Nationwide Series Being Invaded And What NASCAR Should-And Must-Do

I know this topic has been discussed on NASCAR radio and TV talk shows, Internet message boards,and in NASCAR-related blogs, but I feel it is worthy of being mentioned again.

The stats for the first three races of the 2010 NASCAR Nationwide series should be most disturbing. All three Nationwide races run so far this season have been won by Cup series regulars. The last several Nationwide championships have been won by Cup drivers. Almost every Nationwide race is won by a Cup driver. Why should NASCAR fans be bothered by it?

The main purpose of the Nationwide series,since its inception as the Busch series in 1982,has been to nurture up and coming talent and prepare drivers for the Cup series but the privilege of Cup drivers racing in the Nationwide series has been abused in recent years. This keeps out potential talent that will be needed in the Cup series in the future. Some argue that the presence of Cup drivers makes full-time non-Cup Nationwide regulars more competitive. That might be true up to a point but if too many Cup drivers are in the same Nationwide race,it does not make it very competitive for upstart drivers who are supposed to compete against each other for wins and open doors for themselves in the Cup series in the future.

Another argument is that Cup drivers help boost attendance at Nationwide series races. While NASCAR is a business and they obviously want to make as much money as possible,it's still unfair to up and coming drivers who have dreams of being the next Richard Petty,Tony Stewart,or Jeff Gordon. I have no objections to the presence of a few Cup drivers in each Nationwide series race but NASCAR should place restrictions on how many races a season Cup drivers race in the Nationwide series. NASCAR should make it restrictive enough to the point that they do not take too many points or too much money away from the full-time non-Cup Nationwide regulars.

Cup drivers must be reminded that it is the Nationwide series,not a practice session for Cup races. Also,the arrogant,condescending attitudes of some Cup drivers in the Nationwide series is very disturbing. How soon they forget that they were once seeking to fulfill a dream like the Nationwide regulars they belittle. Whether NASCAR is too timid or too greedy to do anything about it is a matter of debate. What's not debatable is that it is a problem and an issue NASCAR must do something about now if the Nationwide series,and perhaps NASCAR itself,is to have a future.