| Subject: Backstretch |
Author:
Rick
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Date Posted: Sunday, October 21, 01:38:26pm
Usually a writer can say pretty much whatever he wants and while he might get beat up for his opinions, he almost always gets away with it because like it or not, we’re all entitled to our opinions… even writers. As every one of you know, Backstretch has been pretty vocal about the trend in hiring past champions to use those six provisionals that NASCAR has been so kind to hand out.
It all started when Michael Waltrip gave Dale Jarrett an estimated ten million dollars a year to drive his new Toyota. Everyone, including NASCAR knew what Waltrip was doing: he was buying his way into races because he knew his cars wouldn’t be good enough, but that a past champion had a pretty much unlimited supply of provisionals to use. A light bulb must have flashed on in Daytona Beach because NASCAR saw through that almost immediately and before the 2007 season started, informed all teams that past champions would only have six provisionals to use. As we all know, Jarrett used them up pretty quick.
It wasn’t just Michael Waltrip Racing that was abusing the system, although they were the first. The Wood brothers took Kenny Schrader out of the 21 car in favor of champion Bill Elliott and at the road courses this year Waltrip took himself out of the 55 in favor of Terry Labonte.
I can totally understand why these teams do this. They have sponsors to think about. There were reports, perhaps not totally accurate, that said Waltrip was paying NAPA more than $100,000 for every race the 55 car missed. That’s a heck of an incentive to bring in a hired gun. It’s not right, but there it is.
The past champion’s provisional rule was brought into effect because during the twilight of Richard Petty’s career, he missed a race. NASCAR could not have a legend like Petty being sent home, especially by some upstart kid who never won a race. So they increased the field from the standard 42 cars to include the 43rd position, which was the past champion’s position. NASCAR made one mistake at the time: they said if a champion didn’t need that spot, it would go to the next fastest car. What they should have said was if a champion didn’t need it, then 42 cars would start the race. That’s why the provisional got abused. During the last season of Darrell Waltrip’s career he got sent home once by a driver who had never won a race in his life. That shouldn’t have happened. That provisional is the single most abused rule in NASCAR.
So now I have to put my money where my mouth is because my favorite driver is in danger of falling out of the top 35. Kyle Petty has said that if he does fall out, he will seriously consider putting Bobby Labonte in the 45 car and he’ll drive the 43. I completely understand why he would do this: the rule is there and other teams have used it so he’d be an idiot not too. The 55 car made races because of it, the 21 made races because of it so Petty would be stupid to send the 45 car home just because he’s too big to use it.
Just because he can use it, doesn’t mean its right. Yes, if he falls out of the top 35, I hope he puts Labonte in the car. The Petty’s, like everyone else, have sponsorship commitments that need to be met. I understand and agree with that. But, and this is a pretty big but… I sincerely hope that before the 2008 Daytona 500, NASCAR steps in and puts a stop to this. No one, not the upstart Michael Waltrip Racing and not the legends like the Wood Brothers or Petty Enterprises should be permitted to abuse a rule that was put in place only to make sure a real champion made the race. It’s wrong and it needs to be addressed before the start of next season.
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