the way he posted that rule is sales Practice and/or qualifying must equal 45 minutes... I didnt look it up for myself that takes to much energy. but if true as written we dont have to have any practice at all it could be just qualifying...
Ding texas stands alone on having all day practice, other parts of the country don't have practice at all sans hardship practice.
I guess my reading is fundamental:
6.4.1 General
A. 1 car in a class shall constitute a class. A car may not compete in
more than one race class in the same race group.
B. Number of Cars allowed on Course
A maximum of 25 cars per mile may be on the course or started
simultaneously in any type of session.
The Division’s Executive Steward may increase or decrease the 25car limitation for any or all race groups I assume that waiving this would be problematic at COTA (understandable politics).
Further, the GCR lays out how to handle qualifying for oversubscribed classes. It does not say anything about 85 cars, nor how to handle (other than not meeting 120% rule) how oversubscribed class is handled. Unless I am missing something:
E. Each driver/car combination must qualify within 120% of the qualifying
time of the fastest qualifier in his class to be allowed to start
his race. The Chief Steward may waive this requirement and may
allow non-qualifiers to grid behind qualifiers
6.4.3. Qualifying for Oversubscribed Classes
When the number of cars entered into a single class race group exceeds
the maximum number of cars per mile, the following qualifying procedures
apply:
A. The class is split into 2 qualifying groups.
B. The grid is determined according to 6.4.2.
C. Alternatively, if the Chief Steward determines that track conditions
are significantly different for the 2 groups, he may recommend the
parallel column procedure in which one half of the race grid is taken
from each session, and gridded in columns by group, by time. The
fastest car is assigned the inside position on the front row and he
is followed in that column by the cars from his session in qualifying
time order. The SOM must approve this alternate procedure.