2008 - Small Change In Qualifying

[muggle not]

http://www.thatsracin.com/nascar_news/story/9421.html

Cars outside top 35 will qualify together, NASCAR's Darby confirms
By DAVID POOLE - The Charlotte Observer
HOMESTEAD, Fla. – Cars not guaranteed starting spots because they’re not in the top 35 in car owner points will qualify together at the beginning of qualifying sessions in 2008, Nextel Cup Series director John Darby confirmed Saturday.

“We’ll group them up front,” Darby said in the garage at Homestead-Miami Speedway. Qualifying order for all cars entered in Cup events has been set by a random draw. But some complained that “go-or-go-home” cars qualifying early or late in the draw, depending on weather and track conditions, might have an unfair advantage toward making the race on speed.

Darby said that NASCAR could have changed the rule during the season. “But then if you think you missed a race because of where you qualified in February or March, and we change it in April, people would have said that’s not fair,” Darby said.

“We thought it would be better to say that as of Jan. 1, 2008, this is the way we’re going to do it.”

[James63]

I thought they talked about this earlier in the year? I thought it was a possible change for the end of this year..but it didnt happen...oh well.

[chemhead1]

I honestly don't see the point. I mean, if qualifying gets rained out halfway through, everyone's times are thrown out and they revert to points standings.

Sorry, but that won't cut it for me. If they want to be a bit more fair, I say if qualifying is rained/canceled out:

- Top 35 in owner points get in the show
- The last 8 entrants are determined by their times in the last completed practice session and will start where they placed in said practice session (so road course ringers for instance, while getting top time during practice, don't get shafted and start at the back)

So for instance, if Driver A is 1st in points, Driver A is locked in for the race and will initially start P1. But Driver B is outside the Top 35, but they still topped the last practice's timecharts. In that case, Driver B will start from pole. Driver C is the next fastest of the Go-Or-Go-Home cars, but Driver C was 7th fastest, so Driver C will start P7, and etc.

Or you can just grid them just how they grid them after qualifying, but instead with practice.

[kingfloopy]

A lot of the time practice is rained out too and practice sessions and times have been cut back over the last few years.

I think NASCAR should add at least another car to the field as well. They've run 44 cars in the past at the larger tracks and I honestly can't see where they couldn't fit another one in.

Isn't early in qualifying usually the slowest time to qualify too since there's less rubber down and more dirt on the tracks?

J.D.

[Dutton]

I'd prefer qualifying to just be a free-for-all for all drivers from the beginning to the end.

I've never been big on single-lap type stuff.

Heck, just make qualifying another practice session and organise the grid according to the fastest times set from the weekend as a whole.

[VilleneuveTracy]

How about knockout qualifying with all the cars out at the same time?

[chemhead1]

Originally Posted by Dutton

I'd prefer qualifying to just be a free-for-all for all drivers from the beginning to the end.

I've never been big on single-lap type stuff.

The only problem with that is that slipstreaming has a vastly larger effect on speeds and lap times on an oval than a road course, where open-session Qualifying rules the land (ala the Montreal Busch race).

Imagine this: We get to a restrictor plate track and a few teammates decide to go out at the same time to get a draft pack going. MUCH higher speeds than some guys not so lucky enough to have that many friends out there.

[RaceFanStan]

Originally Posted by Dutton

I'd prefer qualifying to just be a free-for-all for all drivers from the beginning to the end.
I've never been big on single-lap type stuff.
Heck, just make qualifying another practice session and organise the grid according to the fastest times set from the weekend as a whole.

Originally Posted by VilleneuveTracy

How about knockout qualifying with all the cars out at the same time?

The problem would be that IF a driver got over-aggresive ...
he could ruin another driver's chance of making the race.


the last thing NASCAR needs to do is mimic open-wheel procedures in any way !

[duke_toaster]

What about having a F1-style knockout thing on road courses but have the current setup on ovals?

Or have a format that mimics Red Bull Air Race - release two cars with a fifteen second gap and see who gets the faster time (for longer tracks you could have two "matches" on at the same time").

[Kieran20]

Yeah but they would be drafting...and on an oval it would be silly IMHO..

[duke_toaster]

Originally Posted by Kieran20

Yeah but they would be drafting...and on an oval it would be silly IMHO..

Even with a fifteen second gap? Maybe make it larger if needed ...

[Mystery]

Originally Posted by duke_toaster

Even with a fifteen second gap? Maybe make it larger if needed ...

Somewhere like Bristol is only a fifteen second lap isn't it - but I get the idea. I like the new rule personally although as someone relatively new to these NASCAR ways I don't really get the top 35 exemption anyway. I think allowing wild cards and new teams to fight for just 8 spots makes it very hard for new teams to come in as we've seen with Toyota, although to be fair it has come for them. Those owners willing to run a whole season deserve something, but 35 of them sounds a lot.

[Dutton]

Originally Posted by RaceFanStan

The problem would be that IF a driver got over-aggresive ...
he could ruin another driver's chance of making the race.

As I said, I would be quite happy for them just to take the fastest time by each driver from any session of the weekend. The likelihood of a driver being unable to set a respectable enough time at some point in the weekend seems pretty unlikely.

Anyway, whatever: in the end I don't really care how they do it. NASCAR qualifying has never held any particular interest for me. I'll watch it if I am around, but do not make a point of it.

Practice is good to watch, though. If qualifying was somewhat similar to that, then I would certainly watch it.

[StuiE]

I don't watch any qualifying/practice (because it's not shown here, but I usually find it boring anyway, for any type of racing, unless I'm actually there.).


But a 'match race' type system would be kinda cool, do the one lap runs, then last and 2nd last race on the track, whoever wins, races against 3rd last, on so on until you get to number 1 and your final order, someone could come from last to first in theory. Dirt track sprintcars use this system here, not sure how they do it on the dirt over there.

BUT: it would take ages and it's really needed, but I would watch it if it was televised here.

[muggle not]

I enjoy watching the qualifying. There is always lots of suspense and frequently some surprises. A few years ago Jeff Gordon put on quite a display of talent at Infineon with his qualifying run. Now that was exciting.

[StuiE]

Originally Posted by StuiE

BUT: it would take ages and it's really needed, but I would watch it if it was televised here.

I meant to say 'it's not really needed' here.