NASCAR modifies Cup qualifying rules in preparation for New Hampshire

NASCAR announced changes to their Cup qualifying process that will take effect this weekend. The fastest car in the final round of qualifying will still win the pole position, but the car starting beside them may not be the second-fastest car in that round. Instead, the two fastest cars from Group A and Group B will start first and second in the final round. If the fastest car is from Group A, the fastest car from Group B will start second. This means that the cars starting alongside each other may not be the two fastest overall.

Five cars from each of Group A and Group B will advance to the final round of qualifying, where the top 10 starting positions will be determined. After the front row is set, the remaining Group A cars will be assigned starting positions on the outside of a row based on their qualifying speed, while Group B cars will be placed on the inside row in the same manner.

This weekend at New Hampshire, Kyle Busch is entering the race 31 points below the playoff cutline. Team Penske will be looking to continue their winning streak this weekend. In the event that the final qualifying round is not completed due to weather or other circumstances, speeds from the first round will be used to determine the top 10 starting positions. The fastest cars from Group A and Group B will start on the front row, with the remaining cars being placed based on their qualifying speeds from the first round.

Cup qualifying is set to begin at 1:20 p.m. ET on Saturday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, with coverage provided by USA Network.