Sprint Cup qualifying changes announced
Quote selected text Published December 9th, 2007 in NASCAR News
NASCAR is changing its qualifying system for next year.
Instead of a draw to determine the qualifying order, teams outside the top 35 in the owner points will qualify together at the beginning of the session leaving the top 35 to qualify after. The theory is that track conditions should be the same for teams competing for the eight available starting spots.
- Fans to decide one driver’s entry into The Sprint All-Star Race
- NASCAR cancels Cup qualifying after Chicago storms
- Sprint Cup to be announced at Daytona on Saturday-report
- NASCAR’s premier series to be named NASCAR Sprint Cup Series beginning Jan. 1, 2008
- Rain delays Sprint Cup practice at California
Finally they do something worth my reading about.
I’m happy for the teams outside of the top 35!
I still think they need to drop the top 35 down to like the top 20. That would shake somethings up.
This is a great idea.
I think it should be the top 25 and then it would be a bit interesting.
How about dropping to Top 35 altogether???
It still doesn’t solve the fact that the 9th fastet qualifier can still end up going home! This doesn’t help them any…fastest 43! Plain and simple.
Hell if you just let the chasers from the past year be locked in that’d be great too!
Great idea Nick!!!! That would be crazy
howbout the top 10?
this is still bs….
time they did something.
TOP 43 CARS ON SPEED. YOU S__K NASCAR.
I agree with Nick. Race the fastest 43 cars, not letting cars be locked in. Or even go a little old school, like the old Winston Cup Rules by allowing 2 past champions provisionals, and 1 race provisional. I’d much rather watch the fastest 43 race than ones that dont even try because they are locked in. It would make Qualifying more exciting too.
To those who wish to drop the top 35 all together…can’t imagine
if Dale Jr, Jimmy Johnson, or “any other BIG NAME HERE” not make
the race and it’s your driver…then you’ll be ready for the top 35
again.
Even better idea… increase the feild to 45 and lock the top 30 and have 1 past champions provisional. I think that would make things a lot better. I know that some of the tracks don’t have 45 pit stalls so a few teams will have to share until the tracks can get their pit roads a little bigger.
Either take the 43 fastest, Lock in the top 10 from the previous weeks race, or make the Cup series a closed series.
Only top 15
F all that. there are 43 slots in the race, therefore, ALL 43 NEED TO BE AVAILABLE. if Jr (and yes, i’m a Jr fan)
can’t go fast enough, SEND HIS ASS HOME! geez. how freakin hard is that? besides, rarely would a superstar not have
a fast enough car!
I thinks its important that we understand
the fastest 43 option isn’t good
since if the championship leader
has a mechanical difficulty with his car-
sending them home would be disasterous.
I like the bottom 35 idea and then the top 35
should qualify in 3 different sessions like in f1
I say do it like the good ole Saturday nite races and have Heats.That would make it fun!!
andrew wrote:
That is the breaks of the game.
Plus the points race would be tighter if that happened.
I think that there should be no guarenteed spots for anyone,too. That would give everyone a fair chance.
I agree. No guaranteed spots.
In my dictionary “speed” and “racing” are synonymous. There should be no pretty boy system. I hope NASCAR is smart enough to know things still need to be tweaked.
I can’t believe people are still arguing that it would be “disasterous” for the points leader (AKA highest profile team) to be sent home. Racing is about overoming obstacles not being handed victories.
good they did something but they should dump the top 35.
It was only brought in cause of teams trying to make a few races. With like 50 guys trying to make every race they should now dump the top 35 altogether.
They have made chances that don’t helpo Nascar at all (IE The stupid chase) It’s time they actually do something that helps them.
Classic example is the first COT race at Talladega…Jeff Gordon ended up 53rd fastest at the close of the session, was allowed to race and ended up winning. Whereas 9th and 10th place qualifiers AJ Allmendinger and Boris Said (respectively) had to go home! That isn’t racing in my opinion…
Drop the whole Top 35 thing…period. It’s too complicated.
Fastest 43 make it, the rest go home.
