The Conflict, NASCAR’s pre-season showcase since 1979, has undergone a major overhaul lately. Gone are the times of dash races on the excessive banks of Daytona meant just for the earlier season’s pole winners. The final three yr’s noticed NASCAR invite all its chartered groups to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum for the unofficial opening of the season, however 2025 brings a brand new venue: Bowman Grey Stadium in North Carolina. It is the primary Cup race on the notorious “Madhouse” in 54 years.
Positive, there are 39 vehicles are on the entry record, together with native heroes like 53-year-old NASCAR “rookie” Tim Brown, however there aren’t any ensures they will run in the principle occasion. Solely 23 vehicles will run in Sunday’s Prepare dinner Out Conflict and so they’ll should earn their spot.
So how do they determine which fortunate runs get to remain, and which 16 get despatched house? Let’s take you thru it…
Apply and qualifying
When: Saturday, 6:10pm ETWatch: FS1
There are three observe teams of 13 vehicles. Every group will get two eight-minute periods and a last four-minute session. That final run is the essential one: every driver’s quickest single-lap time from the ultimate observe session will decide the place he traces up for the warmth races on Saturdary. On Bowman Grey’s tight, single-groove quick monitor, each step up the ladder for seeding brings an actual benefit.
Warmth races
When: Saturday, 8:30pm ETWatch: FS1
Saturday afternoon turns right into a warmth race extravaganza. The 39-car area will get break up evenly throughout 4 warmth races (properly, one race may have solely 9 vehicles), with the 4 quickest drivers taking pole place for every of the heats, and the remainder of the lineups following go well with. (So, the primary warmth will function the quickest driver, the fifth quickest, the ninth quickest, and many others.)
These are fast-as-hell sprints: simply 25 laps, and solely green-flag laps depend. The golden quantity right here is 5 — as in, the highest 5 finishers from every warmth lock themselves into Sunday’s principal occasion.
However wait, you are saying, that solely provides as much as 20 vehicles. What in regards to the different three? They get one hail mary shot at squeezing into the again of the sphere…
Final likelihood qualifier
When: Sunday, 6:00pm ETWatch: FOX
The 19 vehicles that didn’t make the minimize on Saturday will face off in a 75-lap last-chance qualifier on Sunday. The winner and runner-up will take the twenty first and twenty second spots on the grid, however deciding the Twenty third automobile is a bit more messy.
That Twenty third-and-final grid spot will go to whichever automobile scored probably the most 2024 proprietor’s factors that’s not but locked in. Due to this rule, reigning NASCAR Cup champion Joey Logano and the No. 22 Crew Penske Ford may participate in Sunday’s principal occasion race with out ever ending a lap.
Important occasion: The Prepare dinner-Out Conflict
When: Sunday, 8:00pm ETWatch: FOX
With the sphere locked in, the Prepare dinner Out Conflict kicks off. It is a pretty easy race: the 23 drivers will run 200 laps on the .25-mile Bowman Grey monitor, with a scheduled midway break. The winner will get a a pleasant examine (about 10% of the $3,002,500 prize pool) and a few bragging rights — however has to attend till the Daytona 500 on February fifteenth to begin scoring factors.
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