NASCAR

Expanding Unlimited Field Is a Great Move By NASCAR

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Daytona Sprint Unlimited

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NASCAR announced on Monday that it was expanding eligibility for the season-opening, non-points race at Daytona International Speedway known as the Sprint Unlimited. The race, along with All-Star weekend at Charlotte, is one of the only exhibition races during the course of the season. No points and no real concerns about saving tires or the car — it’s the true definition of “have at it boys,” and after a cold, winter layoff, it’s quite a way to kick off the season.

The field for the 75-lap race will now include any and all drivers who qualified for NASCAR’s Chase for the Sprint Cup the previous season. Pole winners from the previous year, previous Daytona 500 pole winners who also competed full-time in the circuit the year before and former Unlimited winners are also eligible. The addition of Chase competitors will result in berths for Ryan Newman, A.J. Allmendinger, Aric Almirola and Kasey Kahne.

In a race that is more or less put on for the fans, why not include as many drivers as possible? It stands to reason that a fan would be much more likely to tune in if his/her favorite driver was included, and expanding the field would only serve to ensure that this happens.

The increased number of drivers will also make for more exciting racing for neutral fans as well — especially at Daytona, which is a restrictor-plate track. Within the last season or two, we have seen the return of pack racing at plate tracks due to new racing packages. In terms of exciting racing, it really is the more the merrier at plate tracks. All of this points to a right move by NASCAR.

Ryan Pritt is a NASCAR writer for www.RantSports.com. Follow him on twitter @RPritt, “Like” him on Facebook or add him to your network on Google.

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