NASCAR mulls changing rule that guarantees starting spots for Top 35 drivers

I am all for the fastest cars running the race but I can also see where at least a few provisionals are a must.

If Jr failed to make a race, walk up ticket sales would fall off substancially.
 
Maybe an update on this later this week.

NASCAR still looking at changes to Top 35 rule: Sprint Cup teams are looking forward to having four additional test sessions next season and they might have more things to test than they initially thought. Teams are awaiting 2013 rules and several team officials said over the weekend they anticipate NASCAR might give them a little more leeway in some areas of the car, while also restricting the ability to skew the rear of the cars. Not only will testing allow them to work now at the tracks that they race on, they also might need to work a little more on qualifying. Teams also are anticipating that NASCAR will get rid of the top-35 rule and go back to the previous system of the top 36 (or 37 or 38) cars in qualifying making the race, with the remainder of the field set by provisionals based primarily on owner points. The top-35 rule guarantees the top 35 teams in owner points starting spots in each race. The rest of the field must make the race on speed. Under the new format, all teams would have to qualify on speed or have enough owner points to be eligible for a provisional starting spot. NASCAR could announce that change and other new rules during a test at Talladega.
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from jayski
 
There basically saying that it will be the same way that it was. Things can go full circle in NASCAR. :cool:

This gives me home in my 'Eliminate the Chase' crusade. ;)
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
NASCAR still looking at changes to Top 35 rule: Sprint Cup teams are looking forward to having four additional test sessions next season and they might have more things to test than they initially thought. Teams are awaiting 2013 rules and several team officials said over the weekend they anticipate NASCAR might give them a little more leeway in some areas of the car, while also restricting the ability to skew the rear of the cars. Not only will testing allow them to work now at the tracks that they race on, they also might need to work a little more on qualifying. Teams also are anticipating that NASCAR will get rid of the top-35 rule and go back to the previous system of the top 36 (or 37 or 38) cars in qualifying making the race, with the remainder of the field set by provisionals based primarily on owner points. The top-35 rule guarantees the top 35 teams in owner points starting spots in each race. The rest of the field must make the race on speed. Under the new format, all teams would have to qualify on speed or have enough owner points to be eligible for a provisional starting spot. NASCAR could announce that change and other new rules during a test at Talladega.
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This looks like six of one or a half dozen of another. :eek:
 
Personally I would rather watch the top 35 in owner points race than see a bunch more start and parks in the field , but that's just me .:(
 
ted@economy said:
Personally I would rather watch the top 35 in owner points race than see a bunch more start and parks in the field , but that's just me .:(
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The good thing for you is that television doesn't show them and even if you were there to see them live, they'd only be out there for a few laps.

Personally, I don't care about start and parks too much. They don't affect my viewing experience whether I'm at home or if I'm lucky enough to be at the track.
 
ted@economy said:
Personally I would rather watch the top 35 in owner points race than see a bunch more start and parks in the field , but that's just me .:(
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Personally, in a perfect world they'd do away with both by chopping the starting grid to 30 cars or so. Start and parks to me are a insult to the sport.
 
As DPK said, the S&P cars don't really impact the quality of the overall product for me.

I have never been a fan of the Top 35 rule but I do understand the need to have Joonyer, Gordon, Johnson and the like in every race - no matter what happens to them during their qualifying attempts.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
The good thing for you is that television doesn't show them and even if you were there to see them live, they'd only be out there for a few laps.

Personally, I don't care about start and parks too much. They don't affect my viewing experience whether I'm at home or if I'm lucky enough to be at the track.
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YEP
 
i don't care about S&P's either. Better if they are out of the way. I do feel the sport would be healthier if less purse money went to them and more went to competitors.
 
Not for nothing but isn't it more the ESPN/FOX/TNT that pushes the full starting field? I thought they brought up some where that the tv contract states something about starting 42 cars.
 
basscatcher89 said:
Not for nothing but isn't it more the ESPN/FOX/TNT that pushes the full starting field? I thought they brought up some where that the tv contract states something about starting 42 cars.
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Not directed at you. This is for anyone. If someone could post that television contract that requires full fields I'd like to see it. I've seen it posted before and never anything that backs up that claim.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
I'm confused by this. Why would this encourage more?
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In theory it could bring out more start and parks because there'd be more positions open. Right now there's 7-8 spots available depending on the past champions provisional.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
I'm confused by this. Why would this encourage more?
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The way I see it ; right now there are a maximum of 8 start and parks that can make the field . Without the top 35 rule , that maximum can increase . I'm just sayin , be careful what you wish for. In the end , it really doesn't matter to me who races at the back of the field.
 
