By Andrew Cutler
January 22 2008

The IRL has made a significant alteration to the qualifying format for the ten oval races (other than the Indy 500) on the 2008 Indycar Series schedule. Starting at the season opener at Homestead-Miami, a driver's starting position will be determined by the average speed of a four lap qualifying effort.

This is a change from the previous format, where the fastest of two qualifying laps was used to set the grid. For the five street/road course races on the schedule, the 2007 format of a one lap qualifying run, followed by a 10-minute rally-style "shoot out" amoung the top six initial qualifiers, remains in effect.

The reason for the new rules? Hopefully, they will bring some added excitement - and, therefore, increased fan interenst - to the qualifying process. It also brings the qualifying process at the other ovals on the series closer to matching the format used at the Indianapolis 500, minus the option to make up to three qualifying attempts.

"Qualifying is one of the most nerve-racking experiences for an IndyCar Series driver," IRL president of competition and operations Brian Barnhart said when announcing the new format. "At Indianapolis, that has meant 10 miles of error-free driving at 225-plus miles per hour. We're going to take that kind of intensity and drama to every other oval on our schedule."

Intial comments from team owners and track owners has been favorable. And how do the drivers feel? Well, AJ Foyt Racing's Darren Manning is intrigued, but also a bit apprehensive. "I don't know if I can hold my breath for four laps. Normally it's just two laps you've got to hold your breath. At some of these tracks, I think it's going to be a big difference. You're starting to go a bit slower, your car's handling is already starting to go away after that second flying lap, so it's going to mix up the qualifying order a lot. Normally, somebody might put in an absolute flyer just for one lap and then pull into the pits. They've got to do it for four laps now."