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CONCORD, N.C. -- For the first time in nearly six years, a NASCAR Winston Cup race could be short of the full 43-car field.
Only 42 cars are entered in Sunday's Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 at Darlington Raceway, one short of a full field.
The last time a Winston Cup race ran without a full field was the New Hampshire 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway on Nov. 23, 2001.
That race was to have a full field when it was scheduled to run, but the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks postponed the event to the end of the season.
By then, one team had folded, leaving the field a car short.
Before that, the last race to start with less than 43 cars was the Oct. 12, 1997 at Talladega Superspeedway, where 42 cars started the DieHard 500.
There were 45 cars entered at Atlanta. Some "extras" entered there but not at Darlington include Bobby Hamilton Jr., whose Team Rensi Motorsports team attempted its first Winston Cup race, Jeff Fultz and his CLR Racing Team and Brett Bodine, whose self-owned team has dropped back to a limited schedule in 2003.
Forty-five cars entered at Las Vegas, too, with 43 at Rockingham and 51 at Daytona. Derrike Cope entered all three of those events but isn't going to race at Darlington.
Some other part-time teams that decided to skip Darlington include Travis Carter Enterprises and driver Hideo Fukuyama, Sadler Motorsports and driver Hermie Sadler, Donlavey Racing and Andy Petree Racing.
Darlington faced a short field last year in the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 before Shawna Robinson and Andy Hillenburg were late entrants.
A few other races averted the short-field fate last year with last-minute entries. Notably, the first race at Bristol Motor Speedway, which saw the addition of Marcis Auto Racing to make it a 43-car field, and the first race at Pocono Raceway, where Carl Long and Frank Kimmel decided to race only a few days before the event.
but jayski said that the 09 car might attempt the race to make it a 43 car field
Only 42 cars are entered in Sunday's Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 at Darlington Raceway, one short of a full field.
The last time a Winston Cup race ran without a full field was the New Hampshire 300 at New Hampshire International Speedway on Nov. 23, 2001.
That race was to have a full field when it was scheduled to run, but the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks postponed the event to the end of the season.
By then, one team had folded, leaving the field a car short.
Before that, the last race to start with less than 43 cars was the Oct. 12, 1997 at Talladega Superspeedway, where 42 cars started the DieHard 500.
There were 45 cars entered at Atlanta. Some "extras" entered there but not at Darlington include Bobby Hamilton Jr., whose Team Rensi Motorsports team attempted its first Winston Cup race, Jeff Fultz and his CLR Racing Team and Brett Bodine, whose self-owned team has dropped back to a limited schedule in 2003.
Forty-five cars entered at Las Vegas, too, with 43 at Rockingham and 51 at Daytona. Derrike Cope entered all three of those events but isn't going to race at Darlington.
Some other part-time teams that decided to skip Darlington include Travis Carter Enterprises and driver Hideo Fukuyama, Sadler Motorsports and driver Hermie Sadler, Donlavey Racing and Andy Petree Racing.
Darlington faced a short field last year in the Carolina Dodge Dealers 400 before Shawna Robinson and Andy Hillenburg were late entrants.
A few other races averted the short-field fate last year with last-minute entries. Notably, the first race at Bristol Motor Speedway, which saw the addition of Marcis Auto Racing to make it a 43-car field, and the first race at Pocono Raceway, where Carl Long and Frank Kimmel decided to race only a few days before the event.
but jayski said that the 09 car might attempt the race to make it a 43 car field
