2007-04-12 08:06:34 · 24 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Auto Racing ➔ NASCAR
35 cars are guaranteed a spot, 36 until Dale Jarrett runs out of Championship provisionals (and, when he does, Bill Elliott would receive it if he were to attempt a race). That leaves only seven spots. There are about 14-15 teams trying for the spots. Vickers hasn't been that bad, despite missing three races. He was bumped out of the race by a driver with owner points at Las Vegas (he was fast enough to make it in on time) and wrecked out of the Duels at Daytona. So, only 1 missed race is really his fault (and the crew)
Mikey has been a bit worse, since he has missed 5 races. In his defense (I am not a fan), he was one spot away at Martinsville, was among the fastest-43 at Bristol (but got bumped by guys with Owner Points), also among the 43 fastest at Atlanta (OPs again), completely missed it at Las Vegas, and at California was again bumped by OPs. So, if the fastest 43 drivers were to race, he would have only missed TWO races instead of five, with one of those races him being 44th quickest. So, it is not like he is altogether awful, he just can't dig himself out of a hole.
These are both start-up teams who expected to hit a few road blocks. It just proves how valuable Owner Points are in NASCAR's current system.
2007-04-12 08:52:48 · answer #1 · answered by jaynarie 6 · 5⤊ 1⤋
The top 35 automatically make the race and so that only leaves 8 more spots to be filled. Personally I think the fastest 43 cars should make the race period. But we can't have that because some of the sponsors would be unhappy.
As for Vickers and Waltrip, I think driving Toyotas has alot to do with why they are not qualifying well. It's going to take a few years for Toyota to be competitive each and every race, but they will get there.
2007-04-12 08:33:14 · answer #2 · answered by Crystal 2 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Toyotas like Waltrip, Vickers, and Allmendinger are trying to qualify but the car does not have enough speed at the tracks to go faster than the Chevys, Fords, and Dodges. Drivers like Kenny Wallace and Ward Burton just don't have the financial support other teams have. They have an advantage right now that so many Toyotas qualify, but that will end in about a season when Toyota's engineers figure out how these cars race on certain tracks.
2007-04-12 08:30:37 · answer #3 · answered by SteboSTC 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
There have been a lot of changes taking place over the last two years, new owners, new cars and even the drivers themselves. Unfortunately when a driver 'switches teams' their car owners keep the points from the previous year-not the drivers. Moving to a new team means pretty much starting all over again, unless the driver's are getting into a ride that already has owner points. New race teams begin the season with NO points, and the top 35 are locked in for a few races, and don't need to qualify on time. There are also past champion provisionals--a whole other story......
2007-04-16 05:56:17 · answer #4 · answered by ? 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because they don't drive fast enough. And since they are on new teams, they don't have owner points to help them out, like many of the other drivers. If Stewart has an off week, he can fall back on his championship provisional or on owner points, But vickers and Waltrip don't have that luxury. They have to race their way in, or they don't get in. If either of their teams can finish in the top 35 this year, then they will be able to get in the races next year.
2007-04-13 05:54:37 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Because NASCAR is more interested in appeasing SPONSORS than is in providing the best race possible. Pure and simple.
I started watching NASCAR in 2002. Back then, there were only a handful of provisionals. A driver had a real chance of going to qualifying at try to get into the show.
Now, NASCAR gives a guaranteed "in" to the race to the top 35 in "OWNERS POINTS." This has been a sore spot to me, and many others, for the last few years.
At the beginning of the season, the CARS that were in the top 35 in points the PREVIOUS SEASON are guaranteed to make the show. Than, you have one past champion provisional. That leaves only 7 open slots for other drivers to qualify into.
The part that truly SUCKS (sorry, no better word to describe it) is that it's the CAR that is guaranteed in, not the driver who put it into the top 35 in points. A couple good examples of this are:
1) Juan Pablo Montoya: Driving a car that Casey Mears put
into the top 35 in points.
2) David Ragan: Driving a car that Mark Martin put into the
top 35 in points.
3) Ricky Rudd: Driving a car that Dale Jarrett put into the top
35 in points.
4) Mark Martin: Driving a car that Joe Nemechek put into
top 35 in points.
Two of those drivers are ROOKIES! Juan Pablo raced ONE time last year and David Ragan didn't race at all. But both of them were given guaranteed racing slots for the first five events of the year, BASED ON THE DRIVING OF OTHERS!
This was all done because NASCAR wanted to keep the sponsors of the top cars happy by making sure that their "Rolling Billboards" would be seen on Sunday. Never mind that NAPA has invested alot of money in Michael Waltrip. Never mind that Brian Vickers was in the top 35 last year, and has to race for one of 7 slots available.
It's really a crock. I think all drivers should have to race into the show with an equal chance of making it or not. I'm no fan of Michael Waltrip or Brian Vickers. But fair is fair. And NASCAR's policy is not fair.
2007-04-12 16:02:35 · answer #6 · answered by jpsmith479 2 · 4⤊ 0⤋
that's type of a complicated question. The info are, it would not count number who's behind the wheel of that #55 NAPA TOYOTA... it really is nevertheless going to be ending @ the decrease back of the %. each weekend. it really is a sparkling team, operating a sparkling vehicle... What do you human beings assume? I mean, Do any of the hot communities/autos run properly, W/ the exclusion of Hendrick, Gibbs, and Roush Fenway Racing? the massive undesirable keep proprietors are winning issues as popular. Mikey needs to flow decrease back to the drawing forums, signal w/ Chevy and run Hendrick or Gibbs autos. that's his in elementary words shot.
2016-12-03 22:10:24 · answer #7 · answered by ? 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
They don't qualify simply because they're not fast enough. Both Michael and Brian are with new Toyota teams, that's the biggest reason. Toyota isn't up to par yet.
2007-04-12 10:27:07 · answer #8 · answered by Big Rick 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
New teams,new cars.The fields are so close in times that the fine tuning of a car makes the difference.
NASCAR should do away with the top 35 and provisionals.More "different" drivers would quailify.
That's all I have to say about that.
2007-04-12 14:02:27 · answer #9 · answered by blakree 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
the number one reason some teams dont qualify is you have 50 or so teams trying to get in a so called 43 car field but infact they are only trying to get into a 8 car field because top 35 are guaranteed spots
2007-04-12 11:28:01 · answer #10 · answered by gregs111 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