Jeff Gluck: Cup stars in the Nationwide Series leave young drivers on the sidelines

By Jeff Gluck - Associate Editor
Friday, July 10, 2009
NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers compete at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this year. (David Griffin / NASCAR Scene)

NASCAR Nationwide Series drivers compete at Texas Motor Speedway earlier this year.

David Griffin
NASCAR Scene

COMMENTARY

JOLIET, Ill. – The first column I ever wrote about NASCAR posed the following question: Why are Sprint Cup drivers allowed to compete in the second-tier Nationwide Series?

At the time, I was new to the sport, but I figured following it for a while would cure me of such ignorance.

Years later, I still have no idea.

It has never made sense to me. Alex Rodriguez doesn’t go play AAA baseball in the minor leagues on his days off from the New York Yankees. Tiger Woods has no interest in leaving the PGA Tour to dabble in a Nationwide Tour event.

But until recently, the big-leaguers-playing-in-the-minors situation has been almost bizarrely funny to me. It certainly wasn’t worth getting upset over.

Now, things have changed. One of the sport’s most marketable young drivers, Michael McDowell, will start tonight’s Nationwide Series race in the backmarker No. 81 car after sponsorship for his primary ride, the No. 47 JTG Daugherty Racing entry, dried up last week.

It seems almost criminal. McDowell is 11th in the series standings but is left to find a ride on a week-to-week basis, if he can find one at all.

But given that he has made all 17 starts in the series this year, he’s actually one of the lucky ones.

In his place at JTG Daugherty tonight will be Kelly Bires, a talented young driver who deserves a chance but has driven in just seven races this season after running the full schedule last year.

And those are seven more races than the combined total of reigning Rookie of the Year Landon Cassill and runner-up Bryan Clauson, who have driven a combined ZERO Nationwide events this season.

Brad Coleman, another young driver with seemingly a world of potential, has two starts. Former Truck series driver Erik Darnell (six starts) should be full-time in Nationwide, too.

How about Stephen Leicht (four starts)? Chase Austin (one)? Marc Davis (four)? Cale Gale (one)? Josh Wise (zero)?

All of these drivers should have Nationwide rides, yet none do.

Silly me. Here I thought the Nationwide Series was supposed to be a proving ground for young drivers like these to race against one another to see who was worthy of making it to the next level.

Clearly, that’s not happening now. It’s easy to blame the economy, since sponsorship has dried up everywhere and made it difficult to find funding.

And the sponsors who do participate in the series would rather promote a Cup driver than a no-name youngster.

But that’s precisely the problem. By allowing Cup drivers to run in the Nationwide Series, NASCAR has stunted its No. 2 series’ growth, losing a chance to bring along new and exciting stars, create new rivalries and run a secondary circuit that truly has its own identity.

Cassill, Clauson and Co. can’t find sponsors to fund their rides because they aren’t household names. Yet if there were no Cup drivers in Nationwide, all these young drivers would have a chance to win races and become more familiar to race fans.

Sadly, given the current state of the economy, it’s too late now. NASCAR missed the boat a couple years ago, when the departure of longtime sponsor Busch provided an opportunity to institute real change.

Series officials could have worked with Nationwide to create a series without Cup drivers at all. Maybe Nationwide and TV partner ESPN balked at the idea – if it was ever presented – but NASCAR has always been strong enough to make decisions on its own.

But whoever gets assigned the blame, everyone loses. Because as a truly unique series with unique drivers, the Nationwide Series could have been must-see television for race fans every week.

Currently, it’s not.

The Camping World Truck Series has been successful and appealing to fans because it’s so different than Cup racing – it gives them another NASCAR product to consume on the weekends.

But Nationwide is and has been Cup Lite, which fails to excite as many people as it should.

There has been talk lately of perhaps not allowing Cup drivers to run for the Nationwide title, which makes a mockery of the series. And former champion Carl Edwards suggested that Cup drivers be forced to start in the back of every race.

