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How many starting spots should be guaranteed? (3-18-08)
By admin | March 18, 2008
How many starting spots should be guaranteed?
By Richard Allen
A hot topic in NASCAR after the fifth race of the season is the rule which guarantees 35 teams a starting position in each race before qualifying is even held.
The question is, how many starting spots should be guaranteed? Is 35 too many? Is 35 too few?
With a starting field of 43 cars for each race it may seem excessive to know in advance who over 80% of the drivers in a given race are going to be. However, some, in particular team owners and track promoters, would argue that it is essential for the financial health and stability of the teams and the sport to have such assurances.
Those guaranteed a spot in each race are the teams in the Top 35 of the Sprint Cup point standings. NASCAR uses the previous year’s standings to guarantee those spots for the first five races of a new season.
In a sense, insuring starting spots is NASCAR’s way of franchising. By doing this the sanctioning body is assuring its team owners, at least those in the Top 35, that their teams will have a certain value. Owners know they will be receiving at least some purse money, and more importantly, they can promise sponsors, or potential sponsors, their car will race on Sunday.
Also, fans benefit to a degree from the Top 35 rule. With ticket prices as high as they are along with the investment of time and effort to get to a race, most fans want the assurance of knowing their man is going to be in the show. The rule provides that assurance, unless of course that fan happens to cheer for someone outside the Top 35.
However, there are those who argue that the fastest 43 cars in qualifying should be the ones to race.
While that argument sounds good in theory, reality has to set in at some point. The reality is the biggest stars have the most fans. NASCAR and its tracks can not run the risk of having Dale Earnhardt, Jr., Jeff Gordon or Tony Stewart miss a race because they had a tire go flat during qualifying. There simply are too many fans who buy tickets or tune in the television broadcast to watch their favorite driver.
Tracks, television networks, vendors and local businesses surrounding the tracks would suffer too much if all the fans of one of the top stars were to stay home or not tune in. There is no way that would be good for the sport.
But the question remains, what is the right number to guarantee?
There are only eight spots available for teams outside the Top 35 in the standings. Does having so few open spots discourage the development of new teams? Does insuring certain teams the right to race also insure that some of those teams are only going to show up to collect their ‘appearance’ money and not to actually compete for wins?
So few spots being available has to serve as a deterrent in some way. Even if a prospective owner was willing to go ahead and take the risk of competing for one of the eight available spots, sponsors would be difficult to persuade knowing the chances are that the team will miss a race or races.
Also, and perhaps worst of all, it does seem as though there are some teams and drivers who are not racing to win but merely to collect that week’s purse money and move on to the next race. If this is indeed the case, nothing could be worse for the sport. Fans attend or watch races to see everyone give their best effort. If it appears there are too many riders and too few competitors on the track fans will be turned off.
It would seem to an outside observer looking in that 35 teams are too many to guarantee a starting position to. However, there is a need to have some certainty in the lineup. A reduced number, such as 30 or even 25, would open more places and possibly encourage new team growth. Also, all teams would be forced to race rather than ride to stay within that coveted placement.
*Part II of this article, which will deal with championship provisionals and point swaps among team members, should be online by Thursday.*
Richard Allen is a member of the National Motorsports Press Association. His weekly column appears in The Mountain Press every Wednesday.
Topics: Articles |
March 19th, 2008 at 4:46 am
I don’t have an issue with 35 teams guaranteed starting spots - what I have an issue with is them getting the top 35 - Once the field is set they should redraw and start by the # they draw -same as qualifying - would give a better race and make them earn the positions
March 19th, 2008 at 5:00 am
I think that it is backwards, qualify the top 35 postions. Then let the next postitons be porvisionals based on the same points system in place now, with one exception, you cannot use a provisional 2 weeks in a row, and you are only allowed 5 a year, just like the past champions provisional. This would give a saftey net to the top teams who have a bad week while allowing real racing to set the field.
March 19th, 2008 at 8:06 am
Fastest 43 race, period.
or
Make it a 44 car field, and have 11 4 car franchises, like stick and ball sports. After all, we have a stick and ball playoff format, right?
March 19th, 2008 at 8:26 am
the 40 fastest cars on speed with the last 3 going to the 3 hightest point positions that did not get in on speed. Does the NHRA care if Force makes the field, YES but do they guarantee him a spot NO. He has to be one of the fasted 16. Whats wrong with NASCAR, why would an owner spend money when they have 1 in a 7 chance of getting into the show. How do you send a guy home with the 10th fastes speed and allow a guy who has the 45th fastes speed in the show. How cool would the competetion be if JR fails to make a race, what a scramble in the points..Soon NASCAR will be paying owners to come to the show bwcause there wont be enough teams showing up..
March 19th, 2008 at 8:28 am
I would guarantee the top 10 from the previous race. I would allow ONE championship provisional per year for each championship earned. This would allow Jimmy Johnson two provisionals. I would give a lucky dog provisional for each win this season. I think this would improve the end of the race racing. I also think that qualifying should be held no matter if it cut into practice time or whatever. Just the thoughts of a new to NASCAR yankee granny who retired to the South and loves it.
