The changes are similar to old rules and practices. First, the changes to testing. The last several years, teams have not been allowed to test at tracks any of NASCAR’s national series compete at. For a few years before that, teams were prohibited from testing at tracks their respective series raced at, with the exception being NASCAR-sanctioned tests, i.e. Goodyear tire tests and tests at track with newly-repaved surfaces.

Beginning in 2013, though, NASCAR will go back to allowing teams to test at tracks that compete on, at least on a limited basis. Teams will be allowed to conduct four tests throughout the season at tracks on which they compete.

NASCAR stressed that multi-car teams will not get four tests for each of the entries in their stables. Instead, four is a total across the organization in a given series. On the other hand, if a particular organization takes more than one of its teams to the same track on the same day for testing, it will only count as one test.

“When you talk to the big teams, there is a far different opinion than that of the smaller teams,” five-time Sprint Cup Series champion Jimmie Johnson said, according to a report from Morris News Service. “So I think it’s a decent compromise. . . . It’s something different for us to play with.”

NASCAR will also be going retro with its qualifying procedure. For the last few years, the top-35 teams in car owner points have been guaranteed starting spots for races, with the other eight spots going to drivers not guaranteed in by points who post the eight-fastest lap speeds in the group during qualifying.

In 2013, NASCAR plans to go back to a system that more greatly awards performance in qualifying. Next year, the 36-fastest cars in a qualifying session will earn starting spots for that weekend’s race. The other seven spots will be provisional starting positions for the most-recent former series champion and the six drivers highest in points who didn’t have one of the fastest 36 cars in qualifying.

– Photo courtesy of Getty Images for NASCAR

– Follow Stock Car Spin on Twitter @SCSblog or like Stock Car Spin on Facebook

– Amanda’s also on Twitter @NASCARexaminer and has a fan/like page on Facebook: NASCAR Examiner

The information received from Newman, a seven-time pole sitter at Atlanta, paid off, as Stewart was able to put down a 29.787-second lap that was good enough for the pole.

“That lap is 100 percent due to Ryan Newman,” Stewart said. “If it weren’t for him, we wouldn’t be on the pole, probably.”

Come race time on Sunday evening, Stewart will be joined on the front row by Greg Biffle, who posted the second-fastest qualifying lap time of 29.863 seconds on Friday.

“It was quite a bit better than practice was,” Biffle said of the handling of his car. “It sort of hurts, though, to qualify second like we did today.”

Kyle Busch and Matt Kenseth qualified third and fourth to claim second row starting spots.

Drivers including Joey Logano, Mark Martin, Jeff Gordon and Biffle held the provisional pole position until the top starting spot was ultimately claimed by Stewart. Gordon wound up fifth by the end of qualifying.

“Just a solid lap, Gordon said. “Can’t say it was the greatest lap.

Forty-seven drivers made qualifying attempts on Friday. With only 43 spots on the starting grid, Josh Wise, Stephen Leicht, Mike Bliss and Michael McDowell failed to make the reace.

– Photo courtesy of Getty Images for NASCAR

– Follow Stock Car Spin on Twitter @SCSblog or like Stock Car Spin on Facebook

– Amanda’s also on Twitter @NASCARexaminer and has a fan/like page on Facebook: NASCAR Examiner