Thinking Outside the Box
By Walt Newcomb
Friday, January 18, 2008
Is Top-35 Lock-in Unfair?
The top-35 rule is one of the hottest topics discussed by NASCAR fans on a daily basis. Why is this? It is because there are a few popular drivers who have failed to qualify under this system. Many of the fans of these drivers may feel the rule is unfair. I believe it is unfair, but my reasoning is different than most I have heard or read.
As it is the top-35 teams in owner points are locked into the starting field for every Sprint Cup race. Consequently most of those teams that fall into the top-35 category spend little if any time preparing for time trials. The balance of the competitors spend nearly all of their practice time and effort thrashing on their cars trying to get ONE fast lap out of them.
As a result of the top-35 rule, there are often teams who run faster laps in time trials than those inside the top-35 that fail to qualify for races. Many fans find that to be unfair. I don't.
I see this rule as a wedge that destroys competition. If NASCAR or their sponsors wish to guarantee starting positions to those in the top-35 in owner points, I'm okay with that as long as the balance of the field is filled with the cars, drivers and teams that are best apt to be prepared to race. Under the current guidelines, that may not be the case.
How can the teams that are outside of the top-35 ever get above that level if all they are worried about is ripping off one fast lap? When they are fortunate enough to qualify, in many cases, there isn't much time to figure out what they will need to do to compete against the thirty-five or thirty-six teams (past champion) that have been spending most if not all of their time practicing to make their cars the best RACEcars possible. One lap does not a race make; otherwise we could watch an hour of time trials every Sunday and spend the rest of the afternoon at the beach.
It is unfair to those outside of the top-35 because they don't really get to practice a race setup if they want to get into the field. It is unfair to those inside of the top-35 because many of those teams will start behind racecars that wind up turning into roadblocks just a few laps after the green flag drops. It is unfair to the fans because the 43 cars on the track aren't necessarily the best RACEcars, drivers or teams that were available for the RACE.
My solution is to have those in the top-35 time trial for their starting positions. Notice that I didn't say qualify? They are already qualified. This just sets their order.
I wouldn't have the balance of the teams that show up run time trial laps. I'd make the balance of the cars attempting to make the field run a qualifying RACE. It is the method that is bound to get the best RACEcars into the featured RACE on Sunday (or Saturday night as the case may be).
As a result, most of the teams would be focused on race setups throughout all of the practice sessions. When a team fell on hard luck and dropped out of the top-35 in owner points they wouldn't suddenly have to figure out how to time trial better. And when a team attains top-35 status, they wouldn't have to change their entire philosophy to figure out how to prepare a racecar with a RACE setup.
Sprint Cup officials could run the qualifying race any way that they would like. I'd opt to run the race approximately ten percent of the distance of the main event. I wouldn't count caution laps. Once the race had reached a point where only the amount of cars to compete in the Cup race remained on the lead lap, put out the white flag and the checker flies the following lap.
The only exception to this would be for the Daytona 500. Let NASCAR lock the Chase competitors from the previous season into the field. Fill positions thirteen through thirty from the Duels. Take the next six or eight based on time trials and fill out the balance of the field by rulebook as when qualifying has been rained out. This would bring back the excitement and prestige that the Duels had back when they were the twin 125's.
Regardless of these potential changes or any other possible variations in NASCAR rules, fans will always bellyache when one their favorite drivers or teams fail to qualify for a race. It would however be comforting to know that once a team does qualify for a race that they are ready TO race.
That's how I see it. Opinions vary.
What's yours?
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