Ever wonder if

[Chris]

Been sittin' here thinking... (man that causes trouble.. hehehehe)
Anyway,... being an ex Professional bowler, A thought come to me,...
The PGA Tour,.. and also the PBA Tour have MORE participants than they have room for on a weekly basis... This is the same thing we will have in Nascar next year (actually have that now but it is 'minor' teams (if you will)
Next season we'll have 50-55 MAJOR teams that want a spot to race in the CUP series event every week.  Top teams, good drivers, teams capable of running in the front, etc.
Face it MANY teams are going to go home on a "revolving basis" and it's going to be bad for MANY of the teams...

What the PGA / PBA does is have "qualifying sessions' in the 'off season'.  Past champions, top point leaders, etc get seeded automatically into the next upcoming year.  The remaining spots remain open for everyone else,.. and they all meet and compete for those spots,.. and the best ones are the ones that get to compete at the top level in the upcoming year.

I was thinking what it Nascar used some type of system like that.
What if Nascar used (just say stricly points... anyone that wins should be in the top in points I assume).  Lets say Nascar took the top 30 on points and automatically seeded them into the field for (just say) 2008.
ANY team that does NOT finish in the top 30 in points at the end of 2007 would have to race in a five race 'shoot-out' and five different tracks...
ANY team that wanted to race in the CUP series for 2008 would be allowed to come and compete in this "shoot-out"... The Cup teams that finished outside the top 30, BGN teams, ARCA teams, new teams, etc.
NOW the TOP 13 finishing teams after five races in this shootout would earn positions for the 2008 season.  Everyone else would have to race in the BGN series, ARCA, etc (if they wanted to)
Nascar would also institute a rule that NO CUP drivers in the BGN field - (you'd already have the "lower" Cup guys that missed the "Cup" field in the shoot out that obviously need more experience.
Besides you don't see Tiger Woods drop down and compete against the guys in the "Hooters" golf field.

This would assure the 43 CUP teams KNOWING they were "IN" the field every week,... the sponsors KNOWING they would be in the field every week,... and also save many teams from wasting time showing up and missing fields.  The teams that did Fail to make the CUP field in the shoot out could work toward knowing they would be racing in the BGN series with little or no intrusion from CUP's BuschWhackers,.. and it would give them a better chance of running up front, gaining experience, and also just being IN the race and gaining seat time.
It would be a win-win all the way around.

[KurtBuschFan]

At the same time you'd have teams and sponsors that would miss out on an entire season instead of just one race.

[paulfan]

I was thinking about maybe a north/south or east/west for the cup series with a final championship series at the end.  It would open up a lot more tracks like N Wilksboro, Rockingham, Memphis, Pikes Peak, Kentucky and give some one race tracks 2 races a year such as Phoenix and Las Vegas.

I haven't thought much about how it would work, but just an idea.  As the sport grows I think it will come to something like this.

[Chris]

At the same time you'd have teams and sponsors that would miss out on an entire season instead of just one race.

Yeah,.. I considered that when I wrote the post... They'd miss the "CUP" races,.. but on the other hand they'd be guaranteed to be in the BGN fields.
Sponsors don't get sent home with NO shot at TV time week after week.

With things going the way they are,.. it'll just be like it is THIS year,.. only the problems will be multiplied.  SEVERAL TOP teams will go home on a weekly basis,.. and sponsors will soon tire of spending money and not getting ANY recognition for it.  Then you'll just have TOP teams in the same shape at the teams of Lepage, Chaffin, etc.  They will be GOOD teams,.. just in a BAD position because of Nascars silly Top 35 rule.
Better to race SOMEWHERE every week,.. then to show up and be sent home and not get to race anywhere.

I was thinking about maybe a north/south or east/west for the cup series with a final championship series at the end.  It would open up a lot more tracks like N Wilksboro, Rockingham, Memphis, Pikes Peak, Kentucky and give some one race tracks 2 races a year such as Phoenix and Las Vegas.

Now this is another idea I have been pushing for about a year.  In my mind It would work like the "Hooters Cup" racing series.  Lets say you started it NEXT year.  I'd take all the drivers finishing in the "odd" position in the CUP points and put then in the "Nothern Division" and the "Even" positions in the points and put then in what I'd call the "Southern Division"

I'd also do away with the BGN series and have them run with the CUP series.  Some may say that the BGN teams can't "afford" to run what it cost to race in the CUP series.  I say this,... THe BGN series races 35 races a year... This would start as a 20 race 'qualification' to see if they made the chase.  SO I know 20 CUP races cost less than 35 BGN races... ALso I know for a fact CUP race purses pay out WAY more than BGN races.  SO it would be a win-win for the BGN guys.  IF the BGN 'regulars' made it into the top  to make the chase,...that would be extra money they could make.

I'd race 20 races in EACH division.... Like you say it would let tracks like Darlington have two races a year again, Vegas could have two races, etc etc.  And some of the tracks that the BGN series could be used as CUP dates.  KY has been badly wanting to get a CUP date,.. this would be perfect all the way around.  How about adding Nashville, or Milwaukee.
The two divisions could race at some tracks the same,.. and some different.
After the two divisions raced 20 races each,.. THEN they would cut to the top 21 (or 22) cars in EACH division to go to the 10 race chase for the championship.
This could allow for Nascar to STILL have MORE races and they could STILL do it in the SAME (or fewer) number of weeks that they do it now.
The teams could have MORE weeks OFF to work on the cars since each division would only actually race 20 week, plus 10 more in the chase (A total of 30 week) 6 weeks less than they do now.  Teams could cut cost,.. but race fans could get to see 14 more races per season.
Nascar could have some night races, and even have two races on the same weekend (in fact that would be necessary).  They could race one division at one track on Saturday night,... and the other division at a different track on Sunday afternoon.

Actually in all honesty I think Nascar is asleep st the switch by missing this opportunity.  More races for the fans,... more advertising for them to sell,... more TV they can sell... more tickets to sell... I can't seea reason NOT to do this.