What NASCAR needs: Better qualifying
NASCAR's qualifying is pretty simple, right? Go fast or go home.
Except if you're in the top 35 of owner (not driver) points or if you're a past champion. And if you're not one of those and it rains, you're outta here unless your owner rolled a piece-of-crap car out there more often than someone else.
Get where I'm going? NASCAR qualifying is stupid and complicated and protects a bunch of has-beens and field fillers just because, well, I don't know why.
Qualifying needs to be simpler.
So here's the new simple rule: Go fast or go home.
Here are three very simple exceptions:
* Only the drivers in the top 25 are guaranteed a spot. (Hmmm, 25 seems to be a recurring theme here.)
Don't cripple a guy's title shot if he's still in the hunt. And let's face it: If you're outside the top 25 five races into the season, your title hopes are pretty much DOA.
* Use driver points, not owner points.
No one understands owner points. (Read through this and try to keep your head from exploding.) If an owner wants to bring in a veteran to replace a rookie or a rookie to replace an old guy or a road coarse ringer to replace a guy who can only turn left, the new guy better be fast or he's going home.
* Scrap the past champion's provisional.
No one cares that you're a past champion except maybe your wife and your dog. Why should Awesome Bill get a free pass into a race because he won a Cup title 21 seasons ago? Terry Labonte should be embarrassed anytime he makes the race on the strength of his 13-year-old championship trophy. And, no, I don't really want to see David Pearson or Cale Yarborough behind the wheel of a Cup car again. (Don't think some owners haven't thought about it.)
* If it rains, try again.
Every short track in the country holds qualifying at the start of the night. If rain washes out qualifying, NASCAR should do it again on race day. Why should Boris said NASCAR is supposed to be about fast cars and fast drivers driving fast. If a guy wants to pull a Pearson and race half a season, that's fine by me. But if a driver needs back doors and rainy weather and a rulebook written in pencil to get into a race, maybe that driver shouldn't be racing.
Go fast or go home. It should be that simple.
Comments (1)
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yep.. and Mikey says he'll get out of the car if he's not competitive this season.. he'd better start looking for the replacement.. and quals are what you can buy from who's not left to race..meanwhile.. back to basics... anybody in the market for a slightly used Lear 65?.. only flown on weekends...
Posted on February 5, 2009 9:09 PM