Race Weekend Central

NASCAR Announces Changes For Soon-to-be XFINITY Series, Camping World Truck Series

On Wednesday, NASCAR announced a series of changes for the XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series that will take effect at the start of the 2015 season. The overall result will be that the two lower-tier series will resemble the Sprint Cup Series a little more in its operation.

First off, both the XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series will drop the locked-in positions in qualifying. In the current Nationwide Series, the top-30 teams in owners’ points are locked into every race, while the top-25 Camping World Truck Series teams are locked in each week.

The top-33 qualifiers in the XFINITY Series in 2015 will qualify on speed. Positions 34-39 will be filled by provisionals. Normal provisional rules apply (teams must have attempted all the races and entered by the deadline 13 days before the race). The 40th starting spot will be set aside for a past champion to use. If no past champion needs it, then it will be a seventh regular provisional.

In the Camping World Truck Series, the new qualifying lineup rules also come with a cut in field size from 36 to 32 trucks per race. As a result, the top-27 trucks will make races on speed. Positions 28-31 will be provisionals (same rules as in the XFINITY Series), while position No. 32 will be set aside for a past champion. If no past champion needs the spot, it will become a fifth regular provisional spot.

According to NASCAR, these particular changes will help to improve the on-track product.

“Our mission of providing the best on-track product possible is always among our top objectives,” said Robin Pemberton, NASCAR’s Senior Vice President of Competition and Racing Development. “We’re confident in the direction these changes will take these series.”

The final change for both series is the introduction of driver last names on the upper rear windows of both XFINITY Series cars and Camping World Trucks starting at Daytona in 2015. NASCAR states that this particular change is part of the “…implementation of NASCAR’s Industry Action Plan, specifically in the area of Driver Star Power.” The goal is to allow fans to more easily identify the drivers on-track. NASCAR’s release states that the move will not affect on-track competition and allow XFINITY and Camping World to maintain their current decal space at the top of the windshield.

About the author

Phil Allaway has three primary roles at Frontstretch. He's the manager of the site's FREE e-mail newsletter that publishes Monday-Friday and occasionally on weekends. He keeps TV broadcasters honest with weekly editions of Couch Potato Tuesday and serves as the site's Sports Car racing editor.

Outside of Frontstretch, Phil is the press officer for Lebanon Valley Speedway in West Lebanon, N.Y. He covers all the action on the high-banked dirt track from regular DIRTcar Modified racing to occasional visits from touring series such as the Super DIRTcar Series.

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