NASCAR unveils new rules

The changes seem to indicate that the International Speedway tracks, with the exception of Daytona, would move immediately to the new procedures in 2005. Daytona's February Speed Weeks, culminating in the Daytona 500, have always been operated under a distinct set of practice and qualifying rules.

The key feature of the new plan is car impoundment after qualifying. In general, teams will practice Friday afternoon and qualify Saturday. After qualifying, NASCAR will lock down the cars. Teams will not be permitted to work on the cars except in cases approved by NASCAR. Final practice on Saturday will be removed.

That has the effect of eliminating the need for special qualifying set-ups and hence, theoretically, reducing the expense to and workload on the teams. At nearly all tracks, teams had devised qualifying packages to maximize one or two laps at speed. After time trials, teams then had to convert their cars to "race" set-ups. Now, theoretically, teams will have to qualify their cars as they would be equipped for the race.

NASCAR has discussed these changes with the teams and tracks for several weeks. There are some impediments to making this a series-wide policy. Hunter, for example, noted that the Speedway Motorsports tracks value their Friday ticket sales and are reluctant to give up the date.

"We are still in the process of getting more tracks to commit to this procedure," Nextel Cup garage chief John Darby said Monday.

NASCAR did not announce other new policies under discussion, notably a new qualifying format which would guarantee grid positions to the top 35 in owner points and further reduce the number of provisional spots. Hunter said Saturday that it is not likely all provisionals would be eliminated, with the past-champ spot, for one, probably to be retained.

Under that plan, all cars would be qualified by time, as usual, but those in the top 35 in points would make the 43-car field regardless of speed. If 50 cars are entered, the 15 not in the top-35 would be gridded according to speed, but only the fastest eight would make the show. If the ninth-fastest among the also-rans is faster than the slowest among the top 35, he is still out of luck.

Meanwhile, NASCAR announced a change in the western testing schedule for the pre-season, combining two trips into one. Teams will be allowed to test for two days at Las Vegas from January 31 to February 2 and at California from February 1 to February 3. Ideally, teams could pack a California car and a Las Vegas car into one hauler and hit both tracks in one swing. As many teams use the same type car for both tracks, they could haul a primary and a back-up.