New Qualifying Rules Formalized

T

TonyB

Guest
From NASCAR.com

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- NASCAR Thursday announced a new qualifying procedure for its three national touring series: Nextel Cup, Busch and Craftsman Trucks.

Per the procedure, a certain number of owners in each series will be guaranteed starting positions in their respective race fields based on owners' championship points, and all other entries will try for the remaining positions based on qualifying speeds.

In the Nextel Cup Series, the top 35 owners in the point standings will be guaranteed starting positions somewhere within the top 42 positions in the 43-car field, based on their qualifying speeds. The other seven starters among the top 42 will line up based on their qualifying speed.

In the Busch Series, the top 30 owners in the point standings will be guaranteed starting positions somewhere within the top 42 positions in the 43-car field, based on their qualifying speeds. The other 12 starters among the top 42 will line up based on their qualifying speed.

In the Craftsman Truck Series, the top 30 owners in the point standings will be guaranteed starting positions somewhere within the top 35 positions of the 36-truck field, based on their qualifying speeds. The other five starters among the top 35 will line up based on their qualifying speed.

Cars and trucks in either the top 35 or top 30 positions -- depending on the series -- and others will be interspersed throughout the field, based on their qualifying speeds.

For example, a car owner who is making his first appearance at the 2005 Daytona 500 could win the pole position if his driver posts the fastest speed in Bud Pole Qualifying.

The final starting position -- the "champion's provisional" -- can be utilized by a car or truck owner whose driver is a current or past series champion who participated as a driver during the respective series' 2004 season and was entered in the event for that owner in that car or truck prior to the entry deadline.

If there is more than one series champion vying for the position, it will be given to the most recent series champion. If no past champions are in that position, the next eligible car or truck owner according to qualifying results will make the field.

Teams will no longer accrue "provisional starting positions" throughout the season to gain entry into starting fields for any of the three series.

The new systems assure the highest-ranked positions in the respective series' owner championship points a starting position provided they have entered the event prior to the entry deadline and have made an attempt to qualify.

Through the first five races of the 2005 season, 2004 owner championship points will be used to determine the top 35 in the Cup Series and the top 30 in Busch Series. From the sixth race on, the current owner championship points will be used to determine the top positions each race week in the respective series.

Through the first four races of the 2005 Craftsman Truck Series season, 2004 owner championship points will be used to determine the top 30. From the fifth race on the current owner championship points will be used to determine the top positions each race week.

In the event that conditions prevent qualifying from being run, starting positions will be assigned according to the respective series' 2005 rule book.
 
can you say matt Kenseth!? hehe :)

yeah, that's pretty much what it comes to.
to ensure again that the top teams/drivers are race'n for people to "pay" to see their favorite drivers.

if it's owner points, that means that the "small timers" won't have that many chances to get their cars in. AGAIN.

tho, they are try'n to even out the play'n field, with car cost and all... I guess time will tell in that area.

I just feel it'll keep the Hendrick,RCR,Rousch,DEI's of the Cup series "in the race".

Ya know?
 
set the filed by time, run a 5-10 lap heat race.

that way anyone as a chance to make the race. and someone may not.
 
Question?
What happens if 2 past champions crash out and are not able to post a qualifing time? Is one of them going home?
Betsy
 
This may be an unlikly scenario, but possible;

55 cars show up to qualify, that's 12 more than can be in the race.

ALL 20 cars NOT guaranteed a starting spot qualify in the top 30 on speed.

What happens now? 12 go home anyway because the top 35 are guaranteed a starting spot.

How is this good?

ALL starting spots should be on speed alone, go fast or go home!
 
Eagle1 said:
This may be an unlikly scenario, but possible;

55 cars show up to qualify, that's 12 more than can be in the race.

ALL 20 cars NOT guaranteed a starting spot qualify in the top 30 on speed.

What happens now? 12 go home anyway because the top 35 are guaranteed a starting spot.

How is this good?

ALL starting spots should be on speed alone, go fast or go home!
Click to expand...


I think I thought of the that when this was first mentioned. Not too sure how good it is either. But, they all know it coming in.........it's a gamble for new teams and one I'm sure will be taken eagerly by many. One thing is sure, it will make the "big boys" more pressured to do well every race to keep their guarantee..........some "no body" could come along and put them in the bleachers in a very short time!!

