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The Rulebook Hypocrisy: NASCAR’s Metric Is Jeopardizing the Very Contenders Its Chase System Was Built to Elevate

Saturday at Kansas Speedway was a washout. Rain and thunderstorms halted Kansas practice after four drivers completed laps, then washed out qualifying. NASCAR pulled its performance metric and set Sunday’s Cup Series starting grid from a formula rather than a…

By Dipti Sood · Essentially Sports

Published: Sunday, 27 September 2026 at 1:12 PM

Key Things to Know

Inclement weather washed out NASCAR Cup Series qualifying at Kansas Speedway.
NASCAR used its performance metric to determine the starting grid for the third time in four playoff races.
The current metric formula weighs 70% from the previous race finish and 30% from owner points.

The Story in 60 Seconds

Rain and thunderstorms washed out Cup Series practice and qualifying at Kansas Speedway, prompting NASCAR to set the starting lineup using its performance metric formula. This marked the third time in the opening four races of the 2026 Chase playoffs that weather forced NASCAR to determine the grid via formula rather than on-track times, following similar weather cancellations at Darlington and Bristol.

The current metric weights 70% of a driver's score on their previous race finish and 30% on team owner-points standing. Joey Logano earned a front-row spot after winning at Bristol Motor Speedway, while Kyle Larson and Carson Hocevar secured top-four positions. However, Ryan Blaney was relegated to a 25th-place start following a 33rd-place finish at Bristol.

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