Likes group qualifying overall, just not at restrictor-plate tracks
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Tony Stewart expressed his distaste for group qualifying at restrictor-plate tracks during a live interview with Sirius XM NASCAR Radio on Tuesday night that was also attended by Stewart-Haas Racing teammate and 2014 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Kevin Harvick.
"To be perfectly honest, I am not a big fan of that," Stewart said when told Daytona 500 qualifying (1:30 p.m. ET, Feb. 15, FOX) would include a group element to determine the front row for the Great American Race (1 p.m. ET, Feb. 22 on FOX).
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"It's exciting to watch, but the thing that most don't realize is that, first of all, you're trying to be the last guy to come out," Stewart said. "Once those guys in the back get that run and make that first lap, the last thing they want to do is go ahead and run that next lap full throttle and give the guys they just passed the same opportunity.
"So what you have is guys dumping out of the throttle and closing rates that are not good at all. You can't hardly see through the guy in front of you. If somebody does something three or four cars up there and your spotter can't tell you about, it has a lot of potential to be, you know, bad."
Harvick, who won a career-high eight Coors Light Pole Awards last season, chimed in with his agreement.
"It's tough to make it work at Daytona and Talladega," Harvick said of group qualifying. "The format is unbelievable at all the other race tracks, but I'm with him."
Stewart closed by suggesting to NASCAR that future tweaks to the system might be needed.
"It's qualifying," Stewart said. "We have enough trouble wrecking cars at restrictor-plate tracks as it is. I do like the idea that it's traditional as far as locking in the front row. I think that is something that is important. I think there's ways that maybe in the future NASCAR could do it a little different.
"I think all in all the whole qualifying format for the year was awesome. I thought that was one of the best changes and one of the easiest changes NASCAR had to make. It was a really, really good decision on their part. It brings a lot of excitement on Friday; I'm just not crazy about it at Daytona and Talladega."