March 19th, 2008 at 8:40 am
If the top 35 guaranteed starting spots in Cup is such a good idea, why are no spots set aside in Trucks or Nationwide for the very same reasons?
March 19th, 2008 at 9:45 am
Yes, fastest 43 EARN their way in each and every week.
No need to worry if your driver of choice blows a tire or whatever in qualifying and misses the show, you can probably see them in the Nationwide or the Craftsman truck series race, or both…where they have no business being in the first place.
Also, you should EARN your lap back, if you go a lap or more down, none of this Lucky Dog baloney. Nothing should be guaranteed or free.
March 19th, 2008 at 11:16 am
If we aren’t going to run the 43 fastest, then guarantee the 10, and let everyone else qualify their way in.
March 19th, 2008 at 11:51 am
The fastest 43 make it in. Period. No past champ provisionals, no buying or swapping points. You either make it in on speed or you come back next week.
March 19th, 2008 at 12:57 pm
For all those who think it should be the fastest 43 … would you still watch if your favorite driver wasn’t in the race ?
One problem not addressed by the top-35 rule is when an owner like Bobby Ginn or CNC Haas releases a driver who has earned the owner’s car into to the top-35, only to replace him with a driver out of the top-35.
I think the golf world may provide some insight with Q-school (where low performing golfers have to prove they deserve a tour card) …
1. guarantee 43 or 44 drivers a slot in each race,
2. after a quarter (or half) of the season, everyone not in the top-25 have to go to a Q-school, and re-qualify for the series (maybe by a series of heat races)
3. an owner who fires a driver looses the slot (unless for actions that NASCAR would suspend the driver for), yet the driver gets to keep it.
March 19th, 2008 at 1:53 pm
I believe they should only protect the top 25, as this is where NASCAR breaks off the $ payed from the points fund. This would also make for more racing in the back of the field. If weather is iffy only qualify those who need to racie in to the field. Theywould start behind the 35 (25) protected spots. This could be done prior to a practice session. Or you could have a twenty five lap qualifting rACE, These cars would than be in race trim.
March 19th, 2008 at 2:03 pm
I like the 35 except let the rest of the field race a 20 lapper to get in.
March 19th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
Who ever thought up the top 35 rule should have his a– kicked, who is going to spend millions to sponsor a car that is 36 or worse in owner points, I sure wouldn’t. I’m hoping those sponsors in the 36 and back pull there sponsorships from all those cars, then let’s see if NASCAR still wants the top 35.
March 19th, 2008 at 6:32 pm
I think it should be the top 12 from last year for the first 5 races and then the top 12 in this years point. Only the top 12 get to race for the title after 26 so lock them in for making it for the first five races and then whoevers in the chase positons is locked in weekly.
March 19th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
I agree with Ron (above) If anybody has to be locked in, it should be 25 cars. If qualifing is rained out, those out of the guaranteed spots should have a chance to qualify even if it is held early Sunday. Also I think that the previous seasons points ought to done away with. Everyone starts at Daytona with nothing, and has to make the race through the Twin 150s. If this would have been done last year, James Hylton and 9-time ARCA champ Frank Kimmel would have made the show and probably would get more teams showing up because they would have a better chance. I remember when Ricky Rudd came into the sport and under today’s rules, he would have never made it. So if ther has to drivers locked make it the top 25 in this season’s points.
March 19th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
1 scrap the whole present system.
2 Make Datona a “Freeforall” using the present “fast lap/qualifying race” format to set the field.
3 The top 25 (or pick a number) finishers are locked in the next race and so on for the season; everybody else qualifies; no provisionals.
4 Starting possitions, pit selection by qualifing time as is now. If a guarenteed starter fails to qualify — end of the line. IN event of a washed out qualifying session start possition set by finishing position in the previous race.
March 19th, 2008 at 6:56 pm
for joim read jim; I never claimed to be a typist or a spelling bee winner.
March 20th, 2008 at 4:55 am
No guarantees PERIOD…!!! Let all of the cars make their qualifying run, and then put the 43 fastest cars in the race. NO PROVISIONALS, NO TOP 35, just the 43 fastest cars. That doesn’t take a Rocket Scientist, does it?
March 20th, 2008 at 5:41 am
[…] How many starting spots should be guaranteed? By Richard Allen A hot topic in NASCAR after the fifth race of the season is the rule which guarantees 35 teams a starting position in each race before qualifying is even held. The question is, how many starting spots should be guaranteed? Is 35 too many? Is 35 too few? racingwithrich.com/?p=79 […]
March 20th, 2008 at 7:45 am
I know this has all been said but. this is racin’ race your way in , race your way to the front , that’s what racing in nascar used to be , still is in some racing venuse . Yeah i’m an oldie , been around a long time .
Tell me how the smaller startup teams ever going to get as big as multi-teams or as good if they aren’t given a chance to do this . As someone who has had to drive home because of this I know.
You do it this way , let these small guys race a few times , win a few races , and they’ll start getting sponsers , and start challenging the big guys .
Of course that would mess up the sport??
Beatle
March 20th, 2008 at 8:51 am
To answer somebody’s question, yes I would still watch if it was the fastest 43 because I’m a race fan.