Low Entries?

[denyerfan]

So going by Jayski there are 43 attempting the 500 - with 4 or 5 unknowns that could do anything...

When is the proper entry list released?

I know that as long as there are 43 on Sunday it doesn't make the slightest bit of difference - but it would be a good year for a tiny S&P team to have a crack at the 500! Going by the possibility that only 4 could miss out?

But my research is limited - was hoping someone could do it all for me How many do you guys count?

 

[B.McKeever]

Teams will pop up right before. Some teams will prepare a car for a shot and may do a "post-entry" which eliminates them from drivers/owners points, but still can win the prize money (43rd = $250,000). If they are only going to run 1 or 2 races, why worry about points?

I think last year, Norm Benning showed up with his # 57, Keselowski brought the # 92, Shelmerdine brought the # 27. Think these were all last-minute additions. Curious to what is going on with TRG Motorsports' # 71. Have not heard a thing about them for following year, did they fold? part-time?

 

[ayrwolf]

I'm not worried about the 50o as much as I am the other races. I think that there might be a couple of fields in the high 30's including the start & park cars

 

[denyerfan]

If that's the case then I'm sure some more S&P guys will buy some old chassis and try to make a profit while being locked in. expect an MSRP 5 car team haha.

 

[jvcrewchief]

When is the proper entry list released?QUOTE]

If I remember right (and I could be wrong). the official deadline for entries is 7-10 days before the event date. With the format for the Daytona 500 I am not sure what the deadline would be as qualifing is a week before the race. If I had to guess they would have to be entered by the end of January or a few days before that.

 

[Cheeze]

On Facebook TRG posted something about the 24 coming up and the 500 after that, so I assume they're still planning on racing.

 

[flyersfan4888]

On Facebook TRG posted something about the 24 coming up and the 500 after that, so I assume they're still planning on racing.

I just looked at TRG's official Facebook Page and they have pics of guys at their shop preparing a couple cars with the new nose. This leads me to believe that they may attempt Daytona

 

[4WideRacing]

I just looked at TRG's official Facebook Page and they have pics of guys at their shop preparing a couple cars with the new nose. This leads me to believe that they may attempt Daytona

Being that they are in the top 35 I think they will at least do the first five races.

 

[Fisha695]

People have been thinking that there would be short fields for years and it hasn't happened and it won't happen this year either. Matter of fact I actually think there are more teams this year then there were last year at this time.

Entry list are usually released the Monday or Tuesday before the race, obviously with the 500 being basically a 2 week deal it'll be released a week earlier.

 

[Enter Sandman]

Yeah, there will be enough small teams popping up I'm sure to fill out the fields. Who knows, we may get to see Jennifer Jo Cobb in a Cup car. More likey, there'll just be 30,000 new start & parks showing up.

 

[RP Motorsports]

Yea I definitely wouldnt be worrying about short fields, especially not the 500. There will be alot of teams attempting the race who wernt at testing and havnt officially announced anything yet. TRG will absolutly be there as they are in the top 35 which means a much more significant payday reguardless of finishing position. A lot of smaller teams will be there as well such as Keyed-Up Motorsports (#90), Brian Keselowski (#92), Whitney Motorsports (#46), Turner Motorsports (formally Braun) will prob. show up, Michael Waltrip will be there, Terry Labonte in the #10, Germain will be there, Robert Richardson Jr. is running a third car for Front Row, Nemechek will prob. bring two cars again, etc...

I still wouldnt expect to see short fields for other races either though, especially after the trend that developed last season. When the early entry list was looking shorter than 43, a few of the smaller and/or S&P teams would prepare a second car or just show up when they were originally planning not to knowing that its a guaranteed paycheck. The funny part is sometimes that would cause the entry list to go from short to over 43 and then these teams had to take a big gamble on getting their car or second car in. Whitney Motorsports, Tommy Baldwin, NEMCO, K-Automotive, and Braun did this several times.

-Ryan

RP Motorsports

 

[WinstonCup426]

Yeah, there will be enough small teams popping up I'm sure to fill out the fields. Who knows, we may get to see Jennifer Jo Cobb in a Cup car. More likey, there'll just be 30,000 new start & parks showing up.

