Qualifying sessions or qualifying races?

[billf]

Western New York Region has traditionally used the Qualifying session, then a Qualifying Race (Saturday) format, then used the finishing results of Saturday's shorter race as Grid positions for Sunday's grand finale, a longer race.

Depending on track time scheduling, the Saturday races were either ten or fifteen laps, and Sunday's was twenty.

If the competitor was unable to race on Sunday (mechanical, illness, etc), we were able to allow points for the Saturday race, so the weekend was not a total loss.

It was always well received, and has been used for, maybe, fifteen years or so.

Bill

[JohnRW]

Dispense with "practice". Make first session a combined "practice / qualify", then race ("qualifying race", "race", "post-race race", ad infinitum).

Test days are for practice. Race days are for racing.

[mc-integra111]

It sounds like I'm in the minority, but here is what I like:
- I like the first session of a weekend to be practice (work out cobwebs, learn tracks, learn competitors, etc.)
- I like at least 1 classic qualifying session, fast time wins.
- After that, I would like multiple races. I would not like grid sports to be determined by finishing position, but rather fast lap as several have suggested.
- Generally I would like more shorter duration races (rather than less longer races). I find that a great majority of the time I do not gain or lose any positions in the last 5 laps or so (maybe 2-3 for big tracks like RA), so I would prefer re-gridding and going at it again.