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  Ride along with former Winston Cup champion Rusty Wallace as he gives CNN/SI a crash-course on NASCAR racing. Rusty's Know-How tips appear each week on CNN/SI.com. Provisionals a last-minute dance ticket
Posted: Tuesday July 20, 1999 02:53 PM
Provisionals can be confusing, but man, let me tell you, when you need them, they can be your best friend. The fastest 36 cars are locked into the field after the first and second rounds of qualifying. Here's where the seven provisionals come into play. Provisionals are based on points. The more you have, the higher you are on the provisional list. Take the race at Rockingham, for example. Chad Little was the last driver to make it in on time. He started 36th. Johnny Benson had the most points of anyone who didn't make the field on time. So he got the first provisional and started 37th. Steve Park was second-highest in points, so he got provisional No. 2 and started 38th -- and so on. The last provisional is saved for a past Winston Cup champion. If they don't need it, then it reverts back to points and goes to the next driver in line. Provisionals aren't an unlimited resource. Teams get only seven provisionals per 10 races, and that's why every week some teams have to go home early. | |||||||
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