As they say in NHRA Drag Racing, “No provisionals, no Top 35, no owners points… Go hard or go home.”
this isnt anything to jump up and down about even though i’m a junior fan i still feel if he isnt fast enough he shouldnt race thats what racing was built on going fast so i’m not impressed
That sounds good. It will be fun to watch what teams will make up those 8 spots for the “Go or Go Home” teams.
nascar is too concerned about losing money from sponsors if they do that. which makes no sense since they kick sponsors out anyway.its not about the racing anymore. the cot proved that.this is just gonna turn into americas F1. honestly id rather watch lousy tv comentary an still have good racing than have great coverage of a boring parade. fastest 43 and thats it. welcome to your end nascar keep it up and see how many fans stick around after the next stunt.
Qualify on speed for ALL teams. If you ain’t fast enough - you don’t race. Period.
THE FASTEST 43 CARS EVERY WEEK ——NOBODY RIDES ON LAST WEEKS LUCK!!!!!!!!
NickB wrote:
Perfect example of whats wrong with the present top 35 qualifying system…
Race hard to qualify or wait for next week no matter who you are…
Double the points for the top 5 finish places and triple the points for a win. Then maybe we will see racing for a win as more valuable then playing it safe and holding onto 2,3,4,5, place…
Lastly why does NASCAR have to change the names of the series ? Why can’t they just permanently make it
1) THE CUP SERIES sponsored by…….
2) THE SPORTSMAN SERIES sponsored by…….
3) THE TRUCK SERIES sponsored by…….
GOT MONEY? BUY YOUR STARTING SPOT…..GOT MORE? BUY A WIN, A CHAMPIONSHIP?……………..GO HARD OR GO HOME…….KENNY WALLACE KNOWS THAT ……HELL MICHEAL WALTRIP KNOWS THAT……ITS TIME PEOPLE LIKE GORDON, STEWART, EARNHART, HENDRICK, WERE REMINDED SLOW CARS GO HOME …………………..NASCAR WAS RACING
fastest 43 period…..
I agree with Nash. I think that all 43 cars should qualify and none should be locked. And get rid of the past champions provisional!!!!! All of the drivers that use them never do good anyways
to hell w/ top 35 make EVERYBODY have to qualify on time they didnt really change that much heaven forbid jr or gordon not make a race
i’m about done with NASCAR, I’d rather go to a local short track race and see some good hard racing than sit and watch it on tv because it’s not what it used to be anymore
I agree with Aimee - - Drop the whole Top 35 Rule !!!
You guys will cry and wish the fastest 43 qualify never happen cuase if your driver is not one of them. What goes around comes around so when jeff dosent make a race u’ll be thank god for the 43 car rule and if someone like stewart, jr, johnson etc dont make the show ull be all like this is stupid.
Bob wrote:
When you pay almost a billion dollars for your sponsorship, I think you should get to call it whatever you want.
Also the Nationwide series hasn’t been any thing close to a sportsman series in a long time. I think the biggest mistake NASCAR made was dropping “Grand National” from the Busch series name. (Personally I still refer to it as the Grand National series)
somewat true sal lol
Sal wrote:
See as a lifelong race fan I disagree with you 100% I don’t want to see somebody race because of their name, or because of their money. I want to see them race because they are the fastest. And if you ain’t part of the fastest then you go home.
Honestly that is the one thing I hate about going to the races every week, 20 cars are supposed to start, but some crybaby who didn’t make it in will buy his way in, and then just be too slow to actually race.
Sal, Sorry but you couldn’t be more wrong. Nascar qualifying used to be based solely on
speed. And, it was perfect. Now, it’s just a song & dance for the sponsors. If they want
to keep their audience they should listen to the fans who have been watching their whole
lives. I would feel the same if my driver went home because he didn’t qualify well as if they
didn’t win the race. I’m bummed but at least it’s totally 100% fair. Nascar is constantly
talking about how they are doing things to “even the playing field”. This would totally be
in keeping with that little saying.
Thank God for TVio
Bottom Line!! I have been racing all my life. I have big sponsors, and I am a champion. I have to qualify for every show. I have no provisionals!! Either should they.
Qualify or go home.
No more top 35 in points.
No more STUPID chase.
If you get caught with a rules infraction - loss of all points, loss of all money and loss of win. In other words DQ!! (Like real racing is everywhere else.)
