The NASCASR Sprint Cup Series got a strong vote of confidence for it’s knockout qualifying on Wednesday when FOX announced that it would carry qualifying for he upcoming race at Talladega Superspeedway.
On May 3 FOX will carry knockout qualifying marking the first time that national TV has carried a qualifying session outside of the Daytona 500 since at-least the 2001 season.
This season NASCAR moved to a knockout format which allowed drivers to make multiple laps around the track in rounds instead of the previous single-car runs. Thus far the idea has been considered a success as both drivers and fans have placed a greater emphasis on the session which have been seen in higher television ratings.
“This move is a direct result of the double-digit ratings gains,” said Bill Wanger, Fox Sports’ executive vice president of programming, research and content strategy. “We are thrilled to highlight this new format on Fox and what more exciting place to do that than Talladega Superspeedway.”
For those wondering, FOX Sports 1 will be carrying baseball on May 3 which created the issue. FOX moved all of their Saturday baseball broadcasts to FOX Sports 1 this season.
