NASCAR Basics: Qualifying Explained

Originally published at Meanwhile... on Feb. 10, 2008

It should be that everyone comes to the track, runs two laps and the 43 fastest guys make the race, but that's not the way they do it in NASCAR. A while back, to make sure that the top guys with the biggest sponsors make the race, they decided to lock the top 35 in owner points into the race. That only leaves eight spots up for grabs in qualifying. Everyone goes through qualifying, but the top 35 cars are already in the race; they're just trying to get a good position in the field. The other guys, the "go or go home" guys, are fighting to get in.

The top 35 is everything. That was the biggest problem Toyota had last year in their first year competing in the Sprint Cup. They were with brand new teams that didn't have any owner points and had to try to qualify for every race. Michael Waltrip had the worst time. During inspection for the Daytona 500 last year, he was found to have an illegal fuel additive in his carburator. He was fined and docked 100 points -- points he didn't have because he hadn't competed in a race yet. He made the Daytona 500 field and earned some points, but was still in the hole. He then failed to qualify for several races in a row. For a while, anyone could say, "My life might suck, but at least I've got more cup points than Michael Waltrip. I don't have any, but he's got -22."

For the first five races of the season, they go by owner points from the previous year. This is to ensure that one or two bad finishes do not wreck your chances for the year. After the fifth week, it's a week-to-week thing. You'll see those teams near the bottom of the top 35 trying to stay there and teams out of the top 35 trying to get in.

NASCAR has made a new change to qualifying this season. The teams in the top 35 will qualify first, then all the "go or go home" teams will qualify. As the qualifying goes on track conditions change. More tire rubber is being laid down on the track and the weather might change -- all of which will affect how fast a car can go. By putting all the "go or go home" guys together, NASCAR is leveling the playing field, minimizing changes in track and weather conditions.

There is also the past champion's provisional. A former Sprint Cup champion who doesn't make his way into the race by qualifying gets in just because he's a former champion. Only one championship provisional can be used for each race. It goes to the latest champion who doesn't otherwise make the race by being in the top 35 or through qualifying. Last year, they added a limit to the number of times one former champion can use the provisional to make the field -- six.

You'll see some teams bending the rules a little to get their cars into the race. Dale Jarrett, driving for one of the new Toyota teams last year, used up his allotted provisionals to make the early races, then the provisional fell to Bill Elliott, who was suddenly hired by the Wood Brothers to drive their car that was out of the top 35. This season, Sam Hornish Jr., new to NASCAR from IRL and driving a new car for Penske that doesn't have any points, was given the points of teammate Kurt Busch. Busch, the 2004 Cup champion, will use the championship provisional to make any races he doesn't qualify for. NASCAR's position on the points swap was "Whatever."

I can see what NASCAR is trying to accomplish with the Top 35 rule and even the champion's provisional -- fans are going to be real upset if they come to the track to see Dale Earnhardt Jr., Jeff Gordon or Tony Stewart and they're not in the race -- but they should level the playing field a little. Maybe make it the top 30 or the top 25 to give more guys a chance to get in the race.

Further reading: Guarantee of Top 35 Keeps Pressure on Drivers, Teams


The Daytona 500

If all the above is not complicated enough, NASCAR has made qualifying for the Daytona 500 almost as convoluted as IRL has made Indy 500 qualifying. You start with the top 35; they're in the race. You have Pole Day (which was today). Everyone takes two laps and the fastest two guys get on the front row. Then, later in the week, Thursday, February 14 this season, you have the Gatorade Duels, two 150-mile races. The top two "go or go home" finishers in each race makes the field. Then you have one former champion using a provisional to make the field, if needed.

So the top 35 is in. If a "go or go home" guy finishes in the top two spots on Pole Day that's more spots that are gone. Two more spots go to the top "go or go home" guys in each of the Gatorade Duel 150s. Then another spot, possibly, goes to someone using a championship provisional. However many spots are left to fill out the 43-car field are filled by qualifying speeds on Pole Day. The positions in the starting field are filled by the order of finish in the Gatorade Duels (except for the front row that is filled on Pole Day). Clear as mud, right?