Lack of track time before Daytona 500 qualifying not fair to smaller teams
Bob Pockrass
Bob Pockrass began covering NASCAR in 1992, primarily covering short-track racing and events. He has worked for Street & Smith's Motorsports Group since 2003.
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – NASCAR is conducting time trials today for the Daytona 500 with most drivers having had only two laps of practice. That’s ridiculous.
It wouldn’t be ridiculous if teams had tested at Daytona International Speedway in January. It wouldn’t be ridiculous if teams had been on track for several weeks and knew what their cars were capable of doing.
Granted, the lack of practice, cut short because of rain on Friday, likely won’t impact who qualifies the fastest. And there are the qualifying races, giving drivers another chance to make the race and secure their starting spot for the big event.
But drivers from smaller teams really needed more track time. They had the opportunity to make the biggest gains in the nearly three hours of scheduled practice. Getting in the Daytona 500 could make-or-break their seasons because of the big purse and the importance of earning points early in the year.
Racing is about building good cars, but it’s also about fine-tuning those cars. The drivers today never got a chance to fine-tune their vehicles.
That’s wrong, especially when talking about the biggest race of the year. NASCAR pinned itself in a box with a tight schedule as qualifying was moved from Sunday to Saturday for the opening weekend of Speedweeks. NASCAR should remember that when trying to plan schedules in the future.
