Too many cars in NASCAR

NASCAR could have too much of a good thing next season. The open-wheel leagues of the IRL and Champ Car can't put 20 cars on the starting grid, but Nextel Cup may have too many cars in 2007.

It's a dilemma most racing leagues would love, but it has the potential to cause problems at the Cup level.

NASCAR may need to increase the 43-car field at each race to ensure that all the teams with major financial backing get on the track.

NASCAR officials don't want to see cars with top sponsors fail to qualify. The more cars you have, the better chance a big-money team will go home before the race.

"We have talked about how many cars we may have," said NASCAR vice president Jim Hunter. "I wouldn't say we're alarmed over it, but with Toyota coming in, it's automatically more cars."

Toyota is adding three Cup teams next year and at least seven cars. Two of those cars come from Bill Davis Racing, which is switching from Dodge. So it's a net gain of five cars.

Eddie D'Hondt, who left Robert Yates Racing last month, announced he is starting his own Cup team and plans to field two cars next season.

Kenny Wallace, who races part time in Cup, said he plans to race full time in 2007.

"But we don't know how many teams running this year will be back next year," Hunter said. "It always fluctuates." More at Dallas Morning News