We have had two NASCAR Nationwide series races in this young season and the two winners have been drivers not even running for the title in NNS.
At Daytona International Speedway, Tony Stewart won his fourth NNS race in a row at DIS. Last weekend at Phoenix it was Kyle Busch who won the race. Busch didn’t just win the race he flat out dominated leading every single lap.
Busch of course is running for the NASCAR Sprint Cup title and actually leads the points over there. The next NNS regular to finish on Saturday was Reed Sorenson in fifth.
Sorenson is the current standings leader in the NNS. Yes, that’s right you have to go to fifth place to find the first series regular highest finisher.
The new rule for the top three touring series had drivers declare what title they will earn points for was to help give more of an identity to the other series.
It’s not the NSCS drivers’ faults. The rule changes are supposed to benefit the series regulars but the key is they have to contend for wins.
In the Camping World Truck Series they face the same thing both their races have been won by drivers not running for the title.
At DIS, it was Michael Waltrip who is actually semi retired and Busch won at PIR on Friday night. That is four races and for both series a regular has yet to win and yet to really contend for a win.
Some numbers to look at the top five in NNS point’s average finish: Sorenson is 5th, Ricky Stenhouse, Jr., is 7.5, Jason Leffler, 8.5 and Danica Patrick is 15.5.
Three NSCS drivers finished in the top five of the NNS race at DIS; a total of five finished in the top 10. The top four at PIR were Cup drivers also with five Cup drivers finished in the top 10.
NASCAR has done all it’s could to give both series an identity, to separate them from the NSCS. They have all but told NSCS drivers they can’t run at all.
In the NNS the new car was supposed to bring the competition closer but what we have seen so far leaves little hope that this trend won’t continue.
Particularly in the NNS which has seen sponsors shy away from younger drivers with less experience and work with NSCS drivers who moonlight in the series.
Development is key for these younger drivers who want to make it to the NSCS. Along with development needs to be progress and if you can’t keep pace with them in NNS then whose to say you can in Sprint Cup?
For some teams it is the equipment. Some don’t have the car or the equipment to run up front. For some the lack of sponsorship means their funds are limited. So contending for race wins is not their total focus. They are looking to run top 10 and top 15.
For those teams that are fully funded or have the resources not contending for wins or at least challenging on a weekly basis is a bad sign.
Sponsors want results now and with Cup drivers continuing to produce they will continue to fid the sponsorship behind them.
I don’t think that the NNS or CWTS champion won’t win a race this season, its highly unlikely.
Early on they haven’t been able to keep up and that is the bigger problem not whether or not Cup drivers should run at all in lower series.
Photo:nascar.com
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