Why not go a step further and tell Edwards and Kyle Busch that they can’t race Nationwide cars at all? Get rid of situations like the one at JR Motorsports, where it seems like half the Cup garage is taking a turn in the No. 5 car this season while Cassill sits on the sidelines, twiddling his thumbs.

There are 12 Cup regulars on the entry list for tonight’s race. Couldn’t those 12 spots have been filled by drivers who need and deserve an opportunity to prove themselves, rather than Cup guys just showing up to earn an extra few bucks and a possible trophy?

It’s frankly embarrassing for the sport to have young and talented drivers unable to find rides in the series that should be meant for them.

Though years have now passed since I first wondered how Cup drivers can be allowed to race in the lower levels, I still haven’t been able to figure it out.

But someone at NASCAR or Nationwide should.
 

Comments

30 responses to "Jeff Gluck: Cup stars in the Nationwide Series leave young drivers on the sidelines". Post a Comment.
  1. 1
    dcanoli said:
    Jul 10, 2009 at 9:21 AM

    So, I honestly cannot believe no one has yet commented on this article...

    ...Well, Jeff Gluck, there is not much more left to say. You have penned an article that reflects what a lot of us Nascar fans have been thinking for years.

    Just as the minor leagues are used to comb and refine young baseball players, so should the Nationwide Series be used to comb and refine young drivers.

    Nascar (and namely Mr. France) need to remember that it is not about the fame, the glory, or the money. (Yes, I included the term MONEY.)

    They have been toying with lives lately (Carl Long and Jeremy Mayfield), and frankly, this (at least to me) appears to fall w/in the same category.

    Go and read Kenny Wallace's latest on-line article about his racing in New Hampshire. It was exciting!

    Some names in the article that we haven't seen or heard of in a while...but the racing was still exciting and good.

    IMHO, we need to do as you suggest--we need to say NO MORE CUP DRIVERS IN THE NATIONWIDE SERIES. Let these young kids (who have probably been running races at small tracks all their lives) have a shot at climbing up the ladder and into the Cup series.

    Let the system work as it should. Let us learn their names, let us watch them grow and learn, let the Nationwide Series be all it was intended to be...

    Thanks for the article. MAYBE SOMEONE IN THE NASCAR MANAGEMENT TEAM WILL SEE AND READ IT! Maybe it will make a difference somewhere down the line!

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report
  2. 2
    Midnight_highway said:
    Jul 10, 2009 at 10:13 AM

    Great article Jeff.
    I have wondered for years now why the Cup drivers are allowed in the Nationwide series.
    Myself, I don't feel they should be allowed. Nascar is basically ruining the whole point of the Nationwide series and what it was intended for, to allow new and inexperienced drivers the chance to race, learn the tracks and gain experience before moving up to a Cup ride.
    It seems to me that the Cup drivers that run the Nationwide series full time look at as a chance to win an easy championship and make a few extra bucks.
    As has been talked about before, let the cup drivers run 6 races a year in the Nationwide series. This will allow the fans to still see a few cup stars here and there in the Nationwide series, but not competing for the title. The true Nationwide drivers will be competing for the title, the way it should be, not a group of sand baggers looking to earn a title that they should have no right running for, they had there chance when they were new to the sport. If they couldn't win the title then, why should they be allowed to now??

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report
  3. 3
    shacol said:
    Jul 10, 2009 at 10:21 AM

    I think they should set a qualifying speed you have to hit to be in the race and then qualify everyone except the Sprint Cup drivers. When that is done the Sprint guys are the go or go homers. They should start the Sprint guys behind everyone else in the order they qualify so they could not take the pole away from the Nationwide guys and they have to come to the front from the back.

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report
  4. 4
    shacol said:
    Jul 10, 2009 at 10:31 AM

    Set a qualifying speed requirement, qualify the Nationwide cars. Then the Sprint guys would qualify as the go or go homers to fill in any spots left. Line up the Sprint guys in the race after the Nationwide guys in the order that they qualify so they are in the back. That way the Nationwide cars always get the pole and up front starting spots.

