Qualifying

[Hoosier_Dirt]

Why?? Absolute waste!

[Snake X3]

I like hot laps and qualifying. It puts every driver in the spotlight for a short time.

[Clayton_Wetter]

Why?? Absolute waste!

No is isn't.

[fryefan]

Why?? Absolute waste!

You are correct. The series that use passing points and/or inverts provide MUCH better racing.

[kazual]

If you prefer rubbered up race tracks then qualifying is your friend.

[fryefan]

Another valid point. Also, it is about as boring as watching paint dry.

[Loobs_07]

I happen to enjoy qualifying most of the time. Especially if it’s a track i have not been to yet or a series with some unfamiliar drivers. Gives ya time to go through the pits without missing any racing action. They always post qualifying times and the race start time so instead of crying about it just show up later

[Loobs_07]

Gives you a chance to hear each individual driver when they are on and off he gas, who’s driving hardest or smoothest.

[CageFaraday]

Why?? Absolute waste!

For crate cars I agree and for supers sometimes a different format would make it more interesting. I came up thru karts way back when and it was ALL "draw & run" and I loved every minute. The fast guys still found their way to the front and it gave the fans an opportunity to see a bit more passing. Back in the 70's & 80's around NEGA, "draw and run" was the norm, but as more big spenders got involved they demanded qualifying so they wouldn't have to risk their investment. In other words, money bought them a better opportunity. At special events, like the World 100 I understand qualifying, for a weekly show it is dull on many occasions. JMO

[Josh Bayko]

Qualifying for weekly shows is generally bad idea. Weekly shows should absolutely be about getting everybody in and out of your track within a few hours. Qualifying definitely tends to drag the show out and hold fans and racers hostage beyond the point of fun.

For a special event, I get why they qualify. I don’t neccesarily like it, but I understand why it’s done. Guys travel from a great distance away, and having your whole performance hinge on maybe starting behind 8 jam cars isn’t going to be attractive. I do think that you should draw for heats when you come in the gate, then qualify against only the guys in your heat though.

[kazual]

Don’t disagree with qualifying cars in the same heat as long as it’s all at the same time. Too often have seen track conditions change dramatically from beginning to the later qualified cars. One of the main objections have seen by some is that pill draw or passing points leads to an unequal playing field. Seems to me whether you are the 3rd car out or the last car out in qualifying puts a car on a very unequal playing field as well. I am a Summer Nationals fan in general but dislike the qualifying format, the time it takes, the track it uses up, and the boring heat races at times.

[Josh Bayko]

I am on board with all the cars in the same heat qualifying at the same time, but that depends largely on the size of the track. Much smaller than a 3/8 and it’s going to be tough to get them spread out enough to give everybody the same shot. I saw the SDS do it once at Lernerville back in the day and qualifying 8 cars at once was a little tight. Maybe on smaller tracks you split the heat into two sets of cars and run them one right after the other.

[TackyTracker]

I do like to see the cars qualify but wouldn't be to upset if they took it away

[Clayton_Wetter]

If you prefer rubbered up race tracks then qualifying is your friend.

Unless the track preps the track drier because they know it's going to have less laps on it. I know a couple of tracks that do just that.

[93Nelson]

I go to weekly events about 98% of the time so when I go to Knoxville for a sprint race or the LM nationals I don't mind qualifying. Something different.

[TerryM]

Golden Isles was a perfect example of qualifying at its best. There was three cars on the track, they have a scoreboard, and the crowd was into it. And it was hard to pass during the heats. For big events at a lot of tracks, qualifying is an absolute must. In a perfect world, I'd love to see double heats and passing points at every track, but that's just not possible.