Toyota Update's

[Tyyrus]

Well we have four Toyota's Qualified into the Richmond Race , Dave Blaney in 10th , A.J Allmendinger in Lucky Number 13th Position followed closely by David Reutimann in 14th. The long shot in 31st Position is Die-Hard Johnny Benson...watch out he may surprise us. Unfortunatley the same Ole Boys didn't make the Field...Brian Vickers , Mike Waltrip , Jeremy Mayfield and Dale Jarret .

P.S. Waltrip was almost 3 seconds off the Pace...(2.81)  Time to put in the Sub...Coach !      

[The Voice]

Jarrett on NASCAR.com:

"It was easy to sit down last August, September and October and say 'This is going to take time for all this to happen.' That sounded really good. We are competitors and we want it to happen now [but] the fact is that it's not going to happen right now.

[Chris]

I honestyly don't think Benson was such a surprise...

Also I think Benson making the field speaks volumns about how BAD MWR (and some of the other teams) really are
Here you got a team that comes in out of the blue, runs its first race in the new Toyota, and qualifies.
Whats that say about the high dollar teams, teams that drive them every week, have factory support, etc.
Looks like to me teams are NOT doing their homework.... and also the teams driving the Toyotas just don't have that good of drivers.
IMO Benson is a good driver and could probably put a Toyota in the field every week.
AT the very least he made all the 'regulars' look bad

[jimmyd]

      Damm this is the second time i find myself defending  MW  tonight, Tryyus  reading your post i see u state that MW was 3 seconds off the pace. so i went back and looked, u are correct that he was off the pole pace by 2.81 seconds , but his speed was 123.859  which  ws 32 quickest out of 50 cars.   Maybe the problem is the qualifieing format and not the Toyota drivers.  just a thought    Go jeff

[HUDSON HORNET]

P.S. Waltrip was almost 3 seconds off the Pace...(2.81)  Time to put in the Sub...Coach !      

You really think a submarine would do better? 

[KurtBuschFan]

Welcome to Frontstretch jimmyd...you're right about the qualifying format having a problem.  None of us here would disagree with you on that.  Unfortunately for MW and others, that's the current format and the teams have to work on adapting to what they're given whether we like it or not.

[HUDSON HORNET]

And no matter what we think about the current qualifying format, we DO think new posters are great!

So, W E L C O M E  to Frontstretch, JimmyD!
Glad to have you here.

[Chris]

IMO...
no matter HOW they slice it... the 44 and 55 seem to always qualify near the bottom. (What I am saying is a good portion of the go or go home cars out run them every week)
SO if you change the format and lets say you lock in 25 cars instead of 35... that pretty much means that teams are much better than MWR just have to concentrate harder on qualifying speeds (what they don't do now)... and be faster in qualifying.
SO in the long run the 44 and 55 car will still be down the list and IMO still be sent home on a regular basis

They can't count on NASCAR making changes and 'giving' them anything so they can make the field.  They have to do the work, do their homework, put in the time, and IMPROVE their OWN race program and catch up with everyone else before they will ever make races on a regular basis.

[Tyyrus]

You really think a submarine would do better? 

Well at least the Whales would drowned out his Audio..lol !  

[Tyyrus]

I honestyly don't think Benson was such a surprise...

Also I think Benson making the field speaks volumns about how BAD MWR (and some of the other teams) really are
Here you got a team that comes in out of the blue, runs its first race in the new Toyota, and qualifies.
Whats that say about the high dollar teams, teams that drive them every week, have factory support, etc.
Looks like to me teams are NOT doing their homework.... and also the teams driving the Toyotas just don't have that good of drivers.
IMO Benson is a good driver and could probably put a Toyota in the field every week.
AT the very least he made all the 'regulars' look bad

Well 31st Place finish may not sound great , but as you say Chris with a relative new Team ..thats respectable . I like Benson he's a  Honest Stand up Guy , with Driving Talent to Boot ! 

[Tyyrus]

      Damm this is the second time i find myself defending  MW  tonight, Tryyus  reading your post i see u state that MW was 3 seconds off the pace. so i went back and looked, u are correct that he was off the pole pace by 2.81 seconds , but his speed was 123.859  which  ws 32 quickest out of 50 cars.   Maybe the problem is the qualifieing format and not the Toyota drivers.  just a thought    Go jeff

Welcome to the Frontstretch JD...keep Rootin for Jeff Burton..Bro ! 

[PuglieseVT]

Johnny Benson losing his MB2 ride is probably one of the biggest mistakes I've seen in NASCAR over recent years.

[flamehothead]

IMO...
no matter HOW they slice it... the 44 and 55 seem to always qualify near the bottom. (What I am saying is a good portion of the go or go home cars out run them every week)
SO if you change the format and lets say you lock in 25 cars instead of 35... that pretty much means that teams are much better than MWR just have to concentrate harder on qualifying speeds (what they don't do now)... and be faster in qualifying.
SO in the long run the 44 and 55 car will still be down the list and IMO still be sent home on a regular basis

They can't count on NASCAR making changes and 'giving' them anything so they can make the field.  They have to do the work, do their homework, put in the time, and IMPROVE their OWN race program and catch up with everyone else before they will ever make races on a regular basis.

I agree Chris, MWR has to get it together like everyone else has to do week in and week out.

[falcon325]

SO if you change the format and lets say you lock in 25 cars instead of 35... that pretty much means that teams are much better than MWR just have to concentrate harder on qualifying speeds (what they don't do now)... and be faster in qualifying.

It's been gut-wrenching to see Mikey get sent home every week by fractions of a second, often the last or second to last car bumped.  But you make a very good point, Chris.  If more starting spots were open for the time trial guys, the 55 still might not be making the field.  That may be why Mikey is just pushing for a separate qualifying, so the go-or-go-home guys won'tl be helped or hurt as much by the qualifying draw.

[flamehothead]

I also agree Chris.

If there was room and Nascar allowed 60 cars to show up and attempt to Qualify (and you know 60 cars would be there) he still may not make the race.

I can't remember when they stopped doing the OLD stly qualifying  but IMO it was perfect.

There wasn't a Top 35 and the fastest guys made the race with the exception of a couple of Provisionals. I believe it was 43 spots and the 3 were for provisionals but maybe Chris can help me out on this one lol.