Poll Position: Too many Cupsters in Nationwide, not enough Said?
CBSSports.com editor Brian De Los Santos, writer Pete Pistone and a chosen member of the community (for a pure fan perspective) share their thoughts on this week's poll question.
With his victory at Montreal on Sunday, Boris Said became only the second non-Cup regular to win a Nationwide race this season. Should NASCAR restrict full-time Cup drivers from racing in the Nationwide Series?
PETE PISTONE: Sprint Cup drivers have been racing in the Nationwide Series since the series began. There's no reason to end that participation now.
Watching drivers like Said score an "upset" win like he did in Montreal provides a true David vs. Goliath storyline that, based on the fan reaction I've heard this week, excites fans. When Nationwide regulars beat the perceived best-in-the-business drivers who come over from the Cup circuit, they feel as if they are at the top of their game. Track promoters and television networks need the star power of Cup drivers to help sell tickets and generate ratings.
The problem doesn't lie so much with Cup regulars driving -- and dominating -- in the Nationwide Series but rather the heavily funded teams and organizations participating in the series. Small budget Nationwide-only teams like RAB Racing which Said drove for on Sunday, simply don't have the funds to compete with the Penske Racing, Joe Gibbs Racing or JR Motorsports organizations. Put a Cup driver in one of those rides and the problem becomes even tougher for some fans to accept. However, when "development" drivers such as Matt DiBennedetto or Brad Coleman or Colin Braun get a chance to drive from one of these powerhouses, it seems to be more acceptable.
The bottom line is the Nationwide Series is not a development or ladder series. It is a professional circuit which should be open to any driver or team that enters with a qualified car. Cup drivers or any driver should be allowed to race if they choose to participate.
BRIAN DE LOS SANTOS: The problem as I see it is that the Nationwide Series has no identity. If it's not a developmental series, then what IS it? If it's simply a less profitable, less popular version of the Cup Series, what exactly is the point?
While the Nationwide Series has never completely been the domain of developmental drivers, the participation of Cup drivers wasn't as intrusive. Only recently has it become a trend to go full-time in both series. That's when the Nationwide Series lost its way.
Not since Martin Truex Jr. in 2005 has a driver without a full-time Cup ride won the Nationwide Series championship. Not only can't Nationwide-only regulars win championships or races, they can barely lead laps anymore. Of the 4,489 laps run to this point in the season, only 388 have been led by a non-Cup regular. Justin Allgaier leads Nationwide-only regulars with 133 laps led. By contrast, Kyle Busch leads the series with 1,492 laps led.
The Nationwide Series has become bereft of direction and competitiveness and it's time NASCAR officials step in and get it back on track. Unless you're a Cup rookie, enough of the full-time double duty. I do think the series needs a jolt of the Cup driver star power, but a full-time Cup driver should be limited to no more than half the season's races.
D2Moo: In an ideal world, the Nationwide Series would stand on its own and every venue it visits would be packed with fans wanting to catch a glimpse of the next Jimmie Johnson, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards or Kevin Harvick. Race fans would know all about these drivers and understand it will take time and patience before they learn their craft and become "Cup ready."
However, just one problem here: The world, especially the racing world, is not ideal very often. Reality finds that fans plunk down their bucks to see names they are familiar with, even in Nationwide races. There doesn't have to be a bunch of them, just a handful and usually that is all there is, a handful save for five or six races, Daytona being the prime example.
Often times, a Cup driver races in the Nationwide Series because a sponsor wants him in the car so many times during the season. Sponsor money goes a long way in determining who drives a car.
The series should be open to any NASCAR-sanctioned driver who wants to qualify. To deny the good fans of Iowa, or Montreal, or any other venue where the Nationwide Series goes -- and the Cup doesn't -- from seeing any Sprint Cup driver at their track would be financially bad for the facilities and a public relations disaster. And besides, should NASCAR really keep a Cup regular from starting his own team and driving his own car in the series? It shouldn't stop drivers from hopping in their own vehicle especially if that is needed to secure funding from a sponsor.
Sometimes fans want to tinker with something that is working just because they think they can. Let the Cup drivers race in the Nationwide Series, show the young and developing drivers in the series how it is done, and give them a yardstick for comparing their skills and talents. In the end, manufacturing solutions to minor or non-existent problems is not good for the long-term health of the sport. Leave 'em be and let them race.
