NASCAR: Series alters bad weather qualifying

Starting with this Saturday's Coke Zero 400, current year owner points – not practice speeds – will be used to determine race eligibility and starting position in the Sprint Cup Series if qualifying is canceled because of "adverse conditions," NASCAR said Tuesday.

NASCAR also announced that non-charter teams – those competing without the charter that guarantees them entry into every race – that earn a berth in the Chase for the Sprint Cup will be awarded a provisional starting position for every Chase race, guaranteeing them an opportunity to compete for the championship in NASCAR's playoffs.

This mainly concerns Ryan Blaney, who is 17th in the championship standings and only 16 points out of the final provisional transfer spot. Wood Brothers Racing was excluded from the charter system during the off-season and his path to the championship could have been unfairly disrupted without this provision.

Without the adjustment, Blaney could have potentially made the Field of 16 but missed a race in the case of a rain out, severely limiting his chances to advances through the elimination procedure.

Starting in 2017, for the second and third events of the season, practice speeds for non-charter/open teams will remain the criteria used to determine race eligibility.

"These changes provide a more even competition field for both Charter and Open teams, rewarding strong performances over the course of a season," Jim Cassidy, NASCAR senior vice president of racing operations, said in a statement. "Earning a berth in the Chase for the NASCAR Sprint Cup is extremely difficult and requires consistent elite performance. Those teams should be guaranteed an opportunity to race for the title, and this ensures that will be the case."

Creating provisional starting positions for non-charter teams that earn a berth in the Chase has been "discussed extensively with industry stakeholders," NASCAR said.

Qualifying procedures remain unchanged in the NASCAR XFINITY Series and NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.