Daytona Qualifying- Is This Any Way to Choose a Field?
For the last several hours, I’ve been trying to wrap my head around qualifying for the Daytona 500. I now have arrived at the same conclusion as ol’ D.W. “It’s not hard to understand if you understand it.”
To boil it down, here’s what we know:
1) All drivers in the top 35 owner points are in. Except Kurt Busch, who’s points the esteemed boss Roger Penske gave to Cup rookie Sam Hornish. Hornish is in, Busch is a “Go or go homer” except that he has a “Past Champion’s provisional” he can use, so he’ll be in anyway.
2) Jimmie Johnson has the pole. He did it the old-fashioned way- he ran faster than everyone else. Phew. That was easy.
3) Michael Waltrip has the “outside” pole with the 2nd fastest qualifying time. Mikey also heads the go or go home class with it. He and Johnson are the only ones as of tonight who know where they’ll start Sunday.
4) Because the top 4 racers from pole qualifying get in the race, David Reutimann and Joe Nemechek are also in the race. Unlike Mikey, they don’t know where yet.
That’s where things are sitting now. Thursday, the flag lowers for two qualifying races known as the Gatorade Duel 150. The TWO highest finishing cars from each of the duels not already qualified will get in.
One of those spots may be taken away thanks to the usage of the Past Champion provisional. Three go or go-homers have one: Bill Elliott, Dale Jarrett and Kurt Busch. Who gets dibs on it is ranked by the most recent champion, so the order is : Busch, Jarrett and Elliott. Suffice it to say one of these guys will have to use it.
If you want a more stripped down version of this, here’s what I am copying verbatim off of FOX-TV’s coverage from Sunday. I must add, it was funny as heck listening to Mike Joy trying to explain this:
DAYTONA 500- HOW THE LINEUP IS SET:
* FRONT ROW: 2 FASTEST CARS IN QUALIFYING (ed: Johnson, Waltrip)
* TOP 35 IN CAR OWNER POINTS FROM 2007 ARE “LOCKED IN” TO RACE
* 2 HIGHEST FINISHERS IN EACH QUALIFYING RACE
* PAST CHAMPIONS PROVISIONAL IN IF NEEDED (ed: one person from list of Busch, Jarrett and Elliott are eligible)
* FASTEST 1-4 QUALIFIERS FROM POLE QUALIFYING (ed: Johnson, Waltrip, Reutimann and Nemechek).
Here’s the “Go or Go Homers” List when qualifying began Sunday:
00- David Reutimann (he’s in the race, positioned not yet determined)
2- Kurt Busch (2004 Champ)
08- Carl Long
09- Sterling Marlin
10- Patrick Carpentier
21- Bill Elliott (1988 Champion)
27- Jacques Villenueve
34- John Andretti
37- Eric Mc Clure
44- Dale Jarrett (1999 Champion)
49- Ken Schrader
50- Stanton Barrett
55- Michael Waltrip (he’s in at #2)
60- Boris Said
78- Joe Nemechek (he’s in, position not yet determined)
83- Brian Vickers
84- A.J. Allmendinger
87- Kenny Wallace
The question of WHERE racers will be in the Sunday field will be settled by Thursday night.
Unfortunately, somebody who ran well today won’t get in. of the guys left, I thought Said, Carpentier, Villenuve, Jarrett and Mc Clure ran very well today. You could even make a good argument for Bill Elliott. You do the math, and you figure one or more of these guys will watch it on TV with the rest of us.
I hate to say it because I like these guys, but the Petty cars (Kyle and Bobby Labonte) didn’t look like they belonged in the field. Neither did J.J. Yeley, or even Jeff Burton.
What a mess!
NASCAR.com writer Dave Rodman had it pegged when he referred to the top 35 points rule as “infernal.”
I need an Advil.
