Drivers anger at qualifying cancellation.

Despite the limited track time available to the Winston Cup drivers during the opening day of practice at Watkins Glen, both Boris Said and Brett Bodine believed that they had a great chance of success in Sunday's Global Crossing @ the Glen.

On Saturday however, those hopes were extinguished as rain once again brought proceedings to a standstill. After much deliberation NASCAR officials declared that the top 35 grid positions for Sunday's race would be decided on current 2000 season owner points while 36th place would be awarded to a past Winston Cup Champion. Therefore positions 37 -43 would be distributed amongst the remaining twelve drivers depending on their qualifying draw. Those with a low draw would qualify while those with a high draw would go home.

This caused much consternation amongst several of those who missed out, not least Said and Bodine who were both in the top five after Friday practice. Said, in the Spencer Motorsports Ford was fastest of all on Friday with what is still the quickest lap of the entire weekend.

"To come here and to have everything go so smooth," said the dejected driver of the #23 Ford, adding "winning both practice sessions and then to be told you're not racing - it's just devastating for me."

Said was also aggrieved that several of the other one-off drivers, Todd Bodine and Ron Fellows, were able to start despite being slower than him just because they drew an earlier qualifying number. "I think I was going to kick his (Fellows) butt this weekend. He got in by the luck of the draw and I hope he does good, but it's going to be hard for me sitting on the sidelines watching him."

For series regular Brett Bodine, the decision was just as devastating. "NASCAR just doesn't understand. This is our life, not just the races. We've invested everything we have and I feel that my sanctioning body is letting me down."

The owner/driver of the #11 Ralphs Supermarkets Ford is one of the few remaining owner/drivers in the Winston Cup and is finding it increasingly difficult to find sponsorship as a single car outfit. When money is as tight as it is for Bodine, every point and position is vital in the continuing survival struggle.

"My race team should get some sort of consideration for the fact that we attempt to run all the races," said the irate driver. "I don't know how to explain it to our sponsor, that we're not going to be in the race because we were unlucky when we drew our qualifying order."

The other three drivers to lose out via the qualifying draw were RK Smith in the Dave Marcis car, Scott Pruett and Brian Simo.