Originally Posted by on_the_edge:
I agree but disagree in this case. They handicap the fast qualifiers by making them start outside of a transfer position to try and promote some passing in the heat races. Now if we were at a track that is locked down fast in the heat and three is not any passing going on, now you have the fast guys in a b main and guys who were much slower qualifying locked into the a. The top 6 can not start in the top 6 of the feature now, but they should still have a chance to start towards the front because of their qualfying time. The heats aren't meaningless because the fast guys still have to pass a car or 2 to get locked in and avoid the b main. Maybe not the best system but it works and usually translates to some decent racing. Obviously the format has been debated 1000 times and there is no perfect race format, but the one USAC uses seems to be pretty good.
Agreed, no perfect format unless you could line them all up side by side... & yes, we could go in circles about this forever
On a positive note, I really liked the Chili Bowl format, no time trials, random lineup for heats, passing points. Some of the fast guys moved way up in the "alphabet soup" Saturday, plenty of good racing