Must be getting twitchy at Team Franchitti.

[Knowlesy]

Another tricky day for Dario. Their policy for the first five races is to finish to make the top 35, but with two races until the cutoff they find themselves in 36th place.

This is not good. Atlanta next week there may be a chance of a good result but we all know what comes after that - the dreaded Bristol. No pressure then!

There is room for optimism - the 42 team pulled a top five out of the bag at Atlanta last year but then again it's a whole new game with the CoT.

Bristol, well, anything can happen. You can have a great day or a serious nightmare.

So what to do? Attack at Atlanta and risk a DNF or continue to play safe?

[Fireball]

Dario doing very well in Nationwide, he is going OK in Sprint Cup.
Cant see a problem with Dario at the moment...what 3 races in, will only get better

[Dutton]

I think they have to go for it, but not be wreckless about.

[Knowlesy]

He is doing great in Nationwide. And he can do well in Sprint.

But if he doesn't make the top 35 he will have to focus on qualifying for races for the rest of the year. It can snowball into next year in the worst case scenario.

[muggle not]

actually, 36th place is not very good. He must improve his position and that will not be easy for hime to do.

[ThePenguin]

I think that if he is going to be in the top 35 after Bristol he has to do really well at Atlanta next week, because Bristol has always been a real hard track to do well at your first time there.

[johntt]

The problem for Franchitti in the Sprint Cup has been that the team are still trying to get their head round the car at the same time that he is. In the Nationwide series the team know the car inside out and this helps them get it set up as well as possible.

[Knowlesy]

Let's not forget Sam Hornish Jr as well, who has shunted his way to 38th in the standings.

A bit of bad luck for sure, but....

[Mystery]

Dario is doing fine. Not great - just fine. If he wasn't being very racy in Nationwide I'd be concerned, but I'm not. Yet. He needs some results to make the top 35 but he's getting a lot of miles under his belt and should aim for better in Atlanta and then pray for luck at Bristol. He won't be alone.

[jonesi]

ALL the rookies are currently out of the top 35.

[J-C]

Dario seems to have been just going for finishes in Cup which is probably the best tactic, however as there's been relatively low attrition at all three races so far this year, he's been stuck with mid-30s placings. He's in an awkward situation...keeping out of trouble and finishing races might not be enough (if Robby Gordon wins his appeal Dario's down to 37th in points), but going for it could easily result in Hornish-type DNFs.

[fieldodreams79]

considering he just sat in a stockcar in "racing" conditions a little more than a month ago, he is learning quick, as most good racers do. JV was learning quick to and look where it got him.

if his run continues, he'll be in jepordy of loosing his ride, but i think he will do fine. and besides, he and Chip go back a few years . i think he'll have a top 20 at ATL. nice and wide, but very fast. lots of grooves to run in but everyone else has the same advantage. it'll be interesting.

if he don't do it this weekend, Bristol, as previously eluded too, is not the place to try and make up points. i'll put money on him and other "rooks" wrecking at least one, if not two cars.

[Foster]

I am gonna say no, as there are a lot of good teams ahead of him at the moment. When I look at the standings it shows me that there is a couple of cars ahead of him that have more expreence at some of these things, like racing to save your bacon, and it's gonna push Dario. The 22 team did this all of last year racing to stay in the top 35, and you know the 5 team will step it up to keep themselves in the running. Micky isn't gonna let himseld slip, and Dale will get a couple of provo's before he lets somene like David Reutimann in, a guy that qualifies well, placing himself in the race and getting those points that are needed. There are also some good cars behind him, guys like Robby Gordon, plus Regan Smith, and Hornish, who have good teams behind them to help out in the race for 35.

32 Michael Waltrip 44 230 -261 3
33 Michael Waltrip 55 230 -261 3
34 Mary Hendrick 5 219 -272 3
35 Bill Davis 22 212 -279 3
36 Felix Sabates 40 200 -291 3

Though it is early, it is tough to say. There is hope though, as I would think the 00 team who sits i the 30 position will drop down when Michael McDowell steps in for Reutimann.

[Hazza]

I wouldn't worry about Hornish, he's got the pace it seems, so I wouldn't worry about him.

[Knowlesy]

I don't care about Hornish, let alone worry.

I am not sure about him. I said at Daytona that he went well because of a combination of a good Penske car and it is like IRL in a sense (don't lift off).

