bag ging " ▁during ▁the ▁week ▁may ▁choose ▁to ▁reve al ▁their ▁speed , ▁in ▁an ▁effort ▁to ▁distance ▁themselves ▁from ▁the ▁competition . ▁Sometimes ▁the ▁spe eds ▁turned ▁in ▁on ▁Fast ▁Friday ▁are ▁over ach ieved ▁by ▁the ▁respective ▁drivers ' ▁due ▁to ▁a ▁to w . ▁Though ▁" F ast ▁Friday " ▁has ▁been ▁a ▁fi xture ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s – 1 9 6 0 s , ▁the ▁nick name ▁was ▁not ▁co ined ▁until ▁about ▁ 1 9 9 6 . ▁Track ▁records ▁set ▁on ▁Fast ▁Friday ▁( as ▁well ▁as ▁other ▁practice ▁sessions ) ▁are ▁considered ▁uno fficial . ▁The ▁san ction ing ▁body ▁only ▁recogn izes ▁spe eds ▁set ▁during ▁the ▁officially ▁compet itive ▁sessions ▁of ▁qual ifying ▁and ▁the ▁race . ▁▁ ▁P ole ▁Day : ▁The ▁first ▁day ▁of ▁time ▁tri als ▁tradition ally ▁was ▁referred ▁to ▁as ▁" P ole ▁Day ." ▁The ▁fast est ▁qual ifier ▁on ▁pole ▁day ▁wins ▁the ▁highly ▁cov et ed ▁pole ▁position . ▁Over ▁the ▁years , ▁the ▁" race ▁for ▁the ▁pole " ▁was ▁often ▁regarded ▁as ▁a ▁race ▁in ▁itself , ▁a ▁speed ▁contest , ▁and ▁was ▁advert ised ▁as ▁the ▁second - larg est ▁single ▁day ▁sport ing ▁event ▁( second ▁only ▁to ▁race ▁day ▁itself ). ▁Though ▁crow ds ▁have ▁dimin ished ▁for ▁pole ▁day ▁as ▁of ▁late , ▁and ▁rules ▁changes ▁have ▁cur ta iled ▁spe eds , ▁the ▁nick name ▁" The ▁Fast est ▁Day ▁in ▁Mot ors