Here's a bit of trivia for you. Just 10 short years ago, on August 17, 2002, the Bettenhausen 100 at Springfield had 17 cars in the Consi all trying to make the cut for the feature which was limited to 30 starters. So the Consi in 2002 was only one or two cars less than the whole field in 2012. Back then, the Consi's were a Who's Who of great drivers.

Just out of curiosity, I went through the entire results in 2002 to see the number of cars in the pits. Here is a sampling of some of the races held in 2002.

March 15-17, 2002, Phoenix International Raceway
Feature: 30 Cars Started
Consi: 24 cars in the Consi
A few names of drivers who didn't qualify for the feature: Brian Tyler, Jack Hewitt, Jimmy Kite, James Chesson, Cory Kruseman, Bentley Warren, Travis Rilat, Dan Drinan, etc.

Hoosier Hundred, May 24, 2002
Feature: 36 cars started

Pike's Peak, June 15-16, 2002
Feature: 30 cars started
Consi: 16 cars

DuQuoin, September 2, 2002
Feature: 30 cars started
Consi: 19 cars in the consi won by Brian Tyler

IRP, August 1, 2002
Feature: 31 cars started

Two Consi's: Consi #1 had 14 cars (Kasey Kahne won Consi #1 in the Zarounian #67) and Consi #2 had 13 cars (Tony Stewart won Consi #2 in the Foxco #56)

Consi #1: 1) Kasey Kahne, 2) Rich Tobias, 3) Tyler Walker, 4) Teddy Beach, 5) Coons, 6) Jeff Mitrisin, 7) Dane Carter, 8) Nick Lundgreen 9) Brad Armstrong 10) Tom Capie 11) Gary Penission, Jr 12) John Starks 13) Sammy Swindell 14) Eric Butze

Consi #2: 1) Tony Stewart 2) Jason McCord 3) Jay Drake 4) Gough 5) Jimmy Kite 6) Tony Elliott 7) Bentley Warren 8) Jason Fuller 9) Eric Gordon 10) Jimmy McCune 11) Johnny Parsons 12) David Bridges 13) Dan Drinan

These are the Consi's, folks! Not the feature. My own car started 20th and finished 8th in the feature which was won by Mike Bliss in the IWX #111. Does anyone remember the IWX #111 that night? That car was like it was on rails at IRP. Carl Edwards finished 6th in the feature in the Don Ott #95.