I read somewhere that the top 35 get a share of the TV money at the end of the year. That probably motivates a few backmarkers to race.
 
ted@economy said:
The way I see it ; right now there are a maximum of 8 start and parks that can make the field . Without the top 35 rule , that maximum can increase . I'm just sayin , be careful what you wish for. In the end , it really doesn't matter to me who races at the back of the field.
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I'd like to see the field reduced to 36 cars with only the top 30 locked in.
 
ted@economy said:
The way I see it ; right now there are a maximum of 8 start and parks that can make the field . Without the top 35 rule , that maximum can increase . I'm just sayin , be careful what you wish for. In the end , it really doesn't matter to me who races at the back of the field.
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I don't see it changing at all as far as the S&P's go. Apparently they are talking about taking the top 36, 37 or 38 on speed and the rest off of owners points for the provisionals. S&P's by nature will never grow in numbers as the owners points are earned like the drivers points are and you sure don't earn those pulling into the garage after 5 laps.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
I don't see it changing at all as far as the S&P's go. Apparently they are talking about taking the top 36, 37 or 38 on speed ....
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It's likely just me , but can't start and parks put a qualifying set up in that would give them an advantage ? I know they would have to race it for a few laps or come in to the pits on lap 1 and change it out , but at many tracks they could qualify with ease.
 
ted@economy said:
It's likely just me , but can't start and parks put a qualifying set up in that would give them an advantage ? I know they would have to race it for a few laps or come in to the pits on lap 1 and change it out , but at many tracks they could qualify with ease.
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Many tracks have already announced that next year they are going back to their old qualifying days. In other words..... Tracks that they've recently been qualifying on Saturday's are going back to Fridays. Martinsville is one of the more recent ones to announce that. This will enable all of the competitors to run qualifying setups and then get them changed back to their race setup before the race during other practices. About the only exception that I can think of is Richmond. What I am getting at is that they will now qualify with the qualifying setups. I don't believe for a second that the S&P's are all of the sudden going to be qualifying way ahead of the competition. And again, owners points are what determine those provisionals. That's a huge factor. If any of the regulars have issues in qualifying they will have far more owners points then any of the S&P's. I think I'll simply agree to disagree with your thoughts on this but I guess we'll see how this all unfolds next season. :cool:
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
Many tracks have already announced that next year they are going back to their old qualifying days. In other words..... Tracks that they've recently been qualifying on Saturday's are going back to Fridays. Martinsville is one of the more recent ones to announce that. This will enable all of the competitors to run qualifying setups and then get them changed back to their race setup before the race during other practices. About the only exception that I can think of is Richmond. What I am getting at is that they will now qualify with the qualifying setups. I don't believe for a second that the S&P's are all of the sudden going to be qualifying way ahead of the competition. And again, owners points are what determine those provisionals. That's a huge factor. If any of the regulars have issues in qualifying they will have far more owners points then any of the S&P's. I think I'll simply agree to disagree with your thoughts on this but I guess we'll see how this all unfolds next season. :cool:
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Okay, I didn't know that they were going to go back to the old qualifying procedures. I though that was put in to reduce costs to the teams .
 
ted@economy said:
Okay, I didn't know that they were going to go back to the old qualifying procedures. I though that was put in to reduce costs to the teams .
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No, they are expanding the weekends again. Heck, they're even adding testing back in the fold. Seems like they're done trying to help save teams money. Besides, they have the money they have. They'll spend it somewhere. ;)
 
The importance of qualifying can be demonstrated by the fact that some teams will qualify for Destructor Plate Races with no alternator belt. The advantage of reducing that small amount of drag on the engine can make the difference between going home and starting the race.

In 2010, Joe Nemechek qualified for the Daytona 500, ran 64 laps, finished 43rd and took home $261,424.00

The top 35 rule may have some impact on the number of S&P teams we see each week. Will more available spots in the field bring more teams competing for those spots? I dunno...
 
robbybee said:
The top 35 rule may have some impact on the number of S&P teams we see each week. Will more available spots in the field bring more teams competing for those spots? I dunno...
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I think they stay home now because they can't beat the S&P's, much less the top 34th and 35th cars.
 
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