Qualifying Rules Prior To The Top 35

[dpkimmel2001]

Can someone post a link to where I could read what the qualifying rules were prior to the top 35 rule being implemented? How many drivers got in the field on speed? How many drivers got in on a provisional? How did the drivers earn provisional? I am just trying to get a good grasp on why this top 35 rule is necessary. Thanks.

 

[dpkimmel2001]

I don't understand the continued argument that I hear on first, TMD, then TP & I'm sure S Speedway, of what would you do if your favorite driver didn't make the race? I can't see this happening. If you had a driver, let's say Carl Edwards, not make the race, don't you think Jack would buy a ride from another competitor? And let's say your favorite driver doesn't make the race. What would happen? It's happened before. Richard Petty packed up and left the track before the Champions Provisional. The sport survived. Any issues today certainly aren't a result of Petty going home.

 

[semipenguin]

I can't find a link on the old provisional rules. I do remember that full time teams were give a certain amount of provisionals based on qualifying attempts. I think the most provisionals a team could use in one year was 7.

Remember in 2001 Kyle Petty missed about 7 race when he was trying to qualify Adams car.

At Homestead in 2002, Jeff Gordon used his first provisional of his career.

It was rare a top team ever went home. Also, 2001 was the last year nascar allowed teams to use one engine for qualifying, and one engine for the race :shock:

 

[MichaelC]

They took the fastest 36 in qualifying. Spots 37 through 42 were provisional starting spots. The 43rd spot was saved for a past champion, and if there wasn't a past champion needing it, then another provisional spot was allowed.

Teams started out each season with 4 provisionals. After every 8 qualifying attempts, a team picked up an additional provisional. If a team was in the top 25 in owner points and had to use a provisional to get into the race, they wouldn't get charged for using a provisional. If you were outside the top 25 and used a provisional you'd get charged. In 2001, Matt Kenseth used a provisional for 11 of the 36 races....yet when the season ended he still had all 8 of his provisionals left. The 4 he started the season with, he picked 1 up after the 8th race, another 1 up after the 16th race, another 1 after the 24th race, and another 1 after the 32nd race. But, to his credit, he was able to keep the team top 25 in points.

It wasn't out of the realm of possibility for a team say 31st in owner points to run out of provisionals until they made enough qualifying attempts to gain another 1. And that would lead to teams like 42nd, 43rd, in owner points getting in races with provisionals while the 31st place team had to go home. And it wasn't a case of where the 31st team could turn down a provisional; in other words they couldn't say to NASCAR, "we'll pass on using a provisional this weekend and go home and save our remaining provisional for a future race." One of the things that would happen is a race like the Brickyard (which has a big monetary purse) would be the 20th race on the schedule, and a team would pick up a provisional after the 16th race, but by the time the Brickyard rolled around they'd be out of provisionals again, and a team lower than them in owner points would get into the show, and get the nice payday at the Brickyard.

As I mentioned before the 43rd spot was saved for a past champion, if needed. Past champions were allowed to use up to 8 of those in a season.

 

[dpkimmel2001]

They took the fastest 36 in qualifying. Spots 37 through 42 were provisional starting spots. The 43rd spot was saved for a past champion, and if there wasn't a past champion needing it, then another provisional spot was allowed.

Teams started out each season with 4 provisionals. After every 8 qualifying attempts, a team picked up an additional provisional. If a team was in the top 25 in owner points and had to use a provisional to get into the race, they wouldn't get charged for using a provisional. If you were outside the top 25 and used a provisional you'd get charged. In 2001, Matt Kenseth used a provisional for 11 of the 36 races....yet when the season ended he still had all 8 of his provisionals left. The 4 he started the season with, he picked 1 up after the 8th race, another 1 up after the 16th race, another 1 after the 24th race, and another 1 after the 32nd race. But, to his credit, he was able to keep the team top 25 in points.

It wasn't out of the realm of possibility for a team say 31st in owner points to run out of provisionals until they made enough qualifying attempts to gain another 1. And that would lead to teams like 42nd, 43rd, in owner points getting in races with provisionals while the 31st place team had to go home. And it wasn't a case of where the 31st team could turn down a provisional; in other words they couldn't say to NASCAR, "we'll pass on using a provisional this weekend and go home and save our remaining provisional for a future race." One of the things that would happen is a race like the Brickyard (which has a big monetary purse) would be the 20th race on the schedule, and a team would pick up a provisional after the 16th race, but by the time the Brickyard rolled around they'd be out of provisionals again, and a team lower than them in owner points would get into the show, and get the nice payday at the Brickyard.

As I mentioned before the 43rd spot was saved for a past champion, if needed. Past champions were allowed to use up to 8 of those in a season.

:bigclap::bigthumbup:

That's exactly what I was looking for. Thanks for the info.

 

[semipenguin]

That was some weird stuff back then, but its not as hard as figuring out how the qualify for the Daytona 500 :shock:

Great stuff, Michael
Posted via Mobile Device

 

[dpkimmel2001]

That was some weird stuff back then, but its not as hard as figuring out how the qualify for the Daytona 500 :shock:

I forgot about that. That was further complicated by that rule.

 

[Snoozer]

Thanks. As a newer NASCAR fan I was only around for the last couple years of the provisional and didn't quite 'get it' then.

 

[MichaelC]

I still wish they used the old rules for the Daytona 500....that used to make the 150s (then it was 125s) a lot more exciting.

 

[DexterMorgan]

The old rules for the 500 were no more or less complicated than they are now. Not that I find them complicated but honestly, beofre it was top 14 in each race, then the next top 7 in speed, then provisionals. Not exactly straight and easy.