Even When NASCAR Gets It Right, They Get ItWrong

by 4ever3 on Jan 21, 2008 8:42 PM EST

Today Robin Pemberton, NASCAR's Vice President of Competition, made an announcement about a change in the qualifying rules in their annual "State of NASCAR Address".

No they haven't eliminated the top 35 rule, but they have made the provision that all of the non-top 35ers will qualify together in one group at the end of qualifying.

At the end? Are you kidding me? They have to qualify after everyone else who is locked into the field already has qualified? Huh? That does not make sense.

Let's take the Boris Said example from this past season. Boris peeled off a screamer of a lap at Daytona and was on the pole, with but a few people left to qualify - none of whom would have been able to knock him off the pole either - when the skies opened up and down came the rain. NASCAR cancelled the rest of qualifying and set the field on owner's points thus knocking Boris, not only off the pole but out of the race entirely because he was one of the go-or-go-homers that are out of the top 35 in owner points.

Apply this situation to the new set of rules and nothing has changed, all of the "go-or-go-homers" would still have to go home because they are qualifying at the end of qualifying and that is when the rain started. NASCAR's solution to fix the "Boris Said problem" still wouldn't have fixed it, and he still would have been sent home after the new rules were in place.

This happened twice to Boris last year, and NASCAR's solution to make the "go-or-go-homers" qualify at the end of the qualifying session and under the new rules he still would have missed those races.

NASCAR's rules change is a step in the right direction but what they need to do is to let all of the "go-or-go-homers" qualify first, that way if the rain comes pouring down the top 35 are still in and positions 36-43 are already settled.

NASCAR is right in addressing the problem, but their solution is not right.

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"NASCAR's solution to fix the "Boris Said problem" still wouldn't have fixed it, and he still would have been sent home after the new rules were in place."

I don't think that is the issue they are addressing. This change has more to do with allowing that group of cars to qual at the same time of day. That way they are even as far as track temps, or sun effects in one corner, etc.

If they were addressing the "Said" issue they would have allowed any rained out portions of quals to be conducted the following morning.

Said was screwed, I agree, and it was great fodder in the press for a week or so, but having the "36-43" cars qual as a group was a running discussion among them most of last year.

by MArc on Jan 22, 2008 1:15 AM EST reply actions

if you ask me , let them qualify where they run. Screw this top 35 in points rule. If you don't have the car to run boo hoo and go home til next week. No wonder you have to have "billions" to run a team anymore. Even if you have the car "Mother Nature" can still take you out before the green flag drops,what a bunch of bull shizamit.

by Tiredawg on Jan 22, 2008 5:56 AM EST reply actions

If 100% of the cars can't qualify due to weather, I don't think there is any rule other than what is in place (reverting to current owner points)will 'fix' the two examples you sited.

qualifying 'go or go homers' at the beginning or the end won't matter as all the participants have to make a qualifying run.

by placing the 'go or go homers' in a qualifying group together evens the playing field for that subset of qualifiers. It limits the 'luck of the draw' out of the equation.

by okla21fan on Jan 22, 2008 9:08 AM EST reply actions

I agree having them qualify together is a good thing as far as leveling the playing field, but since the top 35 in owners points are guaranteed a starting spot NASCAR should allow the rest of the qualifiers to make their attempts first, thereby assuring them the proper attempt to make the field.

by 4ever3 on Jan 22, 2008 10:35 PM EST reply actions