Top 35 teams guaranteed a grid slot.

Independent and start-up Nextel Cup teams may find it harder than ever to break into the 43 car-starting field from 2005 onwards after NASCAR eliminated the use of 'provisional' starting spots and guaranteed its top 35 teams a place in every race.

After several full-time teams failed to qualify for races late in the 2004 season when more and more part-time teams arrived on the scene, much to the chagrin of the full-time sponsors, teams no longer acquire a limited number of 'provisional' starting positions during the season based on how many races they attempt. Instead, fans will now be treated to the potential sight of 'bumping' on a week-by-week basis with independent and part-time teams being the ones who will invariably lose out.

While starting positions one through 42 will still be determined by qualifying speed, the new system will assure the highest-ranked 35 positions of the Nextel Cup Series owner championship points that have entered the event prior to the entry deadline one of those starting positions in the field, providing they have made an attempt to qualify.

The remaining seven positions will be assigned to those drivers with the fastest qualifying speeds whose car owners are not among the top 35.

The final starting position, the champion's provisional, can be utilised by a car owner whose driver is a current or past Cup champion who participated as a driver during the 2004 season and was entered in the event for that owner in that car prior to the entry deadline. If there is more than one series champion vying for the position, it will be given to the most recent series champion.

If a current or past series champion does not fill the final provisional starting position, it will be assigned to the next eligible car owner according to qualifying results.

Through the first five races of the season, the top 35 in the NNCS of the 2004 owner championship points entered in the event prior to the entry deadline will be assured one of the 42 starting positions in the field, provided they have made an attempt to qualify.

From the sixth race on, the current owner championship points will be used to determine the top 35 each race week.

In the event that conditions prevent qualifying from being run, starting positions will be assigned according to the respective series' 2005 Rule Book.

There was no news on how the new procedure would affect the qualifying procedure for the Daytona 500, where only the fastest two cars in Bud Pole qualifying are assured of a place in the final starting line-up.