NASCAR Thursday announced that Friday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series pole qualifying session at Richmond Raceway will see the first two rounds shortened from 10 minutes to five minutes.
The first round will see all cars go out in group style for a lap or laps with the top 24 moving to Round 2. The top 12 from Round 2 move to the final round, which is also five minutes in length.
This is not a permanent change to qualifying, as discussions are continuing to take place regarding the qualifying format for NASCAR’s top series. The format for NASCAR Xfinity Series qualifying at Richmond is unchanged.
The enhanced weekend schedule will see inspection take place Saturday afternoon and that will officially set the lineup for Saturday night’s Toyota Owners 400 (7:30 p.m. ET on FOX, MRN, SiriusXM NASCAR Radio).
Greg was a writer for DriveTribe supporting Amazon's The Grand Tour and has been published in major publications across the country including the Los Angeles Times, the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. He was also a contributor to Chicken Soup for the NASCAR Soul, published in 2010, and the Christmas edition in 2016. He wrote as the NASCAR, Formula 1, Auto Reviews and National Veterans Affairs Examiner for Examiner.com and has appeared on Fox News. He holds a BS degree in communications, and a Masters degree in psychology. He is currently the weekend Motorsports Editor for Autoweek and a regular contributor to Forbes.
- Shane van Gisbergen is quietly becoming NASCAR’s newest oval problem - July 19, 2026
- North Wilkesboro and Joey Logano renew their vows - July 19, 2026
- Bubba Wallace’s Atlanta argument ends with visit to NASCAR hauler and three words - July 13, 2026