2001 Entrants Points --> Miami

[astrodude]

If qualifying does not occur, they will
line them up by entrant points. Based
on what I found on the IRL webpage,
here is the lineup:

Pos - Team - Driver
------------------------------------
01 - Panther - Hornish
02 - Hemelgarn - B. Lazier
03 - Kelley #8 - Sharp
04 - Boat - Boat (? - Changed owners?)
05 - Foyt #14 - Beechler ? or Salazar?
06 - Treadway - Treadway
07 - Cheever - Cheever
08 - Menard - J. Lazier
09 - D&R - Buhl
10 - Foyt #11 - Salazar or Beechler ?
11 - Schmidt - Lazzaro
12 - Kelley #7 - Unser Jr.
13 - Cahill - McGhee
14 - Zali - Roe
15 - Penske #68 - Castroneves
16 - PDM - Carlson
17 - Penske #66 - De Ferran
18 - Conquest - Redon
19 - Racing Prof. - Herb
20 - Ganassi - Ward

Then, somehow they would have to insert the
new teams behind those with 2001 points.

[astrodude]

If this happens we are going to see some
more interesting racing tomorrow as
the Penske cars have to start mid-pack.
I can't imagine the Roe would actually
start 13th - I think with a 186 top
speed he would be asked to goto the tail.
Ricky Treadway would be starting towards
the front.

[R_Mears_Fan]

Would Jeff Ward be higher up? I'd figure that Ganassi's Indy points would count.

[astrodude]

Those include Ganassi's Indy points.

[R_Mears_Fan]

Oops, my bad. He would be there with his points.

[astrodude]

I also should have added:

21 - Cheever #52 - Schekter

since, Scott Goodyear earned 1 pt. in the
#52 car at Indy last year.

I wonder how the Foyt points will be treated.
One scenerio I could invision is that Foyt
claims the #14 points for 14T and Beechler
get a really good starting spot. OR, since
it is the backup car and #14 was already
claimed, then he has to goto the tail.

[2fast4u]

IMO that is a foolish way to determine the starting grid... what's wrong with lining the cars up by their combined practice speeds? that would make much more sense, wouldn't it?

:mad:

[Ren Butler]

The rest of the grid (owners without 2001 entrant points) would be lined up based on best practice speed.

However, practice speed would not be a good way to line up the whole field. That would only encourage teams to push the envelope during practice if, for example, rain were forcast for qualifying. IMO, that would be overly dangerous.

In Jan. 1998, the grid at WDWS was set based on owner points and then practice speed. Three teams were sent packing because the field was limited to 28, and their top practice speeds were slower than the other teams without 1996-97 entrant points.