[jks812]

JOLIET, Ill. -- Nextel Cup director John Darby -- saying he was speaking for himself, not NASCAR -- didn't mince words Friday when asked about speculated changes to NASCAR's Top-35 rule.
"We ain't changing it," Darby said.
That doesn't mean, however, that NASCAR isn't contemplating some alterations to the current rule that guarantees a position in the race field to every team ranked among the top-35 in owner points that week.
One possibility is grouping "go or go home" cars together during the qualifying session, so all are faced with similar track conditions during their laps. Since a hotter, slicker track typically makes for a slower lap during time trials, a team that qualifies early may be at a disadvantage compared to one that qualifies late in the session.
Darby likes that idea.
"We're talking about that a lot," he said. "It makes it truly a head-to-head competition that way."
Where would they be grouped? One possibility, according to Darby: Let the championship driver or crew chief decide where in the session that respective group would qualify.


Oh well, looks like we stuck with the top 35 rule.

[Pepsi One]

I say why not go the other way then, if your not changing the top 35 rule, how bout admitting 50 cars into the field! Nice even Number!

[McMurray26]

sure 50 would be ok, but you couldn't have 50 cars at the smaller tracks, so then we would be back to having different numbers of cars allowed in different races...

plus a lot of places would have to redo their pit road...

shoot pit road at dover still doesn't enough stalls...

[jks812]

If they not changing it, they should let all the ones out of the top 35 qualify with each other. I also think they let those qualify first. Then if it rains again, just take the fastest of those to finish the field out.

[Pepsi One]

Originally Posted by McMurray26

sure 50 would be ok, but you couldn't have 50 cars at the smaller tracks, so then we would be back to having different numbers of cars allowed in different races...

plus a lot of places would have to redo their pit road...

shoot pit road at dover still doesn't enough stalls...

Good point M26, maybe they could take some of the seating out of the grandstands and have a second road there..... yea right, like Nascar would lose 1000 seats for that, they might lose a couple of dollars!

[LSC9901]

Originally Posted by jks812

JOLIET, Ill. -- Nextel Cup director John Darby -- saying he was speaking for himself, not NASCAR -- didn't mince words Friday when asked about speculated changes to NASCAR's Top-35 rule.
"We ain't changing it," Darby said.

Wasn't it George Bush (the father) that said "Read my lips, NO new taxes"

John Darby could be talking in the same manner. Didn't mean to inject politics. I wanted only to use that as an example of how one thing is said and another is done. We'll see if the top 35 gets adjusted at the very least.

[jks812]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

Wasn't it George Bush (the father) that said "Read my lips, NO new taxes"

John Darby could be talking in the same manner. Didn't mean to inject politics. I wanted only to use that as an example of how one thing is said and another is done. We'll see if the top 35 gets adjusted at the very least.

That is true. But I think they'll listen to the bigger teams and not do it.