come along with single car qualifying are just icing on the cake.
 
It's the simplest, fairest, and most sensible form of determining the starting lineup. Less variables than the other ways you mentioned. All of the other benefits that come along with single car qualifying are just icing on the cake.

And what exactly what ARE those benefits? I just don't see the value of spending an hour+ watching something of marginal consequence, when you can get the same thing accomplished in ten minutes of TV time?
 
And what exactly what ARE those benefits? I just don't see the value of spending an hour+ watching something of marginal consequence, when you can get the same thing accomplished in ten minutes of TV time?

@AndyMarquisLive had a great post a day or two ago which basically summed up my thoughts on it.

Group qualifying was just a gimmicky glorified practice session. Single car qualifying is the only time EVERY team gets a minute of attention, and it's all about one thing: go out there and run the fastest lap you can. No need for the multiple round knockout BS. Leave the drama for raceday and enjoy qualifying for what it is.
 
One thing I've always liked about single car qualifying, once it became televised, is that every single driver got airtime. You learned something about every driver on the track. Knockout qualifying was just another reason to give the TV networks to just talk about Kyle Busch, the Penske duo, Kevin Harvick, Martin Truex and Chase Elliott.

Hopefully next up, the cars will get a little more parity and we could see someone like a Matt DiBenedetto or Chris Buescher qualify on the pole one race.

Worth quoting again. Great post.
 
I think you just summed up perhaps my biggest pet peeve about single car qualifying . TOO MUCH TALKING. It's just mind numbing listening to them trying to fill all of the time. And besides, how much do I really need to know about Corey Lajoie? With group qualifying, on a Friday afternoon I could come home from work and watch two rounds while I changed my clothes. Then, go to the kitchen, get a snack and a Diet Coke, catch the third round, and then leave the house. Mission accomplished.
 
It's the simplest, fairest, and most sensible form of determining the starting lineup. Less variables than the other ways you mentioned. All of the other benefits that come along with single car qualifying are just icing on the cake.
We can at least agree that it's the simplest method. I don't see how fewer variables makes it more or less fair.

I like that every team and sponsor gets at least a minimum of TV attention this way, but that has nothing to do with competition.
 
And what exactly what ARE those benefits? I just don't see the value of spending an hour+ watching something of marginal consequence, when you can get the same thing accomplished in ten minutes of TV time?
TV is going to use a one-hour window regardless of the format.

Q does seem to have less affect on the race itself in the last few years. Whether due to Q or penalty, starting at the back isn't the handicap it used to be, esp. With the stage break to bunch everyone up. The teams that usually perform well seem to get to the front eventually.
 
And besides, how much do I really need to know about Corey Lajoie? With group qualifying, on a Friday afternoon I could come home from work and watch two rounds while I changed my clothes. Then, go to the kitchen, get a snack and a Diet Coke, catch the third round, and then leave the house. Mission accomplished.

It's still going to be the same TV window timeslot... and when do we ever hear about Corey Lajoie?
 
It's still going to be the same TV window timeslot... and when do we ever hear about Corey Lajoie?

1) Yes, but I do need to and do NOT watch the 45 minutes of coverage that do not involve cars going around the track. 2) Presumably EVERY week now that single car qualifying is back.
 
Nobody ever said single car qualifying was boring in the first place.

Well, I certainly did. Heck, it was boring when I was a PART of it. In a world where nobody fails to make the field, and good cars start in the back and move to the front seemingly EVERY week, you are basically running for a good pit stall.
 
1) Yes, but I do need to and do NOT watch the 45 minutes of coverage that do not involve cars going around the track. 2) Presumably EVERY week now that single car qualifying is back.

I'm not trying to knock you, but how is anything you've said anything different than the group/knockout qualifying? They literally kept shortening and shortening it to a grand total of about 5-6 minutes of on track time for all cars. You can't tell me that single car qualifying is going to have less on track time than the whole field waiting for 1 minute left to make a run.

Like I get single car qualifying is not going to be the most entertaining thing in the world on some of the intermediates, it's gonna be great to have the tracker & possibly a ghost car for TV coverage. And in the stands or with a hot pass was always lame for me with group qualifying.
 
I'm not trying to knock you, but how is anything you've said anything different than the group/knockout qualifying? They literally kept shortening and shortening it to a grand total of about 5-6 minutes of on track time for all cars. You can't tell me that single car qualifying is going to have less on track time than the whole field waiting for 1 minute left to make a run.

Like I get single car qualifying is not going to be the most entertaining thing in the world on some of the intermediates, it's gonna be great to have the tracker & possibly a ghost car for TV coverage. And in the stands or with a hot pass was always lame for me with group qualifying.

No, what I'm saying is I liked that everything of value was condensed into 5-6 minutes of actual track time. I'm am not kidding that on several occasions I was able to watch two of the rounds while I changed out of work clothes and washed up. If I hung around the bedroom for an extra 10 minutes. I could see it all. That appeals to me. The other thing I liked about group qualifying is that it equalized the track conditions for everybody. Other than a couple of the short tracks, I just don't see the fun in watching one car go around at a time. I can on my front porch and see that, and as I said, qualifying has lost 90% of its meaning anyway. There just isn't enough at stake to spend more than 5-10 minutes on it.
 
Nobody ever said single car qualifying was boring in the first place.
I remember going to Daytona one Sunday watching single car qualifying and falling asleep. I think they had about 45 cars and took 2 hours. I have to say I was bored after the initial rush.
 
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