Backseat Blonde - Busch Series Getting Whacked

April 19, 2005

Busch Series Getting Whacked
By Allison Wagda

Flip around the TV dial on any given Saturday and you are
likely to stumble across a sight that may confuse you…a
NASCAR Nextel Cup star leading a stock car race. But
wait, isn’t the Cup race on Sunday?

Sure, most long-time fans would immediately figure out it
is a Busch Series event (those would be the fans NASCAR no longer cares about).
But take a moment to glance at the top 10 results of most of races so far this season
and you’ll notice few unrecognizable names. Why? The leaders are mostly
Buschwhackers – Cup stars invading the turf of those hoping to someday earn a
Cup ride.

While the Busch Series is intended to be a minor league feeder racing circuit, the
cars appear much the same as they speed by in a blur, the commentators focusing
on the few well-known stars while largely ignoring the rest of the field, the tracks
looking awfully familiar, and the races appearing on the same TV channels.

As if things aren’t confusing enough these days with a different racing schedule each
week.

The practice of Buschwhacking is nothing new. Cup drivers use the series to gain
information about the next day’s race, enjoy a little added publicity or even just to
have a little low-stress extracurricular racing adventure. Traditionally, it’s been a good
thing. It is fun watching our favorite Cup drivers race against the youngsters.
NASCAR gets higher ratings as more fans tune it, and regular Busch drivers get to
hone their skills against more seasoned drivers while seeking their own glory.

But it’s become too much. Cup stars are now overwhelming the series and turning
races into exhibition events and extended commercials for NASCAR’s premier
series.

Five out of seven Busch races so far this season have been won by a full-time Nextel
Cup driver. The Cup stars are dominating the top of the leader boards week after
week, relegating Busch hopefuls to followers rather than competitors.

Many of us watch the Busch Series because we get to see young drivers earn their
Darlington stripes. These days, the only time we get to see them is when they do in
fact run into the wall.

The commentators don’t help. Even as the season was just getting underway the
media seemed to pre-select a couple of Busch drivers from high-profile racing
teams as the only ones who mattered. I don’t believe those kids are even there to
earn their future; it’s already theirs to lose. They are simply preparing for a jump to
Cup, gaining track experience and building up a name so a sponsor will be happy. It
doesn’t even matter where they run on the track; they are still followed by the TV
crews.

Between the Cup stars and the pre-determined few, it is virtually impossible for any
independent Busch driver to get more than a spot on the ticker and possibly gain the
attention of a major team, let alone earn enough money to be able to compete over
the long run.

So either we accept the pre-fab stars of the future or get to listen to more overly
enthusiastic gushing of the same Cup stars with whom we are smothered every
Sunday. It’s gotten so repetitive it’s boring.

Perhaps this is NASCAR’s oh-so-gentle way of easing the fan base into a two-series
Cup league. Many have wondered how NASCAR (and, of course, International
Speedway Corp.) will expand, especially since the schedule is already just about at
its limit. Or maybe racing has become so dreadfully dull the only remaining
highlights are the personalities.

But whatever the reason, it’s time for the Busch Series to return to its former
glory…showcasing aggressive young kids hungry for their big break.

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