Sprint Cup Drivers Take on Nationwide

Bristol, Tennessee: August 2010
There is a difference between Nationwide racing and Sprint Cup racing.

Nationwide, once known as Busch series, is a division usually set up for the new guys (*plz see comment below for more info.) You can race in Nationwide as long as you want; rumor has it, you can skip the series but I haven't heard of a driver that has. It's a chance to get started in racing stock cars. Danica Patrick has been racing Indy Cars for a few years and now, she's in the Nationwide series for Junior Motorsports this year; looks like she'll be racing again in 2011.

Sprint Cup Series is for the elite. The best of the best (and the richest) drivers qualify for this race. They are the most paid and the most popular; they even get big sponsors like Budweiser, DuPont, National Guard, M&M, Fed Ex, UPS and others.

On Friday night, it seemed as though many Sprint Cup drivers took on the Nationwide race in Bristol, Tennessee.

Is it fair that the best of the best take on the new guys?

I guess it depends. I do know baseball players often go back to the minor league teams to brush up on their skills, I assume the same can be said for race car drivers.

There are several divisions of NASCAR; Truck, Stock Nationwide & Sprint Cars and Whalen Modified.

Kyle Busch races trucks and Nationwide as well as Sprint.

The Whalen Modified series is a different car. One unique car with a fast motor. Guys like Rob Summers, my friend and niece's Godfather, and brother-in-law (owner of NUSKOOL RACE ENGINES) race in the Modified series. My brother- in-law even builds motor's for these cars for a living. Now and then, a Sprint Cup driver, like Ryan Newmen will race a Modified car. In New Hampshire, last June 26th, it was Newmen who won the Modified race.

On July 3rd, Dale Earnhardt Junior raced a special run in Daytona. He decided to do a Family Reunion of sorts and drove his late father's legendary #3 car; he even took on the Wrangler sponsor with the blue and yellow scheme. He won that race.

Friday, Dale Junior raced the Junior Motorsports number 88 Real Tree car in the Nationwide Race in Bristol.

A lot of Sprint Cup drivers took the track this Friday. Joey Logano; Kasey Kahne; Kyle Busch; Brad Keselowski; Carl Edwards; Ryan Newman, Elliott Sadler were also among the Cup drivers to take the field.

On Friday, Tony Eury, also known as Pops to Jr and Jr Nation, was Dale Junior's crew chief. He used to be Dale's crew chief when he raced the #8 car for DEI (his dad's company Dale Earnhardt Inc.). Dale started 34th and was lapped twice. Then he got free pass to get back on the leader lap and kept on driving forward.

Kasey Kahne was caught in a corner and didn't have anywhere to go but up against the wall with two wheels. After a quick trip to the infield care center, he came out alright but didn't get to finish the race.

Ryan Newmen slammed into the wall pretty hard and finished somewhere around 37th.

Kyle, Carl and Brad battled it out for first during the 120th or so laps.

Dale Junior made it to the top 5 by lap 218.

Somewhere along the race, I lost Dale Junior's radio and suddenly, I felt lost.

Sure it's cool that Twitter updates from fans and Journalists were keeping me in the loop and I was hearing the excitement on my cell phones PRN radio but I was missing it. Of course, it was a race that he was doing well in and then...I hear there's a spin out; was it Junior?

He did not spin out; he was racing hard with Joey Logano, also known as JoLo or #20 and JoLo spun around and got back on track. The other drivers crashed and caused a bit of a mess.

Twenty three laps to go and he (Dale Jr.) was 2nd. To think he started out shitty, he was lapped twice and now he's about to win.

In the end, Kyle Busch once again won the race; it was his second win this week. He won on Wednesday in the Truck series. Like him or hate him, he is one hell of a driver, in many divisions.

Dale Junior finished 4th. Let's hope his race and finish is just as strong in the Sprint Cup Series this Saturday night in Bristol.

*UPDATE*

Saturday night's race started with Jimmie Johnson on the pole and ended with Kyle Busch winning his 3rd race of the week, NASCAR's first sweep in history.

Dale Junior finished 13th with Jeff Gordon ahead of him in 12th position.