Kyle Busch wins the combined Camping World Series race at Iowa Getty Images/David Purdy
I don’t think it is news anymore that Kyle Busch won the big Camping World East/West Series race last Sunday at Iowa. I also don’t think it is news that this was the second biggest race of the season for those two developmental series. However there seems to be a question of why Kyle was in that race in the first place?
This is a race that can launch a NASCAR career. A win in this race could get a young up and coming driver a serious ride in one of the national divisions of NASCAR. So the question remains why was Kyle in this race in the first place.
Kyle is a guy who already got his chance, and after doing so and won 50 some races in the top three divisions of NASCAR. Winning a Camping World race does not augment his racing resume in any way. By the way he led 168 of the 200 laps and won the pole for this event.
It is clear that Kyle is better, and his equipment is better than the drivers competing in this series week in and week out.
Kyle literally stole a chance for one of these drivers to make a name for themselves. To put it more simply Cup drivers do not belong racing in these developmental leagues. It just isn’t fair, and steal the spotlight away from the up and comers of our sport.
Brian Ickler used a win in this race last year to help secure him a part time Truck ride this year, Austin Dillon, Aric Almirola, Trevor Bayne, and Peyton Sellers did much the same.
Matt Dibenedetto has done the same this year, using a win at Tri County Motor Speedway to get a shot in a Joe Gibbs nationwide car later this year. These are the drivers that should be the focus when the Cup series is off and in another racing market.
Again Kyle has stolen an opportunity from one of these young drivers, and may have set their career back some. These guys are not making millions of dollars a year, and their sponsors don’t have million dollar marketing plans supporting them. It is flat out wrong for Kyle to go and steal all that attention from them.
NASCAR needs a rule for this. Any driver with a cup win should not be allowed to race in the Camping World Series’. Any driver with five nationwide series wins should not be allowed to race in this series, and any driver with ten Truck series wins should not be allowed to race in these series’.
This would insure that the talent flowed upward in NASCAR, instead of one of the hottest drivers in the sport today coming down to steal a chance from someone else.
It is in NASCAR’s best interest to allow thee driver to develop into the stars of tomorrow. It is in the fans best interest to see these guys work their way up the racing ladder, and it is definitely in the sponsor’s best interest to allow their products to get a little attention when the Cup series has the day off.
Kyle has messed with the natural order of sports. I don’t see baseball stars, like Alex Rodriguez, using his day off from the Yankees to go and play and Double A game somewhere in the Mid West for his own personal glory do I?
Comments
Don't put all the blame on Kyle even though he seems to be everyones punching bag in this sports. Kevin Harvick raced there 2 years ago, and Kasey Kahne last year. Having these drivers at these races brings out a large crowd and gives exposure to the other drivers racing in these series. I am familiar with many of these names because of following races that these Nascar regulars raced in and will be looking for them to climb the ranks in the years to come.
Let them race as they seem so intent on running all classes, just take them out as they come thru the lapped cars. then take up a collection for the damage of whomever took 'em out
I am in total agreement with you on this...no driver in the upper divisions should be coming and taking the glory of a win from a regular series racer. I don't just mean Kyle...any of the guys who do this should be ashamed of themselves...and to take a car prepared by Gibbs was another over the top deal.
I agree. What exactly did he prove? It seems like a "bully on the playground" type of behavior. Oh, wait! He IS a bully. I guess he needed to do it to massage his already too large ego.
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