NASCAR may reduce Sprint Cup fields

Smaller NASCAR fields? Maybe

It's a case of the rich getting richer in setting the starting fields for Sprint Cup races in the future.

NASCAR is on the verge of making it more difficult for single-car teams competing in the Sprint Cup Series to be able to make the starting fields in 2016.

One of the proposed changes being considered is reducing the size of the starting field from 43 to 40 cars in the upcoming season.

For many years, the starting field for Sprint Cup races has been set at 43, and at a majority of the races the list of entries has been at that number or slightly higher.

Last year, car owners with multiple teams formed the Race Team Alliance to negotiate with NASCAR concerning rules, sharing of sponsorship money and scheduling.

There are numerous reports that prior to the running of the Daytona 500 in February the Race Team Alliance and NASCAR will reach an agreement on a “charter system."

Under the proposed agreement, there will be 36 teams granted a charter and assured a starting position in all Sprint Cup races.

With the granting of charters and the reduction in the starting fields, teams with one car or teams hoping to work their way to a full season of competition will be limited to battling for one of four starting positions.

There is no mention of the “champions provisional" which assured a former driver with a championship a spot in the starting field. If that practice continues, it will reduce the number of starting positions available to small or new teams to three.
Currently the teams that finish in the top 35 in points are assured a starting spot in the Daytona 500 and the three other races that start the season.

Once the fifth race of the year arrives, the top 35 in points is reset. The reality is that the top teams in points rarely change during the season.

The owners contend the “charter system" will help them secure sponsorship dollars because the team is assured of starting all races.

What I would prefer to see NASCAR implement in the future is to reduce the number of teams with a guaranteed starting position to the top 20 in points or 20 “charters" and fill the remainder of the field based on qualifying times.

NASCAR should provide a guaranteed starting position to some teams that have competed on a full-time basis the previous season, but it shouldn't be the majority of the starting field. Ken de la Bastide/Herald Bulletin