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report
  5. 5
    todd625 said:
    Jul 10, 2009 at 11:01 AM

    I like the Nationwide and Truck series as well. I feel bad for the younger guys getting bumped out of the rides and sponsors.
    The Cup guys just do it for the heck of it and if they wreck who cares the bread and butter race is on SUnday.
    Every year a CUp guy decides to go for the Championship and they get it.
    BUT many fans want to see their Cup Stars at the Nationwide race.

    We're getting tickets to the Truck race at INDY. I want to see that Beating and banging on the trucks but we are going to the cup race too.

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report
  6. 6
    merryweather20 said:
    Jul 10, 2009 at 12:02 PM

    I agree, and frankly I miss the Truck series as well. I stopped watching a while ago after I saw Kyle Busch remorselessly wreck one too many journeymen truck drivers. Heck, nevermind that I was excited for the Camping World East-West event in Iowa a couple weeks ago, then I heard Busch would be there and Kahne and the list went on. I never looked into buying tickets after that, I've no idea what they cost it wouldn't have interested me even if they were free.

    If you look at anyone with championships in the last few years, Jimmie, Jeff, Tony, Kurt they never ran more than a handful of races at best. Heck, Kurt and Jimmie (for at least one year anyway) didn't run any Busch/Nationwide races at all and still won championships. So its not just that it makes it boring, its not just missing out on seeing Landy Cassill and Danny O'Quinn and whoever else race, it isn't even working for their day job :(

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report
  7. 7
    dale said:
    Jul 10, 2009 at 12:19 PM

    I think some Cup drivers go for the title in the Nationwide series because they know they can't get it done at the Cup level. I think the full time Cup drivers should be limited as to how many Nationwide or Truck races they are allowed to compete in each year. Maybe a max of 4 per series.

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report
  8. 8
    Bill8848 said:
    Jul 10, 2009 at 12:19 PM

    Great article,I always believed that once you have a ride in Cup,you don't drive full time in the Nationwide series. I can see a few times they race in the division but not fulltime.Nascar should have at least a set number at how many races they can run.Let the up-coming stars have their spotlight in this division.

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report
  9. 9
    WormDirt said:
    Jul 10, 2009 at 1:54 PM

    How depressing.... I mean, I can sympathize and even understand the desire to have a pure secondary series..... BUT WAIT!!!!!!!!!!!! As ADULTS...... shouldn't we deal in REALITY??? Sheesh.... let's try some basic MATH here.... Less Cup Drivers = Less Viewers!!!!! It's that simple folks. And less viewers means less sponsors which means less money. And how on earth can Professor Gluck NOT see this point when he presents the FAILING and DYING Truck Series as an alternative???? SORRY FOLKS...... but this is the REAL WORLD..... Stock-car racing isn't politically-CONNECTED enough to qualify for one of those evil government immoral despicable bail-outs....SO.... around here, folks actually have to follow economics 101 and make REAL-WORLD business decisions!!! Or do you want someone like Jeff Gluck running the show..... a man who just described Michael McDowell as "marketable". A judgement NO DOUBT based on EMOTION rather than the REALITY that despite having access to the largest stage in motorsports, McDowell has proven to be anything BUT "marketable"????? I almost wish they would ban Cup drivers in Nationwide just to see what some of you would say when it started to fall apart. Sheesh.......

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report
  10. 10
    Midnight_highway said:
    Jul 10, 2009 at 2:32 PM

    Ok, so here is the answer. Let all the cup stars run the Nationwide series all they want. But they receive no prize money, or points :)
    Lets see then how many are running the Nationwide series just for the love of racing.

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report
  11. 11
    lten11 said:
    Jul 10, 2009 at 2:39 PM

    Here is another alternative, don,t show the Nationwide on TV, Who cares ???, as long as we get to see the cup race on the weekend, no other sport shows the tier 2 level on TV, We only want to see the best really don,t we, get rid of the truck race too, the money is pathetic anyway when the 5th place driver only gets $15000 0r less...why bother, it probably costs more to fix the truck each week...before i go i would also like to say that Kyle Busch a few months ago went and competed in a tier 3 level race and won.....oh big suprise, now some up and coming young driver lost his chance to possibly be noticed because of this greedy jerk.

