NASCAR: The fix is in?

Only in a sport where the eighth-fastest qualifier starts at the back of a 43-car field is something like this possible.

We're talking about the transfer of owners points from Kurt Busch to Sam Hornish Jr., which assures Hornish of a spot in the first five Sprint Cup races in '08.

On the surface, it's a minor story, one that seemingly won't have much impact beyond Bristol, when Hornish will have to get in on his own. But deeper down, the swap is yet another example of NASCAR playing God, which to the sporting fan translates to the fix being in.

Real quick, let's get this out of the way: We understand what NASCAR is trying to accomplish business-wise. We get that sponsors need to have certain assurances, and this points swap assures the sponsors for both Busch and Hornish that their logos will be racing around Daytona come the third Sunday in February. But here's a question: Who cares?

Sure, sponsors are forking over millions, but fans are, too. In fact, it could be argued that a $100 ticket, two nights at a $250, price-gouging hotel and a couple of days off work is a bigger financial burden on a fan than a $15 million primary sponsorship is on a Fortune 500 company.

What we're hearing over and over is fans don't care about whatever rules NASCAR has in place to take care of its owners and sponsors. They just want to see the fastest 43 cars race on Sunday. More at Yahoo Sports