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If only some cars could
get a break. If only some cars could go
just a little faster. If only they were
race ready when they dropped the green
flag. I mean, if we are still poking
fun at Michael Waltrip's past (and
present) problems for a few laughs, the
fate of some of those boys currently
exiled from the Top 35 in owner's points
might be cause for tears.
Richmond is the track Dale Earnhardt Jr.
last won on, about 71 races ago. Jimmie
Johnson, who won here last year, has
claimed 13 of those 71 races. You could
say both are hopeful for good things to
come their way Saturday night. For
others, dreams of victory or even a
place in the Chase is too much to hope
for. In fact, the aspiration to reach a
position in the Top 35, to avoid having
to qualify each and every week, is about
to come crashing to an end.
As you remember, I thought if NASCAR
pushed all those who finish in the Top
Twenty in a race through to the next
one, regardless as to points, it might
shake up the format just enough to offer
a measure of hope to developing teams.
For each that makes it, the lowest
ranked of those in the Top 35 would lose
their free pass and would then have to
qualify. I don't think too many would
whine if, having three outsiders
finished in the Top Twenty in a race,
the 33rd, 34th, and 35th ranked cars in
owner's points would then have to
qualify their way in to the next event.
Such a scenario would have brought us
some interesting results. After
Daytona, four outsiders would have been
able to take their Top Twenty finish
there and lock a spot in the field for
California. With the rains that wiped
out qualifying on the west coast, the
four that had been bumped; David
Gilliland, Scott Riggs, Dave Blaney, and
Kyle Petty; would have been selected for
the field anyway. In the end, things
would have remained the same.
Fontana's results, on the other hand,
would have moved two outsiders in to the
Las Vegas lineup, moving both Blaney and
Petty to the go or go home list.
Blaney's qualifying time would have kept
him in the field, but A.J. Allmendinger
would have sent Petty to the house. That
marked the single time this season the
make-up of the field would have changed
if the proposed format was the one in
use. It certainly has not proven to be a
radical change, just one that would have
provided an opportunity for a team good
enough to grab it.
At Talladega, none were. Yet, it would
have provided us with an example of what
could have happened if only. If only
Sterling Marlin had finished one
position better. If only Joe Nemechek
had not got tied up in the last lap
crash to finish outside of the Top
Twenty. Instead, the have nots did not
finish near enough to the front, so once
again the field would not have been
different from this weekend's reality.
Non-Top 35 Cars At Talladega
21st - Sterling Marlin (09)
25st - Joe Nemechek (78)
28st - David Stremme (40)
30st - A.J. Allmendinger (84)
31st - Patrick Carpentier (10)
32st - Kyle Petty (45)
36st - Jon Wood (21)
42st - Ken Schrader (70)
DNQ J.J. Yeley (96)
DNQ Dave Blaney (22)
DNQ John Andretti (34)
As none of the outsiders finished in the
Top Twenty last week, neither Sam
Hornish Jr or Regan Smith would have
lost their Richmond reservation under
this new proposal. Under the present
rules, we are getting to the point that
they never will.
Smith, in the #01, has that last Top 35
position and, unless someone gets on the
wheel in a hurry, he'll soon have it
locked up for the remainder of the
season. Dario Franchitti's #40, with
Ken Schrader subbing for the injured
Scotsman in Richmond, is already 61
points in arrears. The #70, with Johnny
Sauter aboard this week, is 75 out. J.J.
Yeley and Dave Blaney (80 and 82 points
back respectively) won't be in
contention for much longer.
Members of that quartet not only need to
make each contest, but they must do a
whole lot better when they do race than
those they are hoping to catch. Their
odds have dwindled to slim and none, and
Slim is leaving town. Under the current
rules, these boys are nearing the point
of no return as far as the Top 35 is
concerned. There will be no hope for a
respite due to some on-track success,
leaving them having to qualify for each
and every race in order to run on the
weekend.
Our suggested slight alteration in
determining who gets pre-qualified for
the next race was in order to offer
hope. Hope to those who, about now, are
starting to feel just a bit hopeless.
You can
contact Ron at
thornton@speedwaymedia.com
The opinions expressed
on this site are not necessarily those of the publisher. All
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the author. Copyright 2000-2008 SpeedwayMedia.com.
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