All year long, teams outside the Top 35 in Nextel Cup owner points have complained about the difficulties they face in making the weekly starting lineup. Now, it looks like their voices are being heard. Sources tell Frontstretch.com that the NASCAR is preparing to make changes to its qualifying procedure by the end of August, setting up a system in which all teams ranked outside the Top 35 qualify together. Eliminating the advantage of the qualifying order, all teams not “locked in” to the field would make their attempts back-to-back at either the beginning or end of the session. The overall starting order would still be determined the same way it is now, but for teams in position to make the field on speed, the differences in track temperature and weather would now be minimized, leveling a playing field that can often be tilted towards certain teams due to qualifying draw. Currently, only eight spots ]actaully 7 with the 43rd going to a past champ if needed, THEN filled by the 8th fastest, that iw why they always start 43rd] are available in the 43-car field to teams not “locked in” to the Top 35, with twelve full-time teams attempting to secure one of those coveted positions each week. As for the Top 35 rule’s future, there is no official word from NASCAR that changes are forthcoming next year [2008]…but sources say teams have been told to prepare for a possible adjustment in 2008, despite John Darby’s public statements to the contrary.(Frontstretch Newsletter)(8-1-2007) UPDATE: NASCAR is considering changes to its top-35 qualifying format but isn’t likely to reduce the number of teams with guaranteed starting spots each week. “It’s something we want to resolve shortly so everybody knows what they’re up against for next year,” NASCAR president Mike Helton said. Any change is likely to be announced before the end of the month but not in time to affect Sunday’s Pennsylvania 500 at Pocono Raceway. The top 35 in the owners’ points standings are assured of being in the 43-car field each race no matter how they qualify. On a typical weekend, that leaves 12-15 teams scrambling for eight starting spots. The most likely change is to have the teams outside the top 35 qualify in a group, either at the beginning or end of the regular session. That would eliminate luck of the draw as a major factor in determining who gets into the race. The teams that have to qualify on speed all would face similar track and weather conditions. “That idea has more merit to it than reducing the number to 25 or 20 or some of the other things we’ve heard,” Helton said. “There’s a lot of options out there, but I’m not sure there’s a lot of energy to change (35 as the cutoff) at this point.”(Indianapolis Star)(8-3-2007)
