Why are there only 43 cars qualified to run a Nascar Race?

Question

Why not 50 or 40. 43 seems like an unusual number

Answer 1

and one of them has only 42 pit boxes...

ps. thanks bret, i couldn't remember which track it was. i thought it was bristol or martinsville, but martinsville added a 43rd pit back 1998.

Answer 2

I think its mostly due to the number of pit boxes available at a course. Personally I'd like for it to be 45 but right now some courses on the NASCAR circuit don't even have the standard 43. Infineon & Dover.

Answer 3

More competition and its the perfect number.

DONT WORRY ABOUT IT!

Answer 4

why are there only 33 cars in the Indy 500

Answer 5

Look at it this way. 35 get a free pass so that means we qualify an even 8 more.

Answer 6

Some tracks do not have enough room for more than 43 pit boxes.

Answer 7

because44 is too much, and 42 isn't enought

Answer 8

Why is hockey played with a puck not a ball? Why does an NBA basketball have to be made by Spalding? Why is a baseball white and red? Why is a football not shaped like a sphere? Why are golfballs so small? These are all sports related questons that no one will ever be able to answer because that's just how the sport's creators created them.

Answer 9

2 reasons.

1. There are only 42 pits at Dover, and other tracks like Bristol and Richmond would be crowded as well.

2. We want the races to be more competitive, so that the leaders don't end up lapping people for the whole race, and so everybody has a chance to win.

Answer 10

Why 43 drivers/cars in a race? Where did NASCAR come up with that number?

Back in the old days of NASCAR, there were some tracks where there were no limits, such as Darlington (as many as 75) and Daytona (in the 50's many times). Over the years the size sort of evolved. It was 40 for the large tracks and 32 for the small tracks in the late 70's and early 80's. Then if was 42 for large and 36 for the small/short tracks. The the champion's provisional took itt to 43 and NASCAR made 43 universal at all tracks including thee small/short tracks, like Bristol. As good explanation is at NASCAR.com: 43-car field a product of slow change by Dave Rodman.(3-23-2002)