How Concerning Is the Lack of DNQs at Atlanta?

Is it concerning that none of the NASCAR national series fields will have DNQs at Atlanta Motor Speedway?

Austin Bass: From a fan’s point of view, it does not affect the quality or outcome of the race and is of zero concern. The downsizing of fields over the last decade in all three series has been fully normalized by NASCAR. Incomplete fields in the NASCAR Cup Series are the expectation within the current structure of the Race Team Alliance’s charter system. Atlanta is a drafting track with pack racing, so huge crashes and wadded-up equipment that can’t be avoided. The prestige and payout at Atlanta are not nearly the same as what you receive at Daytona International Speedway, so it is no surprise to see a smaller field after last weekend’s wreck-fest. Field fillers are the same as empty seats in the grandstands — they have no impact on the outcome of the race or our decision to watch or attend it, but are low-hanging fruit for those who love to nitpick.

Steve Leffew: Not too concerning. In the Cup Series we have become accustomed to seeing fields of 36. The charter system and payout structure make it difficult to profit if you don’t have a charter. At Daytona, we often see teams roll out an extra car, like RFK Racing did for David Ragan. The NASCAR Xfinity Series saw a decent dropoff from the 44 cars that entered at Daytona. Most of the no-shows for Atlanta were known part-time or one-off cars. The biggest Xfinity omission at Atlanta was MBM Motorsports, which suffered a post-qualifying disqualification penalty. You have to wonder how long it will be until we see it again, as the low-budget team was likely set back significantly by its disqualification at Daytona.

Josh Calloni: It’s most concerning for the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series. It’s no shock Cup doesn’t, and Xfinity typically always has DNQs, but when it went to Atlanta last summer, it didn’t have any either. Further, it has a full field for Atlanta, so it’d be more concerning if the series goes multiple weeks like this. However, the Truck Series started the week with 32 entrants and added one midweek, putting the starting field at three short of a full field. Smaller teams aren’t even showing up when they are guaranteed a spot in the field, and that is certainly something of concern this early in the season.

Frank Velat: Not very concerning. We’ve seen this trend before where Daytona brings all the drivers to the yard followed by a significant drop…