NASCAR drivers shared with new world-class driver rule

Daytona Beach, Florida-a controversial new Nascar the largest field in a decade.

It is a complicated rule that was inscribed in the charter agreement that signed 13 teams last September and are similar to a “preliminary promoter” insofar as NASCAR gives the opportunity to determine a driver as a guaranteed 41.

The three -time daytona 500 Denny Hamlin said that the rule “Reeks of Desperation” by Nascar said and called her nothing but a gimmick to attract big stars for the car race. Others wondered why the provisor went to Castoneves, who would give his nascar debut at 49, instead of the seven-time Nascar champion Jimmie Johnson, a two-time Daytona 500 winner.

The rule was directed for drivers who are currently not driving full -time in Nascar. The champion of the Johnson and the Cup series 2017, Martin Truex Jr., would be entitled to provision.

But their teams never set up the request, which must be carried out 90 days before the event. Only Trackhouse Racing asked for the provisional for Castoneves, who will be the only driver for 41st place on Wednesday.

“I think Jimmie Johnson is a first -class driver, but I don’t think other people,” said Alex Bowman. “It is certainly an interesting rule. There is a lot of hype and importance for sport, people like (Castroneves) who come in, and if you miss the race, it hurts the whole thing.

“So I understand it, but I also wish some of our previous champions were in a way respected in the same way.”

Castoneves will only use the provisional if it fails in the traditional qualification one of the four open locations in a field 40 cars. If he uses it, the 41 cars have been in the Daytona 500 since 2015 when 43 cars were still standard.

Trackhouse and Castroneves do not receive any points or payouts if he is the 41st driver, and all drivers who are finished behind him are moved in a position in the overall ranking.

The rule shared the field, although it is probably only in the game on the Daytona International Speedway, where nine drivers compete for the four vacancies. The NASCAR charter system guarantees access to 36 cars in every race.

“Apart from the Daytona 500, we don’t very often come in a place where the driver of this caliber goes home,” said Tyler Reddick. “I don’t know where to fall on it. On the one hand, I would hate that a man like Lewis Hamilton comes here and tries to stop the 500 … (and) something from running the race. We want it too Don’t just have one place in the race – you have to earn it.

What if Johnson and Truex would request the provisional requirement? If several drivers had logically had the preliminary claim to request, it would have been the most sense that the highest qualification feature would have been the highest qualification.

No.

When Nascar receives several inquiries, Nascar decides who the “world-class driver” of the event is ahead. The criteria listed in the Charter for the rule states “the position of” open exception “is intended for a driver who will significantly influence the promotion of the event and increase the awareness of sport.

In a competitive briefing for media last month, a hypothetical scenario was made about what Nascar would do if the seven-time Formula-1 made a Nascar-Hall of Fam to ask for the same race.

“I would like to have this problem,” said John Probst, Senior Vice President for Racing Development Nascar.

Nascar could have this problem later this year when it goes to Mexico city, where several teams examine shops to enter Juan Pablo Montoya in the race, and who knows who can appear on a road course – Shan van Gisbergen was in the Starting Street Race in Chicago won it and had left its Australian V8 supercars career for Nascar by the end of the year.

In 2023, the former F1 drivers Jenson Button and Kamui Kobayashi both were in the field in Indianapolis, while button was part of the same field as Kimi Raikkonen to make it two F1 world champions in the race in 2023.

“I can argue both sides of the fence. You would hate it if a Helio Castoneves, a Max Verstappen, a Lewis Hamilton or someone came in to run a race, and then the show because of something stupid,” said Chase Elliott. “So I can certainly see this aspect of a promoter. But I also think that there should be a kind of integrity with prestigious breeds to make the show.

“I think that is part of what makes the race prestigious. You know, it’s a difficult event. I think you see that with the Indianapolis 500, or you can see that in the chilli bowl, isn’t it difficult Running.