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A NASCAR BLOG BY Rea White
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Top-performing teams should be locked in race No. 5
Mar
10
Enough is enough.
Five races is simply too long for teams to rely on the previous season's points in order to make a race. NASCAR locks in the top 35 teams in owners points for each race, with the opening five races of any season based on the previous year's standings.
Certainly teams deserve to be rewarded for that performance, but four races should provide an ample supply of that. Just look what is happening in the Sprint Cup Series this season.
Brian Vickers and his Red Bull Racing team, a group outside the top 35 in 2007 owners points, have made all four races this season.
Vickers has a worst finish of 24th and three of 12th or better. He's ninth in the points standings – that's championship contention – but he could go home this weekend at Bristol. Ironically, even if he does, he cannot be sent home from the following race at Martinsville Speedway when this year's points go into effect. Even if he fails to make the race at Bristol, Vickers will not fall out of the top 35 in owners points. So he's simply waiting a week to be locked in.
Meanwhile, the locked-in teams of Sam Hornish Jr., Dario Franchitti and Regan Smith have the luxury of knowing they will race this weekend. They all hope to do it well, too, since none of those are inside the top 35 at this point.
The top-35 rule has been one of the most controversial in NASCAR, but it serves the purpose of keeping teams on track and rewarding those who have been competing full time the previous year while forcing new groups to earn a spot. It's a noble concept.
It's just one that could be better served with a four-race limit.
Five races is simply too long for teams to rely on the previous season's points in order to make a race. NASCAR locks in the top 35 teams in owners points for each race, with the opening five races of any season based on the previous year's standings.
Certainly teams deserve to be rewarded for that performance, but four races should provide an ample supply of that. Just look what is happening in the Sprint Cup Series this season.
Brian Vickers and his Red Bull Racing team, a group outside the top 35 in 2007 owners points, have made all four races this season.
Vickers has a worst finish of 24th and three of 12th or better. He's ninth in the points standings – that's championship contention – but he could go home this weekend at Bristol. Ironically, even if he does, he cannot be sent home from the following race at Martinsville Speedway when this year's points go into effect. Even if he fails to make the race at Bristol, Vickers will not fall out of the top 35 in owners points. So he's simply waiting a week to be locked in.
Meanwhile, the locked-in teams of Sam Hornish Jr., Dario Franchitti and Regan Smith have the luxury of knowing they will race this weekend. They all hope to do it well, too, since none of those are inside the top 35 at this point.
The top-35 rule has been one of the most controversial in NASCAR, but it serves the purpose of keeping teams on track and rewarding those who have been competing full time the previous year while forcing new groups to earn a spot. It's a noble concept.
It's just one that could be better served with a four-race limit.
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Comments
2 responses to "Top-performing teams should be locked in race No. 5"
Anthony Bour said:
Mar 12, 2008 at 10:37 AMyou don't qualify you go home period.
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» Confirm Abuse ReportAnthony Bour said:
Mar 12, 2008 at 10:37 AMyou don't qualify you go home period.
Report as AbuseReport Abuse
This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.
» Confirm Abuse Report