LAS VEGAS, NV – Friday’s Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series qualifying session around the Las Vegas Motor Speedway was….interesting. While some may love it, others actually hate it. There’s not much inbetween.

The drivers are in the same boat too. Some loved it, others hated it.

“It’s really the draft you get,” said 13th place starter Ryan Blaney. “It’s a crap shoot at the end of pit road. No one wants to be the first. You just hope that you kind of distance yourself right to the car in front of you enough to pull you along.

“I have nothing great to say. I used to have fun on Friday’s. That wasn’t very fun. Holding it wide open isn’t my thing.”

Blaney, has typically been a very good qualifier on the 1.5-mile oval. He won the pole for this very race last year and started sixth in the fall race. In the 2017 spring race, he qualified third as well.

This year, it’s not like he didn’t have a fast car. He just didn’t get to showcase his talent. Friday was more about positioning yourself with a drafting partner and getting in the right spot in the draft, more than having skill.

That’s Blaney’s problem with it.

Other’s echoed his sentiments.

Others didn’t though either.

“It was pretty comical,” said Ricky Stenhouse Jr.

“I am not a fan of it personally,” said Stenhouse Jr’s Roush/Fenway Racing teammate Ryan Newman. “I always love qualifying. Single car, going out and doing your thing. Racing the racing track, that was qualifying. That’s the way every other series does it across the United States, to my knowledge. I am not a fan of it.

“You shouldn’t have to line up things to qualify. I mean, that’s the direction our sport has gone. I don’t believe in it. That’s not racing. If you want to do that, go play shuffleboard.”

Kyle Busch wasn’t a fan either.

“Whatever the fans like I guess, said the Las Vegas native. “It’s interesting. It’s not about the fastest car. It’s about putting yourself in the right position and having enough time to get to the finish line before time runs out.”

One driver though voiced his happiness with it.

“I thought it was actually entertaining,” said the most popular driver Chase Elliott. I enjoyed it. It’s pretty fun kind of playing chicken with everybody and seeing who is going to go and who is not and all the decisions you are going to make.”

What was interesting is the fact like Elliott said is that the second round and third round, drivers waited at the end of pit road for a majority of the session. See, like Blaney said, no one wanted to be the first car out. If you were, you were a sitting duck. With being flat out in qualifying, no one would pass. It was all about getting enough distance between you and the car in front to get a big tow but not have to brake or lift. If your the lead car, you don’t have anyone in front of you to cut the air flow.

So, instead of wanting to qualify on pure speed, it’s more about luck than skill.

It’s also exhilarating to see when cars are finally on track too.

The qualifying speeds were down nearly 11 mph. Last year’s pole speed by Blaney was 191.489 mph. This year’s pole by Kevin Harvick was 180.517 mph.

Harvick, says the fourth fastest car in qualifying was actually the best car in qualifying trim. Everyone agrees that the two best overall in Q-trim were the Richard Childress Racing cars. But, that’s what this new package will do. When you can draft in qualifying, in an aero package that promotes drafting, it’s more about your position on track instead of all out speed.