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December 16, 2007
NASCAR allows point switch for Hornish to ensure a starting spot
We saw it last season with the merger or DEI/Ginn, the #15 getting the points to be able to make the races. Now we're going to see it again for 2008, NASCAR is allowing Penske to switch the points for Hornish, to guarantee him a spot in the first five races. By switching the points, it makes Kurt Busch have to make it in on speed or use one of his Championship Provisionals.
While some say big deal, I don't agree with this, of course I don't agree with the top 35 rule either. I think each and every driver should make the race on time or go home, no matter who they are.
If I could make changes to qualifying, there wouldn't be anymore top 35 being guaranteed a spot, everyone would be required to make it in on time. I would also change the Championship Provisional, I would make it where the only one that could use this would be last years Championship winner (in this case Johnson), but only allow two provisionals at max, all other times they would have to make it in on time.
Other changes would be if a car fails pre-qualifying inspection, they don't get to qualify period, they just pack it up and go home.
Your thoughts? What changes would you make to qualifying?
December 16, 2007 in NASCAR | Permalink
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Comments
Seems like every year there is a new rule that shouldn't be there in the rule book. This too is a travesty. A few years ago the 2 biggest souvenir sales drivers miss the chase so they start to come up with a different plan. The following year a defending cup champ misses the chase and then they xhange the rules. Buying teams points {Michael Waltrip} to ensure you make a race. And the top 35 rule that had cars that qualified faster than top 35 cars go home due to points. And now this changing of points around as wanted to ensure that a new guy makes the field for the first 5 races. Is it me or is Brian France slowly killing the credibility of the sport? The top 35 rule needs to go away! The old saying "run whatcha brung and hope ya brung enough" really should apply here. No more favors and deals etc. If the guys I root for do not make the field well that's just racing in my mind. No whining, no excuses etc. Go fast or go home. Just my opinion.
Posted by: Scott | Dec 16, 2007 7:43:02 PM
This is a complete joke. NASCAR should abolish the champion's provisional right now. I would love to see Kurt Busch's reaction if that happened, and how quickly Roger Penske would backtrack and try to undo the points swap. The champion's provisional used to be a security blanket for drivers like Richard Petty and Darrell Waltrip, but now it's nothing more than a loophole that allows teams to swap points to get all their cars in the race and hire retired past champions as fill-in drivers to guarantee their cars starting spots when they fall outside of the top 35.
The 77-2 point swap is a joke. The fact that Petty Enterprises was prepared to swap the points on the 43 and 45 cars in the event that the 45 fell outside of the top 35 is a joke. Terry Labonte driving the #11 car in 2005, the #96 car in 2006, and the #55 car in 2007 because of his champion's provisional is a joke. Bill Elliott driving the #21 while the car was 36th in points, then stepping out when it jumped to 35th, and then jumping back in as soon as it fell back to 36th is a joke.
THE CHAMPION'S PROVISIONAL IS THE SINGLE BIGGEST JOKE OF A RULE IN NASCAR TODAY.
The system of 1-36 based on qualifying speeds and 37-43 based on provisionals was great, besides the champion's provisional part.
NASCAR completely dropped the ball after the 2004 season when they overreacted to low car counts and created the top 35 rule (not coincidentally that was the exact number of teams that attempted to qualify for every race in '04). That top 35 model would have worked fine if for the rest of time there were only 35 full-time teams, but NASCAR's ridiculous short-sightedness never took into a count that the full-time car count could possibly grow as much as it has.
Posted by: stricklinfan82 | Dec 16, 2007 8:00:44 PM
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