| Subject: backstretch |
Author:
Rick
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Date Posted: Sunday, December 16, 02:38:42pm
NASCAR has rules and within those rules are a series of loopholes that allow teams to abuse the system. The most blatant abuse has always been the use of the past champions’ provisional. Originally intended to allow series’ champions to race when they really weren’t fast enough to get in the show, it has turned into little more than a free pass for anyone.
Before the provisional was brought into effect, only 42 cars started a Cup race. If a past champion didn’t need the provisional, then 42 cars started the race. If it was needed, then 43 cars started. But for some reason known only unto NASCAR, it changed to a point where anyone could use it. In fact, during Darrell Waltrip’s final two or three years, he was sent home while cars driven by guys who had never even won a race, much less a championship, were allowed to take that 43rd spot from him. Something is incredibly wrong with that.
Michael Waltrip took that abuse to a whole new level when he started his three new Cup teams in 2006. he announced the signing of champion Dale Jarrett to a huge contract and what he was doing was so obvious to everyone that NASCAR had to protect the integrity of the sport by stepping in and changing the rules. Waltrip signed Jarrett to drive the 44 car not because he is an awesome driver, but because he could bring those past champions’ provisionals with him so no matter how badly the team sucked, Jarrett would still be in the race. NASCAR put a stop to that by announcing that starting with the 2007 Daytona 500, a champion could only use that provisional six times throughout the season.
After Jarrett used up his lot, teams such as the Wood Brothers started hiring guys like Bill Elliott or Terry Labonte to drive so they could get those six free passes. On his Tradin’ Paint show, Kyle Petty said it was wrong but it’s clearly within the rules and if he had to, he’d put Bobby Labonte in the 45 car so he could use his provisionals if Petty fell out of the top 35. He said NASCAR needs to change the rule to make it impossible but as long as it was legal he wasn’t going to fall on the sword and not use it and anyone else would be crazy not to do it.
Waltrip has taken the absurdity needle up another notch. Dale Jarrett has announced his retirement but he didn’t quit at the end of 2007. No, he is going to run the first six races of 2008 so that he can be sure that the 44 makes all the races and perhaps get into the top 35. At race number 7, David Reutimann will take over the car. Is that abuse or what? But it gets worse.
The other day one of the most respected men in racing took it up yet another notch. Roger Penske has transferred owner’s points from Kurt Busch’s #2 car to the 77 car driven by Sam Hornish. So Hornish, who DNQ’d almost every time he attempted a race in ’07, will start each of the first six races while team mate Busch has to qualify for them. That may seem like a sure thing to some but what if Tony Stewart or Jimmie Johnson have a bad qualifying run the same day Busch does? They would get that spot and Busch would load up and go home while Hornish gets in the show with a past champion’s provisional that he did not earn.
That’s more absurd that DEI buying Ginn Racing, then transferring points from the 14 car to the 15. On Monday Paul Menard was out of the top 35 and on Friday he was in the top 30. And he didn’t even enter a race to do it!
Petty was right: the rules are there so they can be exploited, but it isn’t right that the rule is there to be exploited. NASCAR needs to change it fast.
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