Waltrip Going Home again.....

[Apache Racing]

You also have to take into consideration that the cars locked into the top 35 are qualifying in a race setup as opposed to a qualifying setup.  If Jr, Jeff Burton or Tony had to have qualified on speed, I'm pretty sure they would have run faster qualifying laps than they did...

Agreed, being an impound race, and knowing your locked in (top 35) no sense in qualifying in anything other than race trim.

[Dustcloud]

qualifying at local tracks is based on speed I think nascar should take the fastest 42 cars and the highest previous champion if there not in the top 42. if  Dale jr Kasey Khane or some other driver misses the race OH WELL they should of tried harder

I always remember here, I think it was Las Vegas one of the first races... the track leaked. a good chunk of the first cars that went out wrecked from the water on the track and... again, IIRC - they weren't allowed to retry their qualifying.

SO I don't always know that not fast enough = needs to TRY harder is really all THAT good of a point. Provisionals had their place.

[Brian623]

Richmond is an impound track too, so another distorted set of qualifying times next week.

[Butterbean]

We can sit here and talk what if's but for now we're stuck with that stupid Top 35.  Believe me...I'd love to see it go back to the way it used to be, but I have a feeling that as long as Brian France is in control we'll see it stay.

Pray tell...how did "it used to be"?

[Brian623]

Using my less then photographic brain cells,when i started going to Pocono it was done soley on speed( but we never could fill the fields in the late 70's).  Then i think it went to 38 on time,4 on provisional. Then when the King couldn't make the show it became 38 and 5, then 36 and 7, and now this.And Martinsville and Bristol and old Ricnmond and North Wilkesboro only started about 36 then i think.Probably not perfect numbers, but you get the idea

[Chris]

yeah... you're roughly right BB
The smaller tracks started fewer cars (I think the point you are trying to make)
Bigger speedways started bigger fields.
As you said the provisional system they HAD was much better (fairer) than what they have now...

[flamehothead]

Mikey has shown up every week and was 20th fastest in qualifying.  And, with all due respect to the "Said-heads," Boris hasn't.  Boris is in and Mikey is going home. 

I've got to say Matt, I support locking in starting spots for a certain number of those teams that show up every week.  But this "top 35 lock-in" deal needs to be looked at.

I'm going up to NAPA today to pick up some stuff.  There are a couple of other auto parts places closer, but I'm going to NAPA to support Mikey.

Boris announced in January he only had enough sponsorship to compete in 7 races which includes the Shootout. We haven't seen Boris since Daytona and then he shows up at Talledega and because he decides which races he wants to run a Nascar Regular has to go home. Now I know Mikeys track record for Qualifying isn't that good  this season but thats not the point here because he WAS 20th in Qualifying. Mikey made the race at Daytona and I think most people looked for him to be in the race at Talledega since it is a Restrictor Plate Track.

If a driver only has x amount of dollars and can only make x amount of races then let Nascar pick which races he will run. There are some drivers that show up EVERY weekend without a Sponsor Decal on the car but they are trying EVERY weekend.

There is only one reason Boris can run 7 races and ya wanna know why?

I can tell ya it's NOT because of Sponsorship. When would he run his road course races? Whenever I watch Speed theres Boris in a Grand-Am car or a GT car or some type of road car and the car is very colorful with all the SPONSOR decals.

I don't have a problem with Road Racing, As a matter of fact I like Road Racing but when someone runs a series such as Nascar just for the FUN of it then some rules need to be made IMO of course.

[Chris]

Mikey made the race at Daytona and I think most people looked for him to be in the race at Talledega since it is a Restrictor Plate Track.

nope... I didn't...
If we remember Mike made the field at Daytona only because he "raced" his way into the field. 
Jarret and Mikey were too slow on speed... even with Waltrips jet fuel.
When deciding to go to a back-up car (if you remember) Waltrip choose to drive Reutimanns Back up car. Only one reason fr that.  He knew ahead of time HIS back-up car was cheated up just like his promary car.
SO speed wise I can't see Mikey being fast enough to get into a restrictor plate race running against the 'go or go home' guys.  A few of us even said he would be going home before hand in another thread.

I think if you change the rules.... he's STILL gonna be competiting for X number of spots... and the guys that are "locked in" now will still out run him and earn their way into the race on a day in and day out basis.
His season is toast... Throw Jarret into the mix now also.  Only thing Jarret running out of provisionals now does is open up one more spot for someone like Vickers, or Blaney, or W. Burton or a road course ringer when we run there.
I don't see changing the rules is gonna help Mikey much.  That team just shows a complete lack of knowing what is going on, what the car needs, or the driver knowing how to translate that to the team.
I like Mikey so don't get me wrong.  I just think he can't be a driver AND an owner.  All he's career he's just "barely" been a 1/2 way decent driver.  Now to take all this on is WAY more than he can handle.  A rules change is not gonna benefit him any.
The only way they could re-do the rules is if they wrote it to say "Waltrip is automatically in the field every week... no matter what"

[DotheDew88]

What's the deal with Mikey not being in the all star race? He made some reference to it on Wind Tunnel?

[Chris]

I forget exactly... but it has to do with how "recently" you have won.
For example both he and Bill Elliott have won the All Star race.  Both have won Cup races... Elliotts even a CUP champion.  Still both have to run the "Open"
I think if you haven't won your "All Star" race in the last "X" years you kinda lose credit for it.
Can't remember exactly now how many years that is

[south jersey girl]

Past winners of the all-star race are automatically eligible, but only the winners for the last 10 years.  So only the winners from 97-06...

Mikey won in '96

[DotheDew88]

Thanks guys

[Chris]

Anyone surprised (yet)...
We see Mikey going home after another qualifying session.
DJ (as we all suspected) will be trailing right behind him...
I have a feeling we'll be seeing this scenerio replay itself a lot the rest of the season...

Funny how Reutimann qualified 14th,... only 3/10th off the POLE.
Does ANYONE see a problem here..??

[HUDSON HORNET]

Anyone surprised (yet)...
We see Mikey going home after another qualifying session.
DJ (as we all suspected) will be trailing right behind him...
I have a feeling we'll be seeing this scenerio replay itself a lot the rest of the season...

Funny how Reutimann qualified 14th,... only 3/10th off the POLE.
Does ANYONE see a problem here..??

Yup! I sure do.

Bigger question is, does Mikey see how big the "problem" really is?
Or how much bigger it can get?

[Tyyrus]

Yup! I sure do.

Bigger question is, does Mikey see how big the "problem" really is?
Or how much bigger it can get?

Well . I guess it's time to put in two Sub's Coach...Tiny Bubbles...Make me feel Happy...Make me feel Fine !