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report
  12. 12
    cochall0720 said:
    Jul 10, 2009 at 2:40 PM

    Jeff Gluck is right. I don't watch or go to Nationwide races because the cup guys take over the show. Maybe they ought to poll the fans and see if that makes a difference in viewing or attendance. Several here have said they choose not to watch or attend for that reason. I agree with #10 let see how many of them would stay around if it's just for the fun of it. They can't win a championship in cup so they go back to minor league and hope to gain something they lost. It's to bad for the up and coming drivers because they are the ones that really lose out. They lose sponsership money, titles, and are lost in the shuffle. The big teams may lose out on another Joey or Brad if they aren't careful.

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report
  13. 13
    cochall0720 said:
    Jul 10, 2009 at 2:43 PM

    You said #12. Kyle is greedy and wants all the attention. He throws his fits and stomps off just to get attention when he doesn't win, and hogs the other tiers just to gain his attention. That's not a champion thats a child.

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report
  14. 14
    rich_kleven said:
    Jul 10, 2009 at 2:50 PM

    I agree 100% with #10. Let the cup drivers drive only for the love of racing. No points, No money. Of course, that may open it up for them to wreck anyone in their way because they have no vested interest except maybe to preserve a car. Maybe they should own the car they race as well. Then if they wreck it it's their own money down the toilet.

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report
  15. 15
    jerryswiatek said:
    Jul 10, 2009 at 3:07 PM

    Lot of good Ideas mentioned here I think, At least some of them should be used, No points or 1/2 points is ok with me!

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report
  16. 16
    kimba9 said:
    Jul 10, 2009 at 3:27 PM

    I think too that the cup drivers shouldn't race in the nationwide series. But I don't agree with the statements that people don't watch the nationwide races unless a cup driver is in it. I for one LOVE to watch the nationwide races. I like Kelly Bires, and a few others, a local guy from our area also makes a few of the races and I love the chance to see him race too. Now Kasey Kahne is running a few of the nationwide races and will run a few next year sharing a ride with Jason Leffler. Leffler will still be in those other 6 or 8 races that Kasey is running, just in a different car. I think that is great, he deserves it. Great Clips asked Kasey to run those races. Ponder that one will you??!! They need a driver to get the car running well, and Kasey ran for them before, so they know what to expect from him.

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report
  17. 17
    keithschonberger said:
    Jul 10, 2009 at 3:28 PM

    Obviously Jeff hasn't been watching or studying for very long. It's a proven fact that when you remove the cup guys from nationwide, you lose viewers. I agree this series should be without cup guys but unfortunately there aren't enough true fans who feel the same way or there would be sponsors and larger paydays. The only fix is truely some exciting action between the nationwide guys that will attract fans and their support. Maybe even some big named open wheeler women like Danica or Kyle!

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report
  18. 18
    bthompson133 said:
    Jul 10, 2009 at 5:07 PM

    most nationwide drivers have stated they want sc drivers there to prove they are good. if you don't have something to measure by then who cares

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report
  19. 19
    bthompson133 said:
    Jul 10, 2009 at 5:29 PM

    how about getting rid of the shared rides? either commit a driver to a full season or your not allowed bto enter(cup drivers only) then the high dollar paying races would bennefit nw racers(most nw entries are share rides by cup). i believe very few cup stars would do that, it's tough!!!!!!

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report
  20. 20
    merryweather20 said:
    Jul 10, 2009 at 6:35 PM

    WRMDIRT you are comletely missing the point. We're saying we're NOT watching because of the cup drivers. I used to watch and don't know. Cup drivers in Nationwide don't equal ratings.

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report
  21. 21
    jbloom said:
    Jul 10, 2009 at 6:55 PM

    I can tell you that I do not watch any Nationwide races... I do not buy anything that is connected to a cup driver in the Nationwide series.. They should not allow the Cup drivers into a lesser series... Period... They have graduated into the Big Time... If they can not make it there then go back and race in the Nationwide series again... But Not Both Series! NASCAR will survive with out my $$$.

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report
  22. 22
    manzytrophygirl said:
    Jul 10, 2009 at 7:16 PM

    If Cup drivers continue racing in NW--NO POINTS!!!!!!!!! A full-time NW driver should win the NW Championship.

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report
  23. 23
    minkee2 said:
    Jul 10, 2009 at 7:33 PM

    I agree with the writer and most of the comments. I don't think it's right for a Cup driver to win a Nationwide Series Championship. Just doing it because you can is a sad commentary on those racers. Jimmie only races about 4 a year in the Nationwide, and one of those is his home track. Maybe if Kyle would concentrate on the Cup level, he might not need to go to his hauler crying all the time!

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report
  24. 24
    rmdunn3 said:
    Jul 10, 2009 at 7:56 PM

    What a great article. I DO WATCH the Nationwide races, because I love seeing the young drivers, some of who I'm familar with from the ASA series and I look forward to them being able to race as much as possible. But the feedback that I get from the young drivers in the ASA is: I'd love to be in Nascar, but unless you have gazillion's of dollars, it's not going to happen. So I will say that there are a lot of really great drivers out there (some much better than ones in Nascar) that will never get a chance to see their dream come true.
    Kimba, good post.

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report
  25. 25
    Count_Culo said:
    Jul 10, 2009 at 8:49 PM

    Hard to believe just how blind people can be to something so obvious... take a look back at NWS races (or trucks) that have no Cup Stars in them... there will be next to NO people in the stands... both those series are absolutely worthless without the Cup Stars not only to Series/Car Sponsors & TV networks, but to track promoters as well... there is absolutely NO way either series would ever survive without the cup drivers... did any of you see that massive crowd at the Truck race in Memphis this year that had NO Cup drivers in it??... why there must have been a whopping 5,000 people there!!!... whenever I hear people seriously mentioning this B.S. I just think to myself, "Well there's somebody who has no real clue about the business of racing"... one would think Mr.Gluck would have a clue by now, as I usually agree with his observations, but apparently not... give it up and drop the subject folks... it ain't EVER gonna happen, nor should it... racing against other novice drivers teaches a lot of NOTHING to the novice drivers coming up.. they will usually tell you themselves that the series would be worthless as a "training ground" w/o cup drivers... so stop wasting time talking about it and hitch up yer big boy pants and DEAL !!.... besides, the same Gibbs, Roush, Childress, Harvick, etc. cars would STILL be winning every race...just with different drivers and very little sponsorship for the cars OR the series, so it would die a very quick death...
    CC

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report
  26. 26
    collettelenard said:
    Jul 10, 2009 at 9:57 PM

    I agree with WORMDIRT. No Cup drivers in Nationwide will mean fewer NNS fans, viewers and dollars. Maybe if a few Cup drivers were to get back in Trucks that series would have a larger starting field. If you ban Cup drivers from all but Cup where are all the "old" drivers to go when their Cup rides run out?

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report
  27. 27
    SheilaLovesNASCAR said:
    Jul 10, 2009 at 11:00 PM

    Wormdirt is wrong. Cup drivers have no business taking wins and Titles from Nationwide drivers. I sure don't watch Nationwide to see Cup drivers. And I watch Nationwide as much as I watch Cup. And I don't want to see the Cup drivers stinking up the race. Of course they are better. That doesn't make the Nationwide races better because Cup drivers are in the races. No one in Cup should be allowed to compete for the Title. That is for Nationwide drivers. It used to be that Cup drivers only entered a limited amount of races. Let's go back to that. The owners need to find themselves a regular Nationwide driver for their Nationwide cars. Martin Truex, Jr. was the last Busch driver to win a Championship. And that's wrong. NASCAR fans don't tune in to see Cup drivers. We have our regular Nationwide favorite drivers. And want to see them win. You win a Championship and move up to Cup. How can anyone do that if Cup drivers take away their wins? And Nationwide is as much to blame. They have a contest going and include Kyle and Carl because they are regular drivers. It shouldn't be that way. Only include Nationwide drivers. If Cup drivers want to compete in Nationwide, it should only be on a limited basis. Believe it or not, wormdirt, fans like Nationwide drivers competing against each other without Cup drivers taking over.

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report
  28. 28
    proudstremmefan said:
    Jul 11, 2009 at 7:53 AM

    It's really not fair to the rookies for "cuppies" to be competing in Nationwide, especially Kyle. He is so strong, the rookies have little chance unless Kyle gets wrecked or something. Totally unfair. I hate Kyle, but he is strong and he needs to be in Cup ONLY!!!!

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report
  29. 29
    Werner said:
    Jul 11, 2009 at 11:04 AM

    with all the drive changes in NW cars, it's hard to keep trak of who is in the car...even Burton wasn't quite sure what to think of the car he was driving with Bowyer's name on it...most fans who go to the NW race don't have a clue as to who is in what car....

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report
  30. 30
    esuchlandldo said:
    Jul 12, 2009 at 3:14 PM

    I have been a fan of NASCAR ever since I attended my first race at Daytona in 1986 and to this day I still don't understand why the Cup drivers are allowed to race in the Nationwide series. It is turning into a joke.

    Report Abuse

    This feature is intended to allow you to report comments that are abusive in terms of foul/vulgar language, harassment, racial/religious prejudice and any words/phrases of a related nature. This feature should not be used to report users who simply make a comment about your favorite driver, with which you do not agree. Commenting is a forum in which we can all express our opinions. Reporting abuse of others should be done with this in mind.

    » Confirm Abuse Report

Post a Comment

Disclaimer: All comments are subject to filtering for language, and libelous content. Comments are intended to encourage spirited debate and discussion about the subject matter contained within the articles and ARE NOT intended for personal or demeaning attacks directed at other users. We reserve the right to remove any comments deemed inappropriate. Users who violate this policy may be banned from posting comments on the site.

Comment Preview

Nov 7, 2009 at 9:12 PM
You said:

You must login before you can post comments or rate content.

If you don't have an account you can create a free one here.

2009 Sprint Cup Race for the Chase Standings

Driver Standings after the AMP Energy 500

1 Jimmie Johnson 6248
2 Mark Martin -184
3 Jeff Gordon -192
4 Juan Pablo Montoya -239
5 Tony Stewart -279
6 Kurt Busch -312
7 Greg Biffle -340
8 Ryan Newman -402
9 Kasey Kahne -414
10 Carl Edwards -437
11 Denny Hamlin -448
12 Brian Vickers -556

NASCAR Schedules

abc

Dickies 500

Texas Motor Speedway
03:31 PM, 11/08/2009

Poll PositionView All

Which NASCAR Sprint Cup race winner from the past two seasons is most likely to earn his first victory of 2009 in the next three races?

Promotions

  • Play "WIX Filters' Pick 3" stock car fantasy and win prizes. Season 2 is now in session!

  • Tweet your thoughts about each race and join the conversation with other fans.

  • Drive an authentic NASCAR Sprint Cup car at the NASCAR Racing Experience.

  • Cast your vote for the NASCAR Illustrated 2009 Person of the Year, presented by Old Spice.

  • Make weekly pics for the Chase and be entered to win weekly SPEED Merchandise.

NASCAR Community Join the Community

In the Forums View All

Presented by

Don't have an account yet?

Insiders Guide to NASCAR

Register with SceneDaily.com and get access to the following features:

  • FREE Insider’s Guide to NASCAR (available as a PDF download)
  • Daily NASCAR news updates delivered directly to your e-mail
  • Pre-race and Post-race emails delivered each race week
  • Ability to comment on blog and news articles
  • Information on new website features and upcoming contests
Create my Account

Login

Forgot Password?
Login or Create an Account