But you have to remember that this is, after all, the DAYTONA FREAKING FIVE HUNDRED. Why anyone would throw away a chance to win that holy grail of motorsports once they have the chance to is beyond me.

 

[denyerfan]

But you have to remember that this is, after all, the DAYTONA FREAKING FIVE HUNDRED. Why anyone would throw away a chance to win that holy grail of motorsports once they have the chance to is beyond me.

Half of the second S&P cars won't be able to stay in the draft for 2 laps - I listened to the duels last year and they were in their cars screaming in frustration! the chassis are just too old in most cases. If you spend $20,000 on fuel, tyres and personnel then you strangle the $250,000 you just made.

 

[RP Motorsports]

But you have to remember that this is, after all, the DAYTONA FREAKING FIVE HUNDRED. Why anyone would throw away a chance to win that holy grail of motorsports once they have the chance to is beyond me.

The thing is, it really doesnt even have to do with wanting to run the full face or the fact that its the Daytona 500. When teams S&P, they do it because they dont have a choice. When you literally dont have the money, you cant run.

It actually surprises me when I'm listening to Sirius, how many people that call in and complain that dont seem to understand it, even when Moody simplifies it the easiest way possible - If you go to a store to buy something and it costs $10 but you only have $5, you cant buy it. Its the same deal in this situation. These S&P teams dont have the money to run the full race.

As far as whether NASCAR should allow it, or whether you agree with it or not, thats a whole different discussion. As it stands now, they do allow it and these teams simply do not have enough money to run the full race.

-Ryan

RP Motorsports

 

[Jonathan Patten]

Turner Motorsports (formally Braun) will prob. show up,

Just a note, they said that they won't be attempting any races this year in Cup, or atleast so they claim.

As for this issue: They HAVE been saying this for years, but it's never been THIS bad before. It may be the first year that we barely have 35 competitive cars. Start and parks will pop up around the clock I feel like, and if someone competitive comes along, he'll easily get near the top 35. It's a huge shame that our sport has come this low now that we have S&Ps. Did Hendrick, Roush, or Richard Childress start their organizations start and parking? No. Because they have class and respect for the sport, and don't look at it in a narrow view that all they see in is money!

 

[db512]

I think the sport needs to change the number of cars in the field and I am not just saying this because they may have short fields I have thought this for many years now. The only reason the number is 43 right now is because of all the provisional positions back in the 90's. They don't have that now so they should trim back to where they used to be with 38. If Nascar did that they would have full, competitive fields every week. Just my opinion.

 

[Fisha695]

they should trim back to where they used to be with 38.

2,282 Cup races

24 of them had 38 starters.

 

[Cheeze]

Did Hendrick, Roush, or Richard Childress start their organizations start and parking? No. Because they have class and respect for the sport, and don't look at it in a narrow view that all they see in is money!

Actually Childress started before you "needed" sponsorship to compete, and going into the 80's he had multiple local sponsorships because of the good economic times. Hendrick always had some sort of money throw at it, as he owned multiple car dealerships. And I believe Roush hasn't really had to go sponsorless (Stroh's Light, Folgers, Keystone Light, Valvoline, Primestar, Exide, etc.)

 

[Fisha695]

Actually Childress started before you "needed" sponsorship to compete, and going into the 80's he had multiple local sponsorships because of the good economic times. Hendrick always had some sort of money throw at it, as he owned multiple car dealerships. And I believe Roush hasn't really had to go sponsorless (Stroh's Light, Folgers, Keystone Light, Valvoline, Primestar, Exide, etc.)

Not to mention Childress did actually have a car Start & Park on purpose, 1993 Hooters 500 RC had Neil Bonnett come out of retirement and Start/Park the #31 Western Steer car in what would turn out to be Neil's final race.

 

[Cheeze]

As did Hendrick, who had a #58 at Atlanta to secure the championship for Jeff Gordon. Well I guess it didn't start and park, but it would have if needed.