NASCAR takes huge step in fixing competition issue with driver participation limits
NASCAR took a huge step in addressing one of its biggest competition issues — the domination of Premier Series regulars in the XFINITY and Camping World Truck Series.
Wednesday morning, the sanctioning body announced that starting next year, “Premier Series drivers with more than five years of full-time experience will be eligible to compete in a maximum of 10 races in the XFINITY Series and seven races in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series.”
And Premier Series drivers — those racing for points in what this year is called the Sprint Cup Series — won’t be eligible to participate in Chase races in the XFINITY and Truck Series or the XFINITY Dash 4 Cash races.
About damned time.
Premier Series drivers in the lower two series has always been an issue, but it’s been exacerbated this year now that the XFINITY and Truck Series each have their own Chase.
In the XFINITY Series, 19 of 30 races this year have been won by Cup regulars. Cup regulars have also won two of the four XFINITY Chase races.
The Truck Series hasn’t been as bad, with Cup regulars accounting for only three victories in 19 races so far this year.
Still, this move is long overdue.
The presence of Cup drivers in the XFINITY races has caused something of an identity crisis for that series, which has used the slogan, “Where names are made.”
But it’s hard for young stars to make their names when guys like Kyle Busch, Joey Logano and Brad Keselowski win so often in NASCAR’s AAA division.
It was especially noticeable in the last two XFINITY Chase races, both of which were won by Cup regulars when Logano won at Charlotte and Busch won at Kansas.
Team owners have argued that the only way they can sell XFINITY sponsorships for young, up-and-coming drivers is to bundle those deals with Cup drivers in races. Well, 10 races ought to be plenty to satisfy sponsors.
And now the XFINITY guys can showcase their talent more without having to worry about constantly being overshadowed by the big boys.
You can argue that that’s the way it should have been all along, but at least the problem will be fixed next year.
