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Posted on February 19, 2008
Nationwide Series: New Name, Same Cup
Domination
It’s the same old
series, dominated by Cup series drivers,
but with a new name. The new NASCAR
Nationwide Series kicked off this past
Saturday from Daytona International
Speedway with much of the same problems
the series was plagued with last season.
Almost half the field was dominated by
Cup Series drivers and that’s all the
media cared to talk about. Will NASCAR
or the media ever realize this series is
for upcoming drivers?
Nationwide Insurance replaced
Anheuser Busch over the off-season as
the new sponsor of NASCAR’s second most
popular racing series. With the change
in the series name fans were looking
forward to a change in the series
racing. After watching the series first
event from Daytona, nothing has changed.
In fact, things this year seem to have
become worse.
Once again Tony Stewart came away
with the victory in the Daytona 300
miler. Stewart was followed by all Cup
Series drivers in the top five. Finally
a Nationwide Series regular, Bryan
Clauson, finished in the sixth position.
Clauson was the only series regular to
finish in the top ten. There is
definitely an issue when only one series
regular finishes in the top ten of a
Nationwide Series event.
The problem is not Cup drivers
running in the series. It is a good
grooming process for new drivers trying
to graduate into the Cup Series. The
problem is in qualifying some series
regulars had to go home because they
couldn’t make the race. Why couldn’t
these drivers make the race? Because the
Cup drivers were driving better funded
cars and stole a position in the race.
Drivers like Mike Harmon, Brett Rowe,
and Donnie Neuenberger had to pack it up
early and leave Daytona with no extra
money. These drivers would have made the
race if the series was not over
populated by Cup Series drivers. In all
10 teams had to pack it up and go home.
Most of the teams leaving early were
under funded and looking for some extra
money. If the teams made the race, even
if they finished 43rd, they would have
had more money than they came in with.
Every little bit of money helps when you
are new to the sport.
NASCAR needs to seriously think about
putting a cap on the amount of drivers
in a Nationwide Series race. An idea
would be only the top ten fastest Cup
Series drivers can make it into the
race. Also, no more running the full
series schedule for fun. It is nice that
Cup drivers love to race and have a lot
of free time on their hands. But go race
at some dirt tracks and try to
revitalize local dirt racing.
Fans watch the Nationwide Series to
see new faces, not old faces in new
places. The series name has changed
hands, now it is time for the series as
a whole to get a face lift.
You can contact
Brett at
BrettBaldeck@speedwaymedia.com
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