| Pos | Car # | Driver | Team | Playoff | Driver Fin (25%) | Owner Fin (25%) | Points Rank (35%) | Fast Lap Rank (15%) | Total Metric |
|---|
As seen when NASCAR cancels Busch Light Pole qualifying at Kansas Speedway due to severe weather, the starting lineup is not chosen by lottery. It is derived through Section 7.6.2 of the NASCAR Rule Book.
The metric awards 25% to previous race driver finish, 25% to car owner previous finish, 35% to owner championship points rank, and 15% to driver's fastest lap rank in the prior event.
Unlike championship points, in this metric lower scores are superior. A driver who won the last race, set the fastest lap, and leads in points produces a near-flawless score of ~1.000.
During the NASCAR Cup Series Playoffs, championship-eligible drivers are tiered ahead of non-playoff entries, locking in the top positions on the grid regardless of single-race anomalies.
The 36 chartered teams are assigned grid positions 1 through 36 based on the metric. Non-chartered (Open) entries fill remaining starting positions 37 through 40.