Sunday March 20, 2022, the NASCAR Cup Series is set to race at the recently remodeled Atlanta Speedway. Atlanta Speedway has been holding NASCAR races since 1960, but this year they changed the banking in the corners from 24 degrees to 28 degrees. Which is exciting because teams have not had years of notes on the cars setup, now all teams are even.
Today, the qualifying was set to take place, however rainstorms throughout the day did not allow qualifying to happen. NASCAR has decided to go to the rulebook to set qualifying. NASCAR felt that it would be more important to give the teams practice on Saturday instead of running the qualifying. Since this track is new to all the teams and drivers this was an important decision.
So NASCAR is setting the starting lineup by a Performance Metrics formula. The way NASCAR will will use the Performance Metrics formula is set by using 4 statistical categories. The categories will be owner points position, owner final race position, and the finish at Phoenix Raceway (The last race) and fastest lap from Phoenix Raceway.
The Phoenix Raceway results will be decided by 15% of a fastest lap time, 25% of the driver’s final race finish position, 25% of the owner’s final race position and 35% of the owner points position. Any ties will be broken by the rule book. Glad I don't have to figure those points and positions out.
The Phoenix Raceway top 10 finishers were as follows:
- Chase Briscoe - Ford
- Ross Chastain - Chevy
- Tyler Reddick - Chevy
- Ryan Blaney - Ford
- Kurt Busch - Toyota
- Kevin Harvick - Ford
- Kyle Busch - Toyota
- Joey Lagano - Ford
- Daniel Suarez - Chevy
- Chris Buescher - Ford
So NASCAR has posted this as the starting line up for Sunday.
Chase Briscoe
Stewart-Haas RacingRyan Blaney
Team PenskeJoey Logano
Team PenskeKyle Busch
Joe Gibbs RacingTyler Reddick
Richard Childress RacingChase Elliott
Hendrick MotorsportsRoss Chastain
Trackhouse RacingKevin Harvick
Stewart-Haas RacingKurt Busch
23XI RacingAric Almirola
Stewart-Haas RacingAlex Bowman
Hendrick MotorsportsWilliam Byron
Hendrick MotorsportsDaniel Suarez
Trackhouse RacingChris Buescher
Roush Fenway Keselowski RacingDenny Hamlin
Joe Gibbs RacingAustin Cindric
Team PenskeAustin Dillon
Richard Childress RacingTy Dillon
Petty GMS MotorsportsBubba Wallace
23XI RacingCole Custer
Stewart-Haas RacingKyle Larson
Hendrick MotorsportsJustin Haley
Kaulig RacingErik Jones
Petty GMS MotorsportsBrad Keselowski
Rosuh Fenway Keselowski RacingTodd Gilliland
Front Row MotorsportsMartin Truex Jr
Joe Gibbs RacingChristopher Bell
Joe Gibbs RacingRicky Stenhouse Jr
JTG Daugherty RacingMichael McDowell
Front Row MotorsportsNoah Gragson
Kaulig RacingHarrison Burton
Wood Brothers RacingCody Ware
Rick Ware RacingCorey LaJoie
Spire MotorsportsBJ McLeod
Live Fast MotorsportsDavid Ragan
Rick Ware RacingJosh Bilicki
Spire MotorsportsGreg Biffle
NY Racing Team
This Sunday should be very interesting since the fastest cars have the potential to be scattered through the field and not up front. This usually makes some exciting racing. When I was racing one thing NASCAR did at our local track to create more exciting racing is the fastest qualifier spun a wheel that had the numbers 0-6 on it. If the fastest qualifier spun and landed on the zero the starting lineup was exactly how everyone qualified. If a 4 was landed on the first four rows of cars inverted so the fastest qualifier now starts in the 7th position. So the number landed on was how many rows got inverted and it made great racing.
Come Sunday I will be pulling for Kyle Larson, Tyler Reddick, and Kevin Harvick who got his start when I was still racing. I am really looking forward to a new track, very little practice, and a very mixed starting lineup.
Fire Up those Engines and lets go RACING!!