Nascar needs to fix the Qualifying procedures

[Mark in Oshawa]

AS for this discussion the top 35 and how people with faster times are sent home than some in the top 35, provide the actual proof. I know it may have happened, but I am usually in the truck and listen to the qualifying show on MRN/PRN on the Sirius every Friday. The guys going home are usually NOT slower than any of the regulars. Furthermore, no promotor in his right mind would be happy if say Matt Kenseth was sent home so we would see Larry Gunselman's "Start and park" effort quit after 10 laps.

The other fact many who attack the top 35 forget is that teams work more on race setup because they KNOW they are in the field. If you had no provisionals, no support, believe me, the poor teams that have a shot now would have a perennial view of the back of the well funded efforts infront of them. As it is now, the "go or go home" guys all qualify at the back of the order, and they are all fighting for that last 8 spots. They are not actually worrying about having to compete with Hendrick or Roush. They actually have a better chance of qualifying and doing better because the big teams don't pull out the stops to get fast times. It means you can make the pole like Patrick Carpentier did last year at New Hampshire and make a splash. If that top 35 rule wasn't around, Pat woudln't have had a crack at it believe me.

I am not a huge fan of the top 35, but I get why they brought it in, and I have seen how teams that are regularly outside of the top 35 are given a realistic chance to make races, and what is more, if they keep trying, and are coming to every event, in the event of rainouts they get their spot in the field. NASCAR always is rewarding consistency and showing up to every event. They want full fields and they will favour teams that give them that. Lets face it, the way it is now, a small team starting out doesn't have to out qualify Tony Stewart and Jeff Gordon. The best driver they will have to beat will be whomever is in the 21 if it is there, or maybe Scott Speed. What is really more realistic?

[call_me_andrew]

Faster cars being sent home mostly happens at plate tracks.

I think the only real problem the pre-top-35 rule had was that no one understood it. All you would hear is, "Darrel Waltrip took a provisional. Hut Stricklen took a provisional. Darrel Waltrip is out of provisionals. Darrel Waltrip has an extra four provisionals now." There was never any explanation to how you got a provisional, when you could use it, how many you could have in a season, or in what order provisional drivers start. The driver's qualifying time was listed as "Provisional".

But the good thing about that system was that the fastest 36 always started the race. And then I think the top 6 in owners points plus the most recent champion were locked into the race.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Faster cars being sent home mostly happens at plate tracks.

I think the only real problem the pre-top-35 rule had was that no one understood it. All you would hear is, "Darrel Waltrip took a provisional. Hut Stricklen took a provisional. Darrel Waltrip is out of provisionals. Darrel Waltrip has an extra four provisionals now." There was never any explanation to how you got a provisional, when you could use it, how many you could have in a season, or in what order provisional drivers start. The driver's qualifying time was listed as "Provisional".

But the good thing about that system was that the fastest 36 always started the race. And then I think the top 6 in owners points plus the most recent champion were locked into the race.

They codified the system that was in place in other words.

What people need to remember is NASCAR rewards teams and owners and tracks that show loyalty to it.

IN the case of teams, if you run all year or try to run all year, you likely will be protected in case of rain out, and if your driver is good enough, and they put your team in the top 35, you are assured of a spot. THat leaves 8 spots for the rest. Most weekends, no more than 9 to 12 teams try for those 8 spots. If you cant beat 8 out of 12 guys who are not already in the top 35, you deserve to go home REGARDLESS of what the cars in the top 35 do.