On the other ovals he hasn't been totally convincing yet. He can't afford another shunt.

[Mystery]

Personally, I think this all highlights a flaw in the qualifying process. You're asking guys with zippo experience like Hornish and Dario to try and get top 20 results in their first few races in the category in order to secure a top 35 owner points position. And one of those races is Daytona where you have a big entry of extra cars too (although not so many this year)

I think there should be some kind of exemption for rookie drivers - it would help keep the driver pool fresh too - say, reserving 2 or 3 spots on the grid for rookies. Otherwise, its perfectly conceivable your rookie of the year is going to be the only one who pre-qualifies for all the races - what would be the point in that.

[fieldodreams79]

Originally Posted by Mystery

I think there should be some kind of exemption for rookie drivers - it would help keep the driver pool fresh too - say, reserving 2 or 3 spots on the grid for rookies. Otherwise, its perfectly conceivable your rookie of the year is going to be the only one who pre-qualifies for all the races - what would be the point in that.

why should there be an ease of the rules freshman? i think the "rookie of the year" at the indy 500 is the one who makes the race, except for the last 12 years or so (another topic all together).

i see your point, but JPM had no problem making races last year. i don't remember Kasey K., Stewart, either of the Busch sisters, J Gordon, Jimmie J, Ricky Rudd, Mark Martin, Dale Sr., Dale Jr., Matt K and many many many others not making races their (full time) rookie years....if they can't make the races, there is the "Sportsman" series and the Truck series that is highly competitive where they can learn some more before jumping into the BEST "stockcar" series in the world. they can also go back to OWs, for that matter (AJ?).

i like ALL the new guys there, but i want to see the 43 best on sunday; not the 40 best and 3 freshman with special needs.

[Knowlesy]

In any case, if you opened the field to guys on pure qualifying pace you'd see little difference. Because everyone would work on a quali setup, rather than just the GOGH guys.

It's a tough business, it really is.

[Mystery]

Fair enough - don't have a rookie of the year award then. Let them all go kick their heels in NW until they make the grade. It shouldn't be necessary for Penske to have to switch around their car numbers to give their rookie a chance.

[fieldodreams79]

thing is, a lot BIG name racers with LITTLE or NO stockcar experience "jumped" into the top series feet first. they aren't doing well but that does not mean they should change to the rules. however, they have changed rules to allow certain big names who have been established in NASCAR for years an "extra" chance to make the race, so i see your intentions.

Penske has that lovely advantage of multiple car team with two other established drivers w/ 30 wins and CUP championship between them. good for them and Sam. Ganasi has 3rd year driver w/o a win, a sophomore with one win and a rookie. that's a shame for them. it's a shame for Dario, whom i REALLY like. but he'll make into the top 35.

[muggle not]

It's a shame for Robby Gordon. He should be comfortably inside the top 35 but sits in 37th place. It will be very difficult for him to now get in the top 35 and could put an end to his one car team. Everything seems to have worked against Robby this year starting with his loss of over $4 million due to the Dakar cancellation.

[Jacko44]

Hornish's Current Stats for his Career:

Sprint Cup: 5 races at average of 33.2
Nationwide: 11 races at average of 32.8

Don't quite think he's ready yet...

[Mystery]

I'm relatively new to NASCAR and am loving it enormously. I just don't see much justice in the top 35 system when races are oversubscribed by some way. Nor indeed the champions provisional for that matter.

(OT but how is the 43rd slot on grids allocated - it doesn't seem to have any bearing on times or anything??)

At the end of the day without the top 35 system Dario would have only started one race so far, but without it he'd have probably done a full apprenticeship in NW first and been better prepared.

He'll be fine at the end of the day because he's logging good miles and good finishes elsewhere. He just might not be fine this year.

[Hazza]

Originally Posted by Jacko44

Hornish's Current Stats for his Career:

Sprint Cup: 5 races at average of 33.2
Nationwide: 11 races at average of 32.8

Don't quite think he's ready yet...

I've seen him at the pointy end enough so far to think other wise.

Give him some luck and he'll be value for money.

[StuiE]

Originally Posted by Mystery

(OT but how is the 43rd slot on grids allocated - it doesn't seem to have any bearing on times or anything??)

43rd is the champions provisonal position, if none of the past champs need it (ie: get in on speed) then it goes to the next fastest car, that would miss the show if someone was using the champs provisional.