JGR: Stewart Wrecks #11 Denny Hamlin

[SmootSmack]

Originally Posted by jsarno

OK, I have a NASCAR question, but don't want to start an entirely new thread for it.
I don't get the connection between Busch series and Nextel Cup series. I always thought of it as "Minor and Major" league. (Nextel being the major league) So how is it the Nextel guys can drive in the Busch series? They seem to pick and choose, and on any given event, there can be up to half of the Busch series chalk full of Nextel drivers?
Does anyone know how this works?

Yeah, the two top series in NASCAR are the NASCAR Nextel Cup (Sprint Cup effective Jan. 1, '08) and the NASCAR Busch Series (new name TBD). The NASCAR Busch Series, which we'll call NBS for the rest of this post, was orginally created some fifty years ago to focus primarily on the short tracks and serve as a "training ground" for up and coming drivers. Over time though, more superspeedways became part of the NBS circuit.

NBS is also used as a training ground for NASCAR itself, to test out new technologies and rules for example.

So, back to the original question, a lot of Cup drivers use the NASCAR Busch Series races to a) test out a track before the Cup race the next day, b) appease a sponsor who might be based in the area for example, c) test out the car (though now the difference between Busch and Cup cars is much more pronounced)

Now it's a catch-22 because on the one hand you want to develop young drivers but on the other hand ticket sales and ratings are consideraby impacted by Cup drivers participating in these races.

It's a constant source of discussion in meetings I am in as to what to do about it.