For years and years and years, winning a pole in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series meant a whole lot more than getting to start out front for that specific race, or getting first selection of a pit stall.Now, because of NASCAR's fumbling of sponsorship contracts, it means a whole lot less.
Winning a pole in the Sprint Cup Series in the previous season meant a driver was guaranteed a spot in the next season's opening event, the Budwieser Shootout at Daytona. The race is an exhibition of sorts that serves as a great tune-up to the coming NASCAR season a week in advance of the Daytona 500.
The race will still exist in 2009, but the format has changed the qualifying procedures have turned the event more into a showcase for sponsors instead of an underdog team that might have snuck into the race with a pole win in the previous season.
NASCAR announced the format change on Tuesday, and the specifics of the race include lengthening it by 5 laps to 75 laps and giving teams a 10-minute break after lap 25. The qualfying procedure, though, is what ticks me off.
Now, instead of drivers getting locked in at any point in the previous season by winning one of the 36 available pole position awards, the top six teams from each manufacturer based on the final owner points of the previous season will get the start in 2009 Budwieser Shootout.
The changes comes as the result of Budwieser departing its position as the pole award presenter prior to 2008, but maintaining its sponsorship of the season-opening event. Coors Light picked up the pole award, leading to an obvious sponsorship conflict.
I understand the reasoning for wanting to change things up, but the Shootout has been a pole-winners event for such a long time and to change it because the NASCAR marketing folks couldn't package the two together to Coors is disappointing.
If a change was needed because the format was altering the competition level of the race, I'd be fine with it, but I just don't like the way the new procedure brings teams into the field that might not have really done anything in previous year. Case in point? Michael Waltrip and David Reutimann would currently make next season's event, while Mark Martin and Martin Truex Jr. wouldn't.
The only positive I see from the format change is that the manufacturers are going to get more exposure in return, and if that keeps all four makes around the sport for that much longer, then this wasn't as bad of move as it could have been.
Regardless of 2009's format, I'll still be excited to see racing back on-track at Daytona come February.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
8-27-2008 @ 5:36PM
Mary said...
It's pathetic what they are doing to NASCAR. I can't count how many times I've been so disgusted that I've vowed to quit watching it. But my life long loyalty wins out and I keep coming back in spite of how badly they are f*****g it up.
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8-27-2008 @ 5:43PM
MaryG said...
I've been going to Bristol for years. I didn't go this year because none of my friends will no longer support NASCAR. They are totally fed up. How sad is this?
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8-27-2008 @ 6:51PM
Maveness said...
There are even more scenarios that I find infuriating about the change.
Mikey and Reut get in, but Tony Stewart and Ryan Newman don't because they'll be switching manufacturers.
Chevy drivers are the ones punished the most, potentially ending up with a Chevy driver in the Chase that doesn't get into the Shootout because they're a dominant manufacturer.
And even more appalling, based on what I've been able to gather (it's not like they're making this crystal clear), there's a chance that Joey freaking Lagano might get to race in it even though he hasn't earned his spot there?
I actually find the idea of Joey getting in way more of a problem than Mikey or Reut getting in. At least they've put in a full season. Joey is getting handed a plum ride and he'll reap the reward of Tony Stewart's work. Oh yeah, while Tony's sitting on his couch, watching.
The point of the Shootout previously was rewarding people who were the best at something at some point. I understand sponsorship conflict, but there are other things teams are the best at. Why can't they do something akin to the Pit Crew Challenge and let ALL of the pit crews compete for berths in the race for their drivers? Or just flat out award the top 24 drivers from the previous points season a spot? Or all of the "most laps led" drivers for the year. Teams with the fastest pit stops during races over the year. Teams with the best *average* pit stops over the year. I could keep going on any number of scenarios that would reward something actually done during the year that didn't break things down by manufacturer or do a thing with the pole.
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8-27-2008 @ 11:58PM
anna seitter said...
There it goes another nazcar rules change making it harder for some drivers in the name of the almighty $$$ that supports the regime. Why is that the bunch of team owners never oppose or boycot the races to counter the 4 reich???
sheeps, sheeps, and sheeps!!!!. That's all they are.
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8-28-2008 @ 1:49AM
Don Emerson said...
What a load of crap. It was a sad day when The France family lost sight of the fact that racing is a sport, not a cash cow to milked until it's dry. Bil France Sr had a dream, his heirs have accountants, the fans have nothing but memories of what Nascar used to be........
The old man and his grandson stopped at a display in the auto musuem and stood there in silence for a moment. The little boy looked up and asked " What are those Grandpa?" The man looked down and replied " Why.... they are race cars Tommy, from back when they used to race stock cars,and they could go over 200 miles an hour on the track." "Wow" said Tommy, "they sure are neat, why don't they race them anymore?" The man paused for a moment then said " Well, the company that ran the races kept changing things around and raising prices until people stopped going to the races anymore, and it just slowly died out." Tommy thought for a minute then asked " Why did the company keep changing things, weren't the races exciting? " The old man chuckled then said " Oh they were very exciting in the beginning, and people brought their families from all over to watch them....but in time with all the changes the races became boring, the prices too high, and then the people stayed home." "Why did the company change things Grandpa? " ask Tommy. "Greed" replied the old man, " They made the races all about money and not competition and the fans lost interest." "That's not fair Grandpa", said Tommy, " Now I'll never get to see them race against each other ever again" With a tear in his eye, the old man replied " Neither will I Tommy....neither will I". Works for me.....
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8-28-2008 @ 7:45AM
Mike LeVan said...
Maveness was right. Just run the top twenty-four drivers from the previous year. With this dumb ass format you will have drivers that finish in the top 20 not making it while a couple around 30-35th place do get in. What a crock of shit. Obviously a move to satisfy the lower tier Dodge and Toyota teams that basically suck.
Also, the opportunity should be awarded to the driver, not the car. That will eliminate the issue of a rookie that has never run a Sprint Cup race getting in while a true Champion like Tony Stewart does not.
mbl
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8-28-2008 @ 8:50AM
Elrod139 said...
Why doesn't SABMiller/Coors sponsor a Pole Shootout/race since they outbid Budwieser for the nameing of the pole award
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8-28-2008 @ 10:14AM
Dodge Ram said...
Brian France has no clue as to what he and the others have done to NASCAR. Cookie cutter cars(iroc), are not what made the fans come to watch. Identical cars, identical tracks, restricting gear ratios, enough already. It's no wonder the fan base is shrinking. Bring back the stock cars and let the drivers race. NASCAR should start listening to the fans while it still has some.
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8-30-2008 @ 9:04AM
metalmorphisnb said...
Support Local Tracks where the drivers turn wrenches between heats and drive their trailer to the race and back home after it.
Shorter races are alot more fun to watch anyway. :)
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8-30-2008 @ 10:27PM
debbie johnson said...
I myself and many,many of race fans are very upset about the changes to the Bud Pole. I do not agree with Nascar, changing the rules. Why should someone who never even made a POLL be able to RACE in THE SHOOTOUT! I guess US FANS DON'T MATTER ANYMORE!!!!
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