Top-35 rule could be changed: NASCAR is considering changing the number of teams locked into each Nextel Cup race by virtue of owner points, an official source within the sanctioning body confirmed to SPEEDTV.com Saturday at Daytona International Speedway. Currently, the top 35 teams in NASCAR Nextel Cup owner points are guaranteed starting spots at each race, regardless of where they actually qualify in the field. Teams outside the top 35 must attempt to qualify for the remaining eight spots in each Cup event. When NASCAR first adopted the system of locking in the top 35 in owner points, it was when car counts were low at Cup races. The rationale of guaranteeing starting spots was to protect small, independent teams who showed up every week, but usually were not among the fastest in the field. With the advent of a host of new teams in 2007, including five from Toyota’s new Nextel Cup effort, fields have swelled this year, resulting in many fully sponsored teams going home on a weekly basis. That may be about to change, the NASCAR official confirmed in an exclusive interview with SPEEDTV.com. “We’ve had ongoing discussions about changing the number of teams we lock in,” said the official, who spoke on condition of anonymity. The end result could be that the number of guaranteed starters would be reduced from 35 to perhaps 30 or 25. The NASCAR official stressed that no decision had been made yet, but the matter will continue to be a front-burner topic for the sanctioning body. (SPEEDtv.com)