In the beginning there was swapping paint in NASCAR. Now you’ve got swapping points.
If you’re confused by the top-35 points (qualifying) rule you’re not alone. So here’s a brief look at where it started and where we are in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series.
Racing for prizes is fine, but, bills have to be paid, so wily track promoters paid “show-up,” or appearance money to the famous teams and drivers to make sure fans would come out in big numbers.
When NASCAR established a points’ fund it had a similar affect due to the post season payouts.
As the series prospered the problem was that 50 or more cars would show up for qualifying including some underfunded teams which out-qualified the teams with season-long and full-season sponsorship.
It was pretty embarrassing for a team, which had the money and a big sponsor not to be seen on the broadcast of the race.
NASCAR officials came up with a points scheme -- the top 35 in owner points -- which would lock in teams that committed to running the entire season and performed well on a consistent basis
For the first five races the top 35 in points are locked in.
All of this worked fine, that is until the last few years. As the some sponsorships dried up, teams merged and Roush Fenway Racing had to downsize from five to four cars the entire top 35 points lock in has been turned topsy-turvy.
Bill Jenkins, of Latitude Racing bought what used to be the #26 car raced by Jamie McMurray from Roush and was permitted to use the owners’ points – based on the NASCAR explanation that since Roush was forced by NASCAR to downsize it was an equitable way to repay him for some of his loss.
Last week Furniture Row Racing announced a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing and was allowed to take over the points earned by Casey Mears in the Childress 07 car because Childress has shut down that team due to loss of sponsorship.
This Bob Jenkins, no relation to Bill Jenkins, Front Row Racing announced that it had joined with Doug Yates and it had obtained the points earned by Yates’ from last year.
Now you are asking – what about the RPM merger with Yates? Good question. It turns out that only the assets of the team were sold – there was no merger as originally thought.
So if you are confused about who and what and where the top 35 in points are for the beginning of this year, don’t worry you are in good company.
If you’re confused by the top-35 points (qualifying) rule you’re not alone. So here’s a brief look at where it started and where we are in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup Series.
Racing for prizes is fine, but, bills have to be paid, so wily track promoters paid “show-up,” or appearance money to the famous teams and drivers to make sure fans would come out in big numbers.
When NASCAR established a points’ fund it had a similar affect due to the post season payouts.
As the series prospered the problem was that 50 or more cars would show up for qualifying including some underfunded teams which out-qualified the teams with season-long and full-season sponsorship.
It was pretty embarrassing for a team, which had the money and a big sponsor not to be seen on the broadcast of the race.
NASCAR officials came up with a points scheme -- the top 35 in owner points -- which would lock in teams that committed to running the entire season and performed well on a consistent basis
For the first five races the top 35 in points are locked in.
All of this worked fine, that is until the last few years. As the some sponsorships dried up, teams merged and Roush Fenway Racing had to downsize from five to four cars the entire top 35 points lock in has been turned topsy-turvy.
Bill Jenkins, of Latitude Racing bought what used to be the #26 car raced by Jamie McMurray from Roush and was permitted to use the owners’ points – based on the NASCAR explanation that since Roush was forced by NASCAR to downsize it was an equitable way to repay him for some of his loss.
Last week Furniture Row Racing announced a technical alliance with Richard Childress Racing and was allowed to take over the points earned by Casey Mears in the Childress 07 car because Childress has shut down that team due to loss of sponsorship.
This Bob Jenkins, no relation to Bill Jenkins, Front Row Racing announced that it had joined with Doug Yates and it had obtained the points earned by Yates’ from last year.
Now you are asking – what about the RPM merger with Yates? Good question. It turns out that only the assets of the team were sold – there was no merger as originally thought.
So if you are confused about who and what and where the top 35 in points are for the beginning of this year, don’t worry you are in good company.