This is the Stattmann Baby!!  Time to Scatt a little bit.

This new qualifying mess in Nextel Cup is so off the charts it challenges NASCAR’s credibility as a mainstream sport.

Imagine you show up at the office Monday and outperform everyone only to find they get promoted because they showed up everyday and had been on the job longer than you.

Made you pretty mad didn’t it?

Now imagine the outrage if the NFL gave the New England Patriots a free pass into the playoffs next year because they’ve won three of four Super Bowls and the fans and TV networks don’t want to risk they won’t be there again.  You know, the fans and all.

Now take a car that blew its engine in qualifying and put it 15th on the grid for The Great American Race.

Then put the car that emerged from the twin 125s in tenth and tell him to go back to 41st.

And six cars in the field qualified slower than one of the cars sent home.

Tell the fans of Boris Said and Robby Gordon that this process is fair because the fans and sponsors want to see the good ol’ boys race very week.  Then ask those same Said and Gordon fans – and sponsors! – to come back next week and enjoy the show.

Peace.