I was very skeptical about the C4C early last season........became a huge fan of it by a quarter of the season!! :) Time will tell.......I'm anxious to see how it all plays out.
 
heres all they have to do. get rid of provisonals. qualify your way into the race. other wise with provisonals whats the point of qualifying.

example.
say kenseth spins in qualifying and wrecks. and say gordon and rusty blow motors. now everyone else runs good laps and 45 cars entered the session. even though those guys wrecked or whatever they still make the race. even with teams like tony raines or kirk shelmerdine or whoever that run faster times than they did. now in my opinion thats not right.

heres my idea. say those same guys wreck again and everyone else same scenario. well from about 35th on back they could re-qualify and qualify there way into the race. this way there is no owner points or anything like that will interfere with the race entry. then if you run slower than the other guys from 35th on back then you go home. simple as that.
 
Not bad Hemi.........bring back the two day quals!! But without provisionals!! That would work for me..........as long as Carl Long gets the same opportunity!! :)
 
I miss the 2 day qualify'n runs. :( but then the engine programs would suffer.... and blah blah blah.

it's all boil'n down to money... and who has it/who wants it.

new qualify'n... what's wrong with the old way? seriously?

what's wrong with the old way of doing anything in NASCAR? besides the safer walls, and the HANS Device... maybe the fuel cell thing.. but, I'm still not sold on that (at the plate tracks that is) I think the green white checker thing is horrid. I understnad the fans want to see it end under green. But, 50 years it was done one way... when ya mess with a 50 year tradition with a small thing... like NASCAR has, and it snow balls into change'n more small things, and more BIG things then... and it turns into a whole new series all together?!... that's not right...

Sorry for the rant.. but, I'm just kinda gettgin fed up with all the "change" in NASCAR. it's not needed. :(

I think the new system pretty much promises an "all star" a starting spot... because they are on a good team.

I'm all about Kerry Earnhardt getting into races. I'd love to see him in each race! But, if he was on RCR's team full time, and his qual speeds sucked each week, he shouldn't race just because RCR has stacks of owner points.
 
Betsy said:
Question?
What happens if 2 past champions crash out and are not able to post a qualifing time? Is one of them going home?
Betsy
Click to expand...

The 43rd spot goes to the most recent past champion not otherwise qualified for the field. This isn't new. The 43rd spot has been going to the most recent past champion not otherwise qualified for many years.

I your scenario, if 2 past champions were both not in the top 35 in owner's points (perhaps Bill Elliott and Terry Labonte later this year) and they both failed to post a time that secured them a spot in the top 42, then one of them (Bill Elliott since Terry's last championship was more recent than Bill's) would be going home.
 
Alverez said:
I think the new system pretty much promises an "all star" a starting spot... because they are on a good team.
Click to expand...


I actually don't know the answer to this question... When was the last time a car in the top 35 in owner's points failed to qualify for a race?
 
I have yet to meet a single person that understands the new qualifying rules as they pertain to the twin 150s and all the variables that provides . Are bad teams from last year (outside the top guaranteed teams) new teams from this year and feild fillers all on equal ground and have to race thier way in ?
 
Pandorasbox said:
I have yet to meet a single person that understands the new qualifying rules as they pertain to the twin 150s and all the variables that provides . Are bad teams from last year (outside the top guaranteed teams) new teams from this year and feild fillers all on equal ground and have to race thier way in ?
Click to expand...

From the Daytona Beach News Journal
"The Daytona 500 is a special event because the qualifying procedure has always had more components to it than we normally see in one our other 35 races," Nextel Cup director John Darby said. "We will have pole day qualifying, then the twin races on Thursday (Feb. 17) become an extension of that qualifying, or Part II of the qualifying effort to become part of the Daytona 500."

As in years past, the top two qualifiers will lock into the 500 field, and the next 28 positions, will be decided by a driver's finish in the Gatorade Duel.

In years past positions 31-38 were earned based on qualifying runs with the back of the field filled with provisionals, based on the previous year's point standings.

"That part of the equation gets reversed," Darby said. "There will be some bumping involved from 2004 owners points and then speed follows at the end. It will be a little bit different. It won't be a complete new format from what we are used to in Speed Weeks."

Darby said the changes won't be official until the Daytona 500 entry blanks are finalized and mailed to competitors.

"That should be wrapped up this week," Darby said.
 
exactly alverez. no more change get back to the roots. people spending too much money way too much politics. the way it was last year is fine but get rid of provisonals. i dont think provisionals are right. if you dont make the race you dont make the race.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom