New Format for THE WINSTON

[Elwood]

New format turns The Winston into fight for survival

 

By JENNA FRYER

AP Sports Writer

April 10, 2002

 

 

CONCORD, N.C. (AP) -- A record purse, 20 more laps and a fight for survival are among the new wrinkles in The Winston, NASCAR's annual all-star event.

 

Under the format announced Wednesday, the cars at the back of the field at the end of the first two race segments will be kicked out of the May 18 event, being described as a ``Survival of the Fastest.''

 

``This event already offers so many different angles and so many different ways to bring excitement to an all-star event,'' defending champion Jeff Gordon said. ``Eliminating cars is certainly going to keep things exciting.''

 

In years past, the race was 70 laps and split into three segments, ending with a final 10-lap shootout and no elimination.

 

The new format stretches the race to 90 laps, with a final 20-lap shootout for a record prize of $750,000 to the winner from the $3 million purse.

 

At present, 26 cars will take the green flag for the first 40 laps. Only the top 20 will be allowed to advance to the second segment.

 

The next segment is a 30-lap race and only the top 10 finishers advance to the third leg. The final twist is that the remaining field will be inverted based on a fan vote, with either four, six, eight or all 10 cars involved.

 

The inversion makes it tricky for the drivers to plot strategy. They must finish in the top 10 to advance, but have to figure out where they want to be knowing the flip-flop is coming.

 

Winning the segment could mean starting last in the final race, said Gordon, who predicted the fans would vote to invert the entire field.

 

The elimination effect also likely will prevent sandbagging from drivers who normally held back before the final segment knowing they would get moved up to the front of the field under the inversion.

 

``The elimination of cars is going to promote the drivers to run as hard as they can to get the best finishes they can,'' Gordon said. ``Even though we're pretty sure they're going to invert all 10 in that last segment, we really don't know.

 

``If you're trying to be in that 10th-place spot, and you've got guys who know they have to be in that 10 spot to make the next event, there's going to be a lot of action going on right there.''

 

The additional 10 laps on the final segment should also change driving style.

 

``You can run pretty hard here for 10 laps before the handling starts to go away,'' Gordon said. ``Sometimes you'll see a guy break away. When you start adding 10 more laps, he's going to have to be careful how hard he pushes that car because the handling will go away and somebody can run him down.''

 

The Winston has been one of the top events of the NASCAR season since its debut in 1985. The non-points race is a dash for cash and pride only.

 

Gordon, a three-time Winston winner, said teams will tinker with their cars up until the last minute and try to get trick setups through the inspection line for a chance to win.

 

The race is rarely without trouble. Last year, there was a wreck in the first turn of the first lap when the race began before the track had fully dried following a rain storm.

 

NASCAR red-flagged the event and let the drivers involved in the accident get out their backup cars. Gordon did and went on to win the race.

 

This is the final year on Lowe's Motor Speedway's contract to host the event. The Winston has been held at Lowe's every year except 1986 and there's been talk about moving it to different tracks to add variety. The drivers oppose that because so many consider the Charlotte area home.

[Elwood]

This should be interesting.  I'm not sure if I like it or not.  I liked the old way, but I'll find out in May how I like this one, it may be awesome, it may suck.

 

I can't wait until that weekend though.  Me, Tom, and Dad are gonna be there, and Becky is gonna go too, for her first live NASCAR Race.   Can't wait to get there.

[Guest Friz]

I kinda like the elimination idea as it should prevent some or all of the sandbagging that goes on.

However, I'd like to see more than 10 cars run in the last segment.

Maybe they should start more cars from the beginning, say 35 instead of 26. Eliminate 10 after the first segment, 5 after the second, and that would leave the 20 fastest to run for the money.

I don't know, just MO.

[Elwood]

Well, I don't know I thought that maybe they should keep more at first, but then I thought about it more.  With just 10 you don't have to worry about someone that is out of contention causing a wreck or something.  The people left are the ones that have a chance to win.  

 

And I'm not sure about this but I was thinking that there could still be more than 26 in it.  I thought that there were 24 qualified for it right now plus the 2 that will get in that evening.  Couldn't other people win between now and then and get in as well?  I'm pretty sure they could.

[Elwood]

Rules and Eligible Drivers to date from Jaski's

 

Eligibility rules for The Winston:

1st criteria: Drivers and car owners who have won races in the current and preceding year. If a driver leaves a team with which he has won a race, he remains eligible and the car owner's new driver also is eligible(through the last race before The Winston)

2nd criteria: Drivers who are past Winston Cup champions

3rd criteria: Drivers who have won The Winston in the last 5 years(1997-2001)

4th criteria: The winning driver of the Winston Open

5th criteria: The winning driver of the Winston Open "No Bull 5 Sprint", run after the Winston Open

6th criteria: Drivers who have won in previous years, not eligible by the above(not owners, just drivers)

THIS IS ONLY IF THERE ARE NOT 20 ELIGIBLE ALREADY

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

 

The Current 2002 Field

 Driver Eligibility

Race winners(owners) in 2001 and 2002

1 Michael Waltrip 2001 Daytona 500

2 Steve Park   Kenny Wallace if Park not back (Wallace still on standby)  2001 Rockingham

3 Jeff Gordon 2001 Las Vegas

4 Kevin Harvick 2001 Cracker Barrel 500, Atlanta

5 Dale Jarrett 2001 Darlington

6 Elliott Sadler 2001 Food City 500, Bristol

7 Bobby Hamilton 2001 Talladega 500, Talladega

8 Rusty Wallace 2001 California

9 Tony Stewart 2001 Richmond

10 Jeff Burton 2001 Coca-Cola 600

11 Ricky Rudd 2001 Pocono 500

12 Dale Earnhardt Jr 2001 Pepsi 400 at Daytona

13 Bobby Labonte 2001 Pennsylvania 500

14 Sterling Marlin 2001 Michigan Pepsi 400

15 Ward Burton 2001 Southern 500

16 Ricky Craven 2001 Martinsville(2)

17 Joe Nemechek 2001 Rockingham(2)

18 Bill Elliott 2001 Homestead

19 Robby Gordon 2001 NHIS(nov)

20 #33 APR Chevy ? Mike Wallace 2001 Rockingham(2)

21 Matt Kenseth 2002 Rockingham

22 Kurt Busch 2002 Bristol

 

Previous NASCAR Winston Cup champions

(not a 2001/2002 winner)

23 Terry Labonte 1996

 

 

Previous Winners of The Winston(1997-2001)

(not a 2001/2002 winner)

24 Mark Martin 1998 The Winston Win

 

 

and....

25 2002 Winston Open Winner  

26 2002 Winston Open "No Bull 5 Sprint" Winner

 

 

 

From what I read here, it sounds like there can still be more drivers in it.

[antig24]

that'll be interesting, no more sandbagging.