Changes to the Top 35 Rule for 2013

[Rochelle]

From Jayski

NASCAR still looking at changes to Top 35 rule: Sprint Cup teams are looking forward to having four additional test sessions next season and they might have more things to test than they initially thought. Teams are awaiting 2013 rules and several team officials said over the weekend they anticipate NASCAR might give them a little more leeway in some areas of the car, while also restricting the ability to skew the rear of the cars. Not only will testing allow them to work now at the tracks that they race on, they also might need to work a little more on qualifying. Teams also are anticipating that NASCAR will get rid of the top-35 rule and go back to the previous system of the top 36 (or 37 or 38) cars in qualifying making the race, with the remainder of the field set by provisionals based primarily on owner points. The top-35 rule guarantees the top 35 teams in owner points starting spots in each race. The rest of the field must make the race on speed. Under the new format, all teams would have to qualify on speed or have enough owner points to be eligible for a provisional starting spot. NASCAR could announce that change and other new rules during a test at Talladega Superspeedway Wednesday for the 2013 Cup car. Kyle Busch said his Joe Gibbs Racing team already is experimenting with some ideas for next year. Busch said teams know the cars are going to be lighter by 100-160 pounds. He also said there will be aero changes that he said he would be the "test dummy" for at a tire test at Texas Motor Speedway in two weeks.(Sporting News)(10-2-2012)

I know this was talked about earlier in the year, but looks like it may happen. If this happens, I don't care who might get left out of a race, I would like this change. I never liked the top 35 rule. Certainly would make it more interesting, IMO

Last edited by Rochelle on Sat Oct 06, 2012 6:42 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[HTower]

Did the article cite an example of who would have qualified under the current rules but would not under the proposed rule?

[Rochelle]

Not that I saw, but it's very early in the process, I think. There's nothing concrete on it. It'll depend on how many will get in on time and how many provisional spots they'll allow. It did mention that the provisional spots would be based on owners points. I'm very interested in how this works out.

[Rochelle]

HTower, I kept looking at your avatar trying to think of where I've seen that for a very long time now. I think I just had an Epiphany! Is that the Balrog from LOTR? If not, it's eerily similar...

BTW, loved the books since I was a kid and have read them over and over and over again. And I can't count how many times I've watched the movies. And am sooo looking forward to the Hobbit

[HTower]

HTower, I kept looking at your avatar trying to think of where I've seen that for a very long time now. I think I just had an Epiphany! Is that the Balrog from LOTR? If not, it's eerily similar...

BTW, loved the books since I was a kid and have read them over and over and over again. And I can't count how many times I've watched the movies. And am sooo looking forward to the Hobbit

Right on the 1st Guess! I've been using this avatar off and on for various forums for years. I'm trying to remain cautiously optimistic about the Hobbit. I'm not sure that it really needs to be a trilogy, maybe they will bring in other Tolkien material to flesh out the story more. Seems like every book is being broken into multiple movies these days

[DanicaFan]

I hope they get rid of it. They never should of had it in place to begin with. Everyone should have to qualify in on time, period. Makes qualifying that much better and important.

[racer1]

IF they do away with the top 35 and make every driver qualify on time, it would be interesting but would affect Danica and maybe other cup regulars not making some races Iam sure. There are some S&P drivers that are very good at qualifying on time even though they run a few laps and park it like Josh Wise etc, and then there are fill-in pt drivers like Trevor Bayne who can easily qualify on time to run certain cup races as well, that can/could knock Danica and or others out of the races. However as yes Iam her fan but IF she cant qualify on time for the race then crazy as it sounds, she shouldnt be in the race. I will say though I really hate S&P drivers qualifying, knocking Nascar regulars OUT and then they park --thats dumb for nascar to allow THAT. Guess we'll see, but it would be interesting??

[michaeljohn]

if anything it will benefit danica, because now she will be at SHR, they wont mess around like JRM, she qualified good with SHR.....

[Rochelle]

HTower, I kept looking at your avatar trying to think of where I've seen that for a very long time now. I think I just had an Epiphany! Is that the Balrog from LOTR? If not, it's eerily similar...

BTW, loved the books since I was a kid and have read them over and over and over again. And I can't count how many times I've watched the movies. And am sooo looking forward to the Hobbit

Right on the 1st Guess! I've been using this avatar off and on for various forums for years. I'm trying to remain cautiously optimistic about the Hobbit. I'm not sure that it really needs to be a trilogy, maybe they will bring in other Tolkien material to flesh out the story more. Seems like every book is being broken into multiple movies these days

I don't like breaking it up, and it's not even a very long book. But, there's so much detail, I can kind of understand it, to a point. Doesn't mean I like it though. Seems to me they do that to pull in the non regular folks, meaning non Tolkien fans, those not familiar with his writing. I'm guessing that there will be things in there that don't belong, like LOTR, but that's to be expected.

The only other series I'm really into is George R R Martin's A Song of Ice and Fire. Great books, but the series has a lot of stuff added just to appeal to the non readers. That irritates me too...

Sorry, didn't mean to hijack the thread...

[Rochelle]

From Jayski

NASCAR planning multiple changes to qualifying in 2013: NASCAR is going back in time with a series of changes related to qualifying and testing. Series officials met with Sprint Cup drivers and crew chiefs Saturday at Talladega Superspeedway to detail next year's changes. They are:
--The top 35 rule, in existence since 2005, will be eliminated. This rule was in place to ensure teams in the top 35 in car owner points (and their sponsors) would be in the race in an era when 50 or more cars were attempting to qualify for races.
--The top 36 positions will be set by qualifying speed with the remaining spots set by provisionals, including a champion's provisional. Provisionals are based on car owner points rankings.
--A random draw will set the qualifying order. The past two seasons, the order was determined by speeds in the first practice session.
--Provisionals for the first three races next year will be based on the final car owner points standings this year instead of the first five races as in previous years.
--Each organization can test at four tracks of its choosing next season where NASCAR competes, the first time teams can do so since 2008. The series' sanctioning body banned testing in 2009, and since then teams could not test at tracks where NASCAR held races, but they could test on other tracks.
Robin Pemberton, NASCAR vice president of competition, said the previous formats "served a purpose when we were doing other things, (but) we don't do those anymore," such as reducing the weekend schedule at an event. Series officials plan to have a practice and qualifying session Fridays and a final practice session Saturdays on weekends the Cup series races on Sundays next season. Should a driver need a provisional or multiple provisionals next year, there won't be a limit. NASCAR, however, plans to limit how a driver can use the champion's provisional. "You can't just show up'' and use a champion's provisional, Pemberton said.
As for testing, Pemberton said that each organization -- Hendrick Motorsports, Roush Fenway Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing --can bring two cars per driver. Thus, all four Hendrick drivers could test together and it would count as one test. The difference is that if a track will have a new tire, teams can't test with that tire unless it has been used at another track.(USA Today)(10-6-2012)

I like this except for the unlimited provisionals. I also like the random draw for quals. That will get rid of the games they play in the 1st practice. I also like the quals on Fridays when they race on Sunday. This might also get rid of "buying" owners points. I really like the looks of this

[smoke14rulez]

...good, with testing back at NA$CAR tracks...can ya' git'yer @sses over to Dover...pronto... ...

[Rochelle]

haha, no kidding... All 4 tests should be used at Dover