Qualifying on time

dpkimmel2001

dpkimmel2001

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Are the top-35 days numbered? I sure hope so. Lee Spencer is reporting that the decision makers at NASCAR are thinking of changing the qualifying rules. Maybe someone is listening although it reads as though we'd simply be taking a step back in time and that's alright by me.

NASCAR is kicking around the idea of qualifying the top 38 drivers on time and cutting the number of provisionals down to four plus one for former champions. With sponsors at a premium right now, it could be catastrophic to eliminate provisionals altogether, particularly when a driver missing a race could result in a benefactor pulling its support from the team.
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From here.
 
Don't see that will change anything dp . If anything , it may give a slight advantage to a to a start and park team over an underfunded back marker .They could use a qualifying motor/set up ,where the back marker would have to use a race motor/set up .
 
May be making some tweaks to make it seem like they are on the move. Just sayin.
 
Why should a past champion from years back get a guaranteed starting position? Unfortunately Ol' DW made a mockery of starting 43rd.
 
Why not dump the entire top 35 rule and allow teams to take cash to drop out of the race, like Daddy Menard did a couple of years back? Seeing some money flow from a big team to a small team with no funding can't be a bad thing, and everyone gets what they came for.
 
Lock in the top 20, use a consolation race for the remainder of the cars, and have a couple of provisionals in case some good cars get wrecked or have trouble in the consi.
 
Johali said:
May be making some tweaks to make it seem like they are on the move. Just sayin.
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I have to agree. This seems like another BS way to accomplish the samething. The Top-35 rule needs to go but the solution they have here seems it would be the smoke and mirrors version of it.
 
NHRA has real qualifying but the difference is that at least in NHRA the guys who actually make the field compete to win once they have made the race. In NASCAR the start and park guys run a few laps and have 0 chance of winning.

If the NASCAR had 44-50 cars every week that actually had a chance at winning every race then yes they should let the 43 qualify on time. Until that happens though there is no reason to have someone who is actually going to race for the win miss the race just so these start and park cars can run 1 to 30 laps and then park it the rest of the night. F*ck that bs.
 
I would only allow a provsional for the defending champ, and the current point leader. I know sponsors want to be protected, but in a sporting event comptetion must prevail. The integrity of the product should be the paramount concern.
 
Greg said:
I would only allow a provsional for the defending champ, and the current point leader. I know sponsors want to be protected, but in a sporting event comptetion must prevail. The integrity of the product should be the paramount concern.
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Again though, why protect these start and park cars who aren't going to go for the win. Running 1 to 30 laps just to collect a paycheck doesn't scream integrity of the product either.
 
In 2004, the year before the top 35 rule, 50 teams/car made an attempt to qualify for the Brickyard 400. This weekend 47 teams are scheduled to qualify.
 
StewartHaas-Gibbs Racing said:
Again though, why protect these start and park cars who aren't going to go for the win. Running 1 to 30 laps just to collect a paycheck doesn't scream integrity of the product either.
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That's my only problem with S&P's. Some team that planned to race is pushed out. These guys should find a way to do a deal to collect a check to withdraw and go home after qualifying to make room for the team that actually has a pit crew.
 
ted@economy said:
Don't see that will change anything dp . If anything , it may give a slight advantage to a to a start and park team over an underfunded back marker .They could use a qualifying motor/set up ,where the back marker would have to use a race motor/set up .
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But they do that now and then, after five weeks of doing so, they're locked in the field for basically the entire season.
 
StewartHaas-Gibbs Racing said:
NHRA has real qualifying but the difference is that at least in NHRA the guys who actually make the field compete to win once they have made the race. In NASCAR the start and park guys run a few laps and have 0 chance of winning.

If the NASCAR had 44-50 cars every week that actually had a chance at winning every race then yes they should let the 43 qualify on time. Until that happens though there is no reason to have someone who is actually going to race for the win miss the race just so these start and park cars can run 1 to 30 laps and then park it the rest of the night. F*ck that bs.
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Yeh that is a good point, so make that if you qualify into the race, you must race at least 100 laps, this would get rid of most of the start park problem.
 
Let's not forget the point buying business. You have several teams that locked themselves in the top 35 by buying points. As a result, Rick Ware Racing, which is not a start and park team and had the intent of running the entire race, had to shut down their Cup operation even though they were quicker than the guys who bought their position.

The top 35 rule has outlived its worth. It's not like you have 50 cars showing up and 40 full time teams. Now, you have 45 cars showing up and five or six of the cars "locked in" parking their car five laps in to a race.

Man, it would be nice to only have to do two articles a year and collect a full salary.... or only have to write the first sentence to each article.
 
Who gives a rats ass? It's the same arguments for and against. I just don't care about back markers. Hell, I wouldn't mind seeing the field reduced to 36 cars where only 32 are locked in. And remove the past champ provisional.
 
Matthew2470 said:
Who gives a rats ass? It's the same arguments for and against. I just don't care about back markers. Hell, I wouldn't mind seeing the field reduced to 36 cars where only 32 are locked in. And remove the past champ provisional.
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Been saying this for years, give me 30-35 very competitive teams versus what we have now anyday. I just don't understand why Nascar is damn stuck on fielding 43 cars.:confused:
 
Mopardh9 said:
Been saying this for years, give me 30-35 very competitive teams versus what we have now anyday. I just don't understand why Nascar is damn stuck on fielding 43 cars.:confused:
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It's a real head scratcher in a time when teams that compete for the whole race could use their share of the $100 to 150K of purse money that's squandered on S&P's each week.
 
StewartHaas-Gibbs Racing said:
NHRA has real qualifying but the difference is that at least in NHRA the guys who actually make the field compete to win once they have made the race. In NASCAR the start and park guys run a few laps and have 0 chance of winning.

If the NASCAR had 44-50 cars every week that actually had a chance at winning every race then yes they should let the 43 qualify on time. Until that happens though there is no reason to have someone who is actually going to race for the win miss the race just so these start and park cars can run 1 to 30 laps and then park it the rest of the night. F*ck that bs.
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But a rule like that would be way better honestly. If you're not fast enough to make the race then you don't make the race. Do it in two qualifying sessions and if after two you're not in you don't race and that would surely shake things up a lot. It might mess up sales a bit but think if someone like Kyle Busch, Jimmie Johnson, Dale Jr, or Jeff Gordon failed to make a race. John Force has missed NHRA races before and nothing was hurt from that.
 
I don't know . I kinda like the idea of having a break every quarter of a mile . That would be a great place to put the commercials in . And the Force girls would give Danica a run for her money .
 
NASCAR Robin Pemberton confirms the top 35 rule may be abandoned in 2013 with new qualifying rules based on speed.

He also said car owners are expressing an interest in getting rid of (or altering) top 35 rule & testing at tracks they race.
 
dpkimmel2001 said:
He also said car owners are expressing an interest in getting rid of (or altering) top 35 rule & testing at tracks they race.
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What I would like to see is NASCAR organize test dates for teams not using 7-post data, not even by affiliation.
 
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