Denny Hamlin says stop complaining about NASCAR’s new qualifying format

The new Cup Series qualifying format is convoluted but Denny Hamlin is adamant that it is the fairest way to do a two groups advancing over two rounds format.

Introduced at the start of the season , NASCAR made it to where those who did not advance into the second round, positions 11-40, would be sorted based on which qualifying group they turned their laps in — Group A is on the outside and Group B is on the inside.

The reason provided was fair, that track conditions changed so much from one group to the other, that it wasn’t fair to pit them against each other but that wasn’t the case for the final round, which also seemed fair, since it was just 10 cars.

But then came the decision this past month to do the same thing for the final round , in that the final rundown would be sorted with drivers from Group A in one lane and Group B in the other, based on which group the pole sitter came from.

In other words, the third fastest qualifier could start second, if that driver came in a different group than the fastest two drivers from the other group. This all makes sense, and it’s fair, but it’s convoluted and creates a real-time viewing dynamic that occasionally looks like this.

“This is the most fair way to do it. Stop complaining,” Hamlin said, via the latest episode of his Actions Detrimental podcast. “By the way, whoever your driver got screwed this week because of the A and the B, they reaped the benefits of that last week. You weren’t complaining — you didn’t say s— then. What I’m saying is, it works out. All the drivers would rather, I’m telling you, they would rather do it this way, to only race the cars in their group, because the conditions are the same.

“If we go to Richmond and you did not have the A on the outside, the B on the inside, it’s going to be all A cars in the top five, and all the B are going to be six through ten, because it’s just — it’s such an advantage to have your tires cooler, and I’m telling you, the way they’re doing it now is the most fair way to do it. It just looks wonky on TV.”

Hamlin concedes the television graphics aren’t helping fans understanding of that matter and that’s his one suggestion, too.

“I think the only way they can make it maybe different, is the A should be on the outside, and the B on the inside, because it would look better on a graphic on TV,” Hamlin added . “Because right now, like, the fast qualifier of A, is always on the pole position, so he’s on this column, and all the rest of the A are on this column. So, it looks messed up. If they just put them all over here, and said, ‘Okay, A’s going out.’ They’re all on the inside lane, it’s going to look right on TV. If someone in B sets the fastest time, slide him over. Slide him over to that A spot, everyone else just moves down. I think it just looks funky on TV.

“It’s the most fair way to do it, I promise you, this is the most fair way to do it. Sometimes, I guarantee you, that your favorite driver is going to reap the benefits of being A or B on any given day, and they’re going to get a better starting spot than what they should’ve gotten with this format. It all works itself out in the wash.”

The most obvious push back, of course, from fans is just one round, luck of the draw, fastest speeds start up front …

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