NASCAR announced that beginning next weekend at New Hampshire Motor Speedway, the Cup Series will replace its traditional divided‑group practice sessions with a single 50‑minute session for each event.
The new schedule, which will run through the remainder of the 2026 season except at superspeedway tracks and the season‑ending race at Homestead‑Miami Speedway, is intended to give teams more uninterrupted time to assess handling characteristics, tire wear and setup adjustments before the green flag.
Team owners voted overwhelmingly in favor of the modification, citing the desire for a more efficient workflow and the ability to focus on fine‑tuning cars under realistic conditions.
Why the Change Matters
By consolidating practice into one continuous session, NASCAR hopes to streamline operations while preserving the competitive integrity of the weekend. The single‑session approach also reduces scheduling complexity for track officials and broadcasters.
The change arrives just days before the series heads to Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the Brickyard 400, making the upcoming event a close‑watched test of the new format’s impact on weekend preparation at the historic 2.5‑mile oval.
Implications for the Season
Each weekend that adopts the single‑session format will also receive an extra set of practice tires, a concession designed to accommodate the increased track time. Impound procedures will remain unchanged, meaning crews will still be restricted from making post‑qualifying adjustments.
The upcoming race at New Hampshire will serve as the first real test of the new practice structure, and the feedback from drivers and crew chiefs will likely shape any future refinements. As the season progresses, the single‑session format will be applied to most events, with only the high‑speed superspeedway races and the final Homestead‑Miami event retaining the legacy format.