NASCAR takes steps to ease potential danger in new qualifying format

NASCAR on Tuesday made changes to its new qualifying format after some drivers voiced concern that the new method made qualifying more dangerous.

Under the knockout-style group format implemented this season, multiple drivers attempt to qualify in two or three timed sessions depending on a track’s length.

But because crews place tape over the cars’ air intakes to gain speed, some cars would make a qualifying lap, then drive slowly around a track’s inner apron to cool their engines while others were still driving at qualifying speed.

If those drivers who already had run a qualifying lap simply parked and shut off their engines, the engines wouldn’t cool in time for them to make another qualifying lap in the session.

But at Las Vegas Motor Speedway last weekend drivers on qualifying laps were approaching 200 mph while those cooling their engines were going less than half that speed. Some drivers said that was a potentially dangerous situation.

So NASCAR said Tuesday that crews can now use external cooling units to cool the cars while they’re parked on pit road and that driving cool-down laps on the track no longer will be allowed.

The change is effective immediately for all three of its national series -- the Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Camping World Truck series -- starting this weekend at Bristol (Tenn.) Motor Speedway.

Bristol, a 0.533-mile oval, is one of NASCAR’s shortest tracks. Before NASCAR’s latest changes, there were concerns that the track would have been heavily congested with cars running both qualifying and cool-down laps.

After Bristol, NASCAR moves to the two-mile Auto Club Speedway in Fontana the following weekend.