NASCAR ‘Top 35’ Fight For Survival Begins
Mar 20, 2008
CIA Stock Photo, Inc.
The first five races of the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series are in the books and now the fight for survival among competitors begins in earnest. Through the race last Sunday at Bristol Motor Speedway, NASCAR was working off the 2007 Sprint Cup points standings.
That safety net has disappeared. From this point forward, the top 35 teams in 2008 owners’ points are guaranteed a starting position in the next race.
The math is easy enough. There are 43 grid spots for every Cup race, which leaves a dozen or more race teams going head-to-head in qualifying for eight wild-card positions.
Now that the opening stretch of races is complete, expect a weekly scramble of drivers just above and below the top-35 cutoff.
Teams below the line must qualify their way into the race, while those above can concentrate on race setup, giving them a distinct advantage to gain more points.
There has been considerable movement among drivers at the dividing line that separates the haves and have-nots. It is sure to get even more interesting as the season wears on.
