Last week’s NASCAR Nextel Cup qualifying that took place at Talladega Superspeedway was perhaps the best proof as to why the system currently being used to set the field is in dire need of revision.

In 2005 NASCAR implemented the current procedure which guarantees the top 35 teams in car owner points a spot on the starting grid, meaning at minimum the seven fastest non-guaranteed drivers must get into the field based on their qualifying effort.

Since then there have been some very good cars being sent home on a regular basis, despite having fast enough times that would have been good enough to make the show in the first place.

This was never truer then last week at Talladega when everyone of those cars that needed to get in the race on time all showed enough speed, yet eight were sent packing. This included A.J. Allmendinger, Boris Said, Scott Riggs, Sam Hornish Jr., and Jeremy Mayfield. They qualified a very respectable ninth, 10th, 11th, 13th and 15th but were bumped out of the field by drivers in the top 35 in points.

Sterling Marlin, Ward Burton and Kevin Lapage also had quick enough times but again, because of the rule the only laps they turned were in qualifying.

The whole concept behind the top 35 teams being assured a starting birth each week was to encourage teams to run all the races instead of just a few and reward the teams that do show up every week.

To make matters even worse, there is another problem that faces all new entries. NASCAR carries over the car owner points from the previous season through the first seven races of each new season. Not only are these new teams fighting to get into a race on speed, they are also dealing with others who start out the year relying on points from a season past.

There lies the problem. Nearly every one of the “go-or-go-home” entries throughout this season has been on the tour for each event, but because they are new teams they began the year without any points. Then they have to battle each week to try and make a race based on time trials and without the aid of how well things went the year prior.

So what about the part of rewarding those teams that so up each week?

You would think that in a perfect world the fastest 43 cars that show up for NASCAR qualifying on any given week would and should start the race.

What has happened is that NASCAR has taken away virtually all the excitement that used to be part of qualifying. It has really come down to just seven cars trying to make each race and even that number is cut down when at times a past champions provisional is needed.

All NASCAR events are three day affairs usually starting off with time trials. For decades that was as exciting to watch as the race itself. Fans would flock to see drivers face off against the clock before facing off with each other.

For an organization that likes to boast about its traditional roots, then they need to take a good hard look into how dull qualifying has become.

It may not be such a bad idea to guarantee a select number of teams a spot in the race each week, but a number as high as 35 has proven to make no sense.

That number needs to be drastically reduced in order to get the anticipation back of who will make the race and who will not.

These drivers are paid richly for what they do and in that regard they should prove their worth by earning their place on the grid. Just think of the drama if a high profile driver could not qualify on his time trial.

Qualifying is all part of the actual race but it becomes non relevant when knowing that because of where you stand within the so-called preferred number in points, there really is no sense in trying.

NASCAR is constantly trying things to stay at the top of the ratings chart, the best example was the creation of the Chase for the Championship. But they have gone the complete opposite when they decided to show favor to their loyal teams when it comes to qualifying.

We all know that change can be a good thing, but in the case of the Talladega issue, hopefully NASCAR’s eyes will be opened to see that the system never really was all that bad to begin with.

If it’s not broke then don’t fix it, or at least put it back the way you found it.