The news yesterday was the "alliance" formed between Stewart-Haas Racing and Tommy Baldwin Racing that gives Danica Patrick TBR's owner points and guarantees her a spot in the Daytona 500. Many people have been questioning whether such a deal should be allowed to happen. But I'd take it one step further -- should NASCAR get rid of the whole top-35 rule?
Under the rules, owners in the top 35 in points are guaranteed a spot in the race. Presumably this is to ensure that the "top" NASCAR drivers and teams are always in the race, even if they have a bad day qualifying. But I've never been a fan of this safety net. These drivers are professionals. They should make the race based on their qualifying time, not based on where they stand in the points or whether they are a past champion.
Yes, this means that the sponsor doesn't get the exposure that it paid for. And I'm sure there are some fans who would be disappointed if they get to the track and their favorite driver doesn't qualify for the race. Your favorite driver also could qualify for the race and crash or have an issue on the first lap. That leaves the fan and the sponsor in the same position -- the driver is out of the race essentially before it began. That's the gamble sponsors and fans take.
Very often there are more cars to qualify then there are places in the race, which raises yet another question -- how many of the cars qualifying for the race actually intend to finish it? I get the economics of NASCAR -- it's not a cheap sport and it's often less expensive to qualify the car, start it, park it, and collect the prize money. But are these start-and-park cars part of the reason why the top-35 rule is needed? They fill out and expand the field beyond 43 cars, with absolutely no intention of finishing.
And on a side note, I'm not sure how I would feel about this "alliance" if I were Danica Patrick. Sure, the pressure would be off because I know I'm running the Daytona 500. Especially since I'm sure she is getting plenty of pressure from NASCAR and the media about making the race. But in the back of my mind, I'd be wondering how many people are questioning my ability to make the race and why the deal had to be made.
So my plea to NASCAR is this -- keep it simple. Do away with the top-35 rule (and the champion's provisional as well). The 43 fastest cars make the race. No exceptions. This is the easiest and simplest way to do away with "alliances" or "deals" for owner points.
I agree that dumping the top-35 would be best all around. It creates more problems than it solves and serves as a barrier to entry for new teams.
ReplyDeleteFor the sake of discussion, if there has to be some sort of guaranteed entry then those who benefit should bear a cost. Here are some possibilities off the top of my head.
1) If you get into the field via the top-35 rule, then you don't get any points (or only 43rd place points) regardless of your finishing position.
2) Why 35? That's too many. 25 at most, leaving 18 spots to be earned. I think I like 20 maximum better. Over half the field shouldn't have a guaranteed spot.
3) If you post a qualifying speed within a predetermined limit (107% of pole maybe) and are bumped out of the field due to top-35 rule, then you still get 43rd place points and purse.
Just some thoughts, I think any or all would be better than the current setup.