Racing Junky

Question: Can you name a major league sport besides NASCAR, in which the participants on the major level voluntarily take part in the minor league series? In baseball players get “called up” to the majors, or sent “down” to the minors, which by the way, is not by choice. The NBA has a developmental league, or “D League,” in which players improve their skills in hopes to one day make a NBA roster, but in no other sport do participants willingly take part in the “minor league” version of their sport, that is except in NASCAR.

It has long been a practice of many Cup Series owners to field Busch Series, now the Nationwide Series, cars for their Cup drivers. These events are held the day before the Cup events, and most of the time at the same venue, so it is beneficial for the Cup drivers to get some track time the day before the main event. Cup drivers running in these events get some extra practice time, and get a sneak peak at the track, which can be beneficial when figuring out set up and adjustments for their Cup rides.

So, is it good or bad for the Nationwide Series when Cup drivers come down and win not only races, but Championships? The last two Busch Champions have been Cup regulars, Harvick in 2006, and Edwards in 2007. Check out any Busch Series starting lineup on a given weekend, and it is generally chock full of Cup drivers. And if the track owners have anything to say about it, it will stay that way. Why, you ask? Well, just like everything else in life, it comes down to money. Cup drivers in Busch events drastically boost ticket sales, because fans want to see the “big boys,” and the more big boys you have, the more competition you get. More fans and elevated ticket sales translates into more money for everybody. The track owners obviously profit from more fans in the seats, so do the food vendors, the merchandise vendors, and basically anybody involved with the event. Even the drivers make more money. If the race event produces a higher profit for the track, and everyone involved, then logically the total race purse will increase, providing even more incentive to race teams to place as high as possible, not that they really need any more motivation to win, but you get my point. Okay, so let’s review: more fans at the track, more competitive racing, and more money for everybody involved, sounds perfect, right? Well, not quite.

Believe it or not, not everybody involved is satisfied with the current state of the Nationwide Series. Those opposed to the Cup regulars having their way with the Nationwide Series on a weekly basis, make a pretty good argument. To understand the perspective of the opposition, you have to view the Nationwide Series as truly being the “minors” of the Sprint Cup Series. Aside from the Cup drivers, the Nationwide Series is home to two types of drivers: Guys that peak at this level and drive in the series for the better part of their career, possibly with brief stints in Cup, and the series is also home to up and comers, or the guys on the rise. The Nationwide Series is a place where prospective talent has a chance to hone driving skills, gain experience, and in the most general sense, use the series as a springboard into the Cup Series. If this series is going to be packed with Cup drivers, then many of the young drivers may not get a chance to shine, to show how successful they can be behind the wheel. Cup drivers are experienced, proven winners, which is why they are Cup regulars. A young driver, that often is just 18 or 19 years old is not much of a match for the likes of Matt Kenseth, Kevin Harvick, or Carl Edwards. No denying that racing against the best will ultimately make you better, but Cup drivers cast a long shadow, which can make it tougher for young talent to really display their ability.

The Nationwide veterans have also taken issue with the Cup drivers dominating “their” series. The full-time Busch teams were dominated in 2007, winning only 2 of the 35 races run. The more races and championships that Cup drivers win, translates into less money in the pockets of the Nationwide teams. In the eyes of the Nationwide veterans, the Cup drivers are taking food off of their tables. The Cup guy’s bread and butter is earned on Sundays, so why should they come down and compete for the prize in the Nationwide Series. The Cup guys don’t need the Nationwide prize money to survive, but the Nationwide teams depend on it for survival. To get an idea of just part of the money that the Cup guys are earning in the Nationwide ranks, consider this: The final Busch points standings included four Cup drivers in the top five. Those four Cup teams’ combined earnings equaled better than $4,030,000. Keep in mind that is just race winnings, that is not counting any other sponsorship, endorsements, end of the year award money, etc., which can all add up to hundreds of thousands of dollars on top of the individual race winnings. The point being, the Cup drivers are capturing most of the prize money in the sport. Is that right? If it is right, how do we honestly expect the full-time Nationwide teams to compete, if they are never given a shot at the prize money? You can decide for yourself whether you agree, or disagree with the Cup drivers participating in the series, but one fact about motor sports will never change, it is extremely expensive to operate a race team, let alone a competitive one, and if we are going to let Cup guys dominate this series week in, week out, then what is going to be done to offset the lack of prize money the true Nationwide teams are denied? If the system we now have in place is allowed to continue, then the Cup guys get richer, and the Nationwide teams continue to scratch and struggle in their own sport.

Change may be on the horizon. The 2008 season will usher in a new series sponsor in Nationwide. Along with a change in sponsorship, rumors are circulating there may be some changes implemented concerning Cup drivers participating in the Nationwide Series. Possible changes:

Limit the number of Cup drivers allowed to enter a race.

Limit the number of races Cup drivers are eligible to participate in.

Design a system in which Cup drivers are not eligible to earn points, therefore eliminating them from title contention.

As you can imagine, debate over this issue is sure to continue, and when some resolution is achieved, it is certain not all parties will be satisfied. As this is ultimately a debate over money, you can be sure that NASCAR will decide to do what is best for NASCAR. And in the end, what ever scenario feeds the NASCAR machine most efficiently will win out. The Busch Series is an important part of NASCAR as a training ground for the up and comers, as place for owners to find the next “diamond in the rough,” also as a stand alone racing series, providing competitive, enjoyable racing from it’s long time veterans. Let’s all hope NASCAR does what it can to preserve all the things that make the Nationwide Series great.