Nascar your ratings are down because you made it too commercialized. You dont care about the fans, ALL you care about is the money!! How much money do you need?? Tickets are outrageous. Gas Prices are too. Hotels are ridiculously over priced for that particular weekend. Seats are empty except for the short tracks. Bottom line Brian France your a moron
The old timers division thats being started with Cale, Dave Pearson, Trickle, Marcus etc is going to be cool. Old school drivers on dirt in stock cars. Watch them ratings and learn Nascar!!
Geez. You ruined something that could have been great. MORONS!!
Kenneth, your email inbox is full, please contace me concerning this article. Thanks
Marc wrote:
AMEN FROM ANOTHER OLD SCHOOL RACER….
Its about time they helped the ones outside of the 35. nascar just worries about sponsors anyway. my question to you readers is this, How may of you watch racing to see the sponsors? i watch the race even though my favorite driver wasn’t always in it. i do like other drivers and racing. nascar needs to let them get back to ol fashion racing and stop nit picking the rules and sucking up to the highest paying sponsors. let the drivers duke it out after the race if they need too. which is more fun to watch, 2 racers heated on the sidelines after a race or 2 sponosrs fighting over who got more air time??? think about it Nascar!!
I guess Nascar thinks that we all buy whatever products we see on the side of racecars. My favorite drivers were Alan Kulwicki and Rusty Wallace. I never went to Hooters and I hate beer. So, obviously the sponsors don’t mean anything to me. I watch racing because I love racing. I still think they need to concentrate on how it was done back in the day. How do they think it became the best sport ever. Not because of the fans buying sponsor’s products. It’s because we love the race.
I BELIEVE ALL OF YOU ARE OFF BASE…………………YOU ARE DEALING WITH THE SYMPTOM AND NOT SEEING THE DISEASE.
DO NOT ALLOW ANY OWNER MORE THAN ONE CAR.
THE SPONSORS WOULD STILL BE THERE. COMPETITION WOULD BE SERIOUS. THIS ALONE WOULD CHANGE THE QUALIFING AND THE 43 COULD STAND OR FALL EVERY RACE.
I GUESS IT WOULD REQUIRE A NEW RACING LEAGUE TO ACCOMPLISH THIS. NOW IT IS MONEY AND RATINGS (WHICH ARE DECLINING RAPIDLY) NOT RACING WHICH PRODUCES DECISIONS.
NASCAR IS OVERLOOKING THE VERY CORE WHICH BROUGHT THEM TO WHERE THEY ARE.
WATCH THE RATINGS CONTINUE TO GO DOWN. I FOR ONE, SURE HATE TO SEE THIS.
OK FISHY, I will grant you that the Bush Series has evolved from the struggling to race sportsman series into a cup clone series. That is why I would like to return to the Name of Sportsman. I also think the name Bush Series is a lot more representative of what it is but I’m sure that the name “Bush” will forever be tied to Bush Beer instead of “Bush Leage” so why not return to Sportsman Series??
As far as a sponsor spend a “BILLION $$” you will have to prove that one to me! Bush Beer never made that kind of money to spend on advertising…
No mater how much they spend it should be called what it is 1st then the name of it’s sponsor.
Sponsors change but the name of a series should always remain the same to avoid confusion. The mega $$ sponsor will get its name plastered all over enough.
I think it should be the 43 fastest cars all on speed. If you don’t qualify on time you aren’t in
the race. That could make points more interesting also. If one of the big names don’t qualify they
could slip in the points.
This is a step in the right direction. Like many of you, I’d rather see the fastest 43 in the field. We’ve talked about how the provisionals should be retired time and time again. Like we’ve read earlier this year, the NHRA didn’t have a problem sending people like John Force home when he wasn’t fast enough. NASCAR should do the same. Imagine Junior or Stewart missing a race because they weren’t fast enough! Mind boggling but possible. I would have no problem with that at all. The rules have to work for everyone or they don’t work at all.
i agree wit sum of them up there if nascar wants a fix its plain and simple let the fastest 43 cars race on sunday none of this top 35 bs i wouldnt mind seein gordon or johnson goin home if they arent the fastest on sunday