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The Messenger-Inquirer Jake Jennings Column: Jake Jennings

Posted on: Thursday, 9 March 2006, 18:00 CST

By Jake Jennings, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.

Mar. 9--Forget the talk about top-tier NASCAR drivers running Busch Series races to get more seat time or to test different setups for the next day's Nextel Cup event.

Nope, the flood of Nextel Cup drivers coming into the Busch Series comes down to money.

Purses and points fund money are up, and Nextel Cup team owners and drivers want a piece of that. The smaller, independent Busch teams are feeling the squeeze.

That includes Brewco Motorsports Inc. based in Central City.

"Buschwackers," the term for Nextel Cup drivers who also compete in Busch races, have always been around, mostly on doubleheader weekends when the two series run at the same track.

But that has changed. This year, there are seven Nextel Cup drivers who will run the full Busch schedule. BMI president Todd Wilkerson said that could go up to nine.

It used to be the Busch Series was the minor leagues of Cup racing. Talented drivers hooked up with a Busch team, then moved on to Cup if the results were there.

Not any more. Drivers Reed Sorenson, Clint Bowyer, J.J. Yeley, Kyle Busch have full-time Cup rides. Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin and Carl Edwards will also run the full Busch Series season.

"They're not developing talent now," Wilkerson said. "These guys are already in Cup. There's no reason for these guys to be running Busch. It's greed on their part and greed on the part of the owners."

There are two types of "Buschwackers." There are Nextel Cup drivers, like Harvick and Owensboro native Michael Waltrip, who own their own Busch teams.

Then there are the powerful multiteam Nextel Cup owners who run Busch teams out of their shops. Those operations, Jack Roush, Rick Hendrick, Richard Childress, Chip Ganassi and others, have the money, the employees and technology to field Busch teams that have so far dominated the first three races this year.

Tony Stewart won the Busch opener at Daytona in a car owned by Harvick. Roush's Greg Biffle won at California as Cup drivers swept the top 10 spots. It's no surprise Joe Gibbs is leading the Busch Series owner points after Mexico City with his two Busch