Lee Montgomery: Some Nationwide Series observations from Memphis
JR Motorsports' Brad Keselowski is third in the NASCAR Nationwide Series point standings. // David Griffin, NASCAR Scene
COMMENTARY
A few observations from the final NASCAR Nationwide Series stand-alone race of the season, held Saturday at Memphis Motorsports Park:
- JR Motorsports driver Brad Keselowski is moving to Sprint Cup full time next year, but he doesn’t appear to be making any friends as he approaches the move. I know this sport isn’t about making friends, but Keselowski doesn’t want to be known as a dirty driver, either.
Was he dirty at Memphis? I don’t believe so, and the drivers he made contact with more or less agreed. But Carl Edwards and Mike Bliss certainly had questions about what happened to them. Maybe it’s time for Keselowski to mend some fences.
- Finding good rides in the Nationwide Series may be more difficult than ever these days. If you’re a veteran driver like a Jason Keller who doesn’t have sponsorship money to bring to a team, you’re in trouble.
Gone, it seems, are the days where a team sells a driver to a sponsor. Now, drivers sell themselves to sponsors and then shop for teams. It’s almost backwards and sometimes seems as if talent has little to do with it. And that’s a shame.
- Along those lines, can someone please give Bliss a full-time job? The guy has had a terrific season, especially when you consider he has driven for five teams since being released by Phoenix Racing.
Bliss has three top-fives in his last five races, all with CJM Racing. And he probably should’ve won at Memphis. But he doesn’t have a full-time deal. Doesn’t make any sense.
- Fans are always clamoring that Sprint Cup drivers shouldn’t be allowed to race in the Nationwide Series. Yet at Memphis, where only four full-time Cup drivers raced, the stands were about half-full.
Folks, if you want NASCAR to listen, you gotta buy the tickets to the stand-alones. Otherwise, don’t complain.
- Though he was lustily booed during driver introductions at Memphis, Kyle Busch is having a season for the ages this year. He broke the single-season series record for second-place finishes with nine and could break the single-season record for top-fives.
Jeff Green had 25 top-five finishes in 2000, and Busch now has 23 with three races remaining.
- I’ve always said the Nationwide Series needs more stand-alone races – for various reasons – but someone stumped me when they asked, “Where?” So I polled a veteran driver, and he gave me five good ones: Toyota Speedway in Irwindale, Calif., Gresham Motorsports Park in Jefferson, Ga., Motor Mile Speedway in Radford, Va., Greenville Pickens Speedway in Greenville, S.C., and Rockingham (N.C.) Speedway.
So let’s say Irwindale replaces one Auto Club Speedway race, Gresham replaces the other, Motor Mile replaces one Phoenix race, Greenville Pickens replaces the other and Rockingham replaces one Dover race.
OK, it’ll never happen, but a guy can dream, can’t he?
