Pocky's Paddock
A NASCAR BLOG BY Bob Pockrass
All-star race eligibility confusion
The eligibility rules for the NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race apparently have changed in the last few months, and it’s probably a good thing for NASCAR’s sake that they have.
According to the Sprint Cup Series Media Guide and a fact sheet on NASCAR’s media Web site, all 2007 and 2008 winning drivers and owners (teams) are automatically in the race Saturday night. But according to Sprint officials, the entry blank just says that 2007 and 2008 race winners are eligible.
Why does this matter? Well, if you’re Sam Hornish Jr., it could matter a lot.
Remember, Hornish is driving the “2” car from last year thanks to a preseason points swap. That team won last year and technically would have an argument that it should be in the all-star race. Casey Mears got in the 2007 all-star event because he was with the No. 25 team, which Brian Vickers had won with in 2006. So if the rules stayed the same, it would seem as if Hornish would be in the all-star event this weekend instead of the qualifying race.
Now it would seem pretty bogus if Hornish, a rookie, got in on a technicality.
But look at it a different way: What if Jimmie Johnson gets ill this week and cannot compete? Should his team get axed from the all-star race? According to this year’s rules, it looks as if that team, the defending Cup champions, would have to sit it out if Johnson gets sick.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. is in as a past all-star winner, but what if he wasn’t? Should that team – technically the No. 5 team from last year,
although most of those crew guys are with the No. 25 Hendrick team now – be in the all-star race, considering that it technically won races last year?
Of course, it would be likely that Earnhardt Jr. would win the fan vote and get in that way.
It should be noted that no one from Penske Racing has lobbied for Hornish to be in the race because they thought the rules were the same as last year. Everyone just probably assumed he wasn’t eligible.
But while NASCAR is fiddling with the rules, maybe it should consider some others: Maybe the top rookie at this point of the year should get in the all-star race. Or maybe anybody who qualified for the Chase should be in the all-star race, since there always is a chance of a Chase participant not winning the race.
It’s something to think about. Maybe Hornish and Dario Franchitti should lobby for a change that all previous Indy 500 champions who are now full-time NASCAR drivers should get in the race.
Anyway, it looks as if the change in the rules to only have qualified drivers and not qualified teams has worked OK for 2008. It’ll be interesting to see if that’s the case in years to come.
Bob Pockrass
Bob Pockrass began covering NASCAR in 1992, primarily covering short-track racing and events. He has been an associate editor at NASCAR Scene since 2003.
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Comments
2 responses to "All-star race eligibility confusion". Post a Comment.
Charles Krall said:
May 13, 2008 at 6:41 PMAm I the only one who thinks the starting lineup for the All-Star race should actually be "All Stars"?? With all of the talk of allowing anyone and everyone in the show, why not just allow everyone who files an entry in? I say go back to the original rules of "The Winston" in 1985: previous year's winners only. Have a 50-lap hooligan to let in one "wildcard", and let them run for the million bucks. So what if there are only 12 or 14 drivers in the field? All Star games are for the elite players, and our All Star event should be no different.
Report as AbuseJust my two cents.
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» Confirm Abuse Reportrae said:
May 15, 2008 at 1:22 PMI agree with "previous year's winners only"... with a couple of exceptions. I'd like to see a "vote-in driver". This would be the driver that hadn't won a race but fans could vote him in. That would help to get more people interested and involved. The idea of a "wild card" winner from a 50-lap hooligan is also a good idea. With that, any driver who wanted to race and had won in the past would also have a chance.
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