i posted this on a forum on ESPN.com and got trashed for it. i wanted to get the opinion of people who are real NASCAR fans and have been watching the sport for longer than 5 years. here is what i posted......


I believe that NASCAR has dropped the ball once again on another issue......qualifying. every week teams work hard to make the race and not all of them get what they deserve. after watching qualifying for the Pocono 500......i noticed something that disturbed me. Michael Waltrip ran the 32nd fastest lap in qualifying and did not make the race. if the system was set up like it used to be.....he would have made the show easily because he qualified in the top 38. he ran faster than 17 of the cars that showed up and qualified. a car that qualifies 32nd should make the show.....period.

everything NASCAR has done in the past 6 or 7 years to try and help the small teams more, has done nothing but hurt them even more. the old system worked GREAT!! Top 20 in points are locked in, if your qualifying speed is in the top 38......you are in the race, PERIOD. NASCAR has tried so many things to make the sport BETTER in the past years, but i think they have left it less exciting. you dont see small teams winning anymore and you dont see as many great finishes. NASCAR has dropped the ball.......

 

 

i completely agree with u, i dont even bother with nascar anymore cos its nothing but politcs and bulljive. same guys win over and over no more photo finishes i want it back to how it usta be, whoever showed up to win with the best car won, not who can exceed the rules by .0000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000000 01%

 

the people who think there is nothing wrong with NASCAR today never sawSteve Park go to victory lane one week after Earnhardt's death,Ricky Craven and Kurt Busch finish at Darlington, the Jimmy Spencer andKurt Busch finish at Bristol, or Elliot Sadler's win with the Wood Brother's at Bristol (naming some of the few in recent history). if nascar doesn't make some major changes then you will just see Hendrick, Gibbs, and Roush cars in victory lane....


Here is to the old days......

 

actually yes its harder for the driver's that are new teams and coming in, but it is a better system for the sport because the driver's that are consistently finishing are the ones they want, and therefor they are in the top 35 in points so they should be guarenteed a spot in the race, it just means that the other teams will have to work a little harder like they should, i'm sorry but toyota should have worked a little harder on this to give michael a better car and a better team, like come on, michal and dale can't even make the races and when they do they dont finish them....its rediculous...why would you want them in it considering they dont even finish on the lead lap or even finish the race in most cases...dont get me wrong...i think michael was an awesome driver...but this whole toyota thing has screwed him over

so personally i kind of like it the way it is

 

i guess i understand where NASCAR is coming from......

but my deal is that if you qualify in on time.....you should make the race.....Mikey was 32nd fastest which means he beat 11 guys and he still didnt make the race.....i think there should be a set number that makes it on time like there used to be.....if you are 37th fastest or better....you are in.

 

i think it used to be 25th or faster and you were guarenteed in.. i think thats the way it was the last 2 years, because they were doing the top 25 in owner points were guarenteed in the race...now its 35.

i think that rule also helps out like harvick,jr, johnson or gordon or people like that when they have an off qualifying round so they're still in the race

 

I have a whole bunch of ideas to bring NASCAR back together for the fans but will trim them down.

1. Everybody qualifies. - I don't care who you are... this evens up the people with the bad days.

2. Bring back the stock cars. - Remember all the innovation that came out of stock car racing in the 50's, 60's and 70's? Can you say Hemi?

Of course we could never go back to this with all the safety issues involved much less the fact NASCAR would loose complete control over the disaplinary system setup with a select amount of about 60 or so drivers. Could you imagine some Appalacian Mountain Redneckthat is just a good driver cleaning house?!?! Sponsers would be screwed and NASCAR wouldn't make money anymore.

But it would be so nice to see it again.