[Racer Duck]

I asked this question in another thread, but, upon further reflection, I think this question deserves it's own thread. So, here goes....


How Big is Too Big?

I submit that 40+ cars at Bristol and Martinsville, and possibly Richmond, are too many, but 50 or more might be OK at the larger, more spacious tracks like Daytona, Talladega, Michigan and California .. maybe even Pocono and Indy!

do the one mile tracks (Dover, NHIS and Phoenix) comfortably hold the 43 car fields?

Daytona has had as many as 68 start a race on the high banks and regularly had 50 car fields until 1969. Talladega had fields of 50 take the green thru 1975, while the other four largest mentioned have had trouble getting full fields several times but there should be no reason, space-wise, why the larger car count won't work.

the above speaks only to Cup racing, but what about Cup-Lite and CTS? besides those mentioned above, here's the 1 mile and under tracks that Cup-Lite and CTS race on:

• O'Reilly Raceway Park - 0.686 mile oval
• Mansfield Motor Speedway - 0.5 mile oval
• Memphis Motorsports Park - 0.75 mile oval
• The Milwaukee Mile - 1.0 mile oval

so, I ask again: How Big is Too Big?

how say you?

[PettyBlue]

Does not matter to me the number that start as only so many teams build cup cars.The speed ratio from pole to last place starter is what would matter most for a safe and good race.

[Racer Duck]

Originally Posted by PettyBlue

Does not matter to me the number that start as only so many teams build cup cars.The speed ratio from pole to last place starter is what would matter most for a safe and good race.

OK .. but which way is safer and creates a good race, a 40 car pack or a whole bunch of 2-5 car packs?

[wingkey1]

Originally Posted by Racer Duck

OK .. but which way is safer and creates a good race, a 40 car pack or a whole bunch of 2-5 car packs?

Could be either. Not sure there is mutual exclusivity based solely on "pack size".

We're guessing there must be some way a "too big" or a "too little" or even a "just right" field/participant size would be a/the most significant factor in the size of the packs and the associated safety and race quality? Clearly we here are not firing all brain cells this evening cause try as we might it just seems there is way more than "pack size" that plays in here. Must be over thinking (if that is really something we are capable of).

Make me wiser please.

[Quality88]

Let's go 55 on the big tracks, 43 at the intermediate, 30 at the shorty's.

[simple simon]

Originally Posted by Quality88

Let's go 55 on the big tracks, 43 at the intermediate, 30 at the shorty's.

i could see having many more on a road course

[LSC9901]

What other things would you adjust if you were to change the number of cars at different tracks ??? Would the top 35 rule change to a ratio instead ?

[Quality88]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

What other things would you adjust if you were to change the number of cars at different tracks ??? Would the top 35 rule change to a ratio instead ?

Nope. They just better hope they qualify well.

[wingkey1]

Originally Posted by LSC9901

What other things would you adjust if you were to change the number of cars at different tracks ??? Would the top 35 rule change to a ratio instead ?

First there would have to be a purchase of an additional 3-ring binder for the rulebook if indeed some form of "who starts if" definitions are to remain. And there will always be some form of this if for nothing more than weather related alterations to any part of the event. Easiest would be the 55 and up tracks - with the current (and possibly decreasing) number of teams attempting to get in to the event, everybody races - even the rolling wrecks.

[wingkey1]

Solution to end Busch/National whacking!!!

Run both Busch/National Nextel/Sprint all at the same time like done at the "24 hours", SCCA, and other races. Races within Races. No more "whacking" but perhaps investments by some teams in cloning.

If field size proves out to have little to no impact on the quality and safety of the racing - throw the trucks out there too at the really big venues.

120+ out there just racin' their little hearts out. Might however be as entertainning as sitting on your local freeway overpass at rush hour, but hey - safe and in a new and different way - entertaining.

Size matters.

[Phils20]

43 is fine, since some tracks can just fir 43 stalls, and some of those are too small now!

It also keeps in consistent from track to track. When they were allowing that man cars, less than half were finishing, so after the first few laps, it didn't make that much of an impact.

[Bob Tanner]

You've seen me opine here before that I have always thought that when they increased the fields at Bristol and Martinsville to 43 from 34 they runined the racing. I'm still of that mind.

My first thought is:
34 cars on tracks under 3/4-mile
42 on cars 3/4 to 2-mile
50 on Daytona and Talladega
42 on any road course and The Brickyard. These tracks can obviously hold 42 cars but are too narrow and not designed for large-bodied car races.

I promote 42, vice 43 because... Well, 43 is an odd number and to me 42 is more pleasing.

[simple simon]

Originally Posted by Bob Tanner

and to me 42 is more pleasing.

because it reminds you of Kyle Petty and the Mellow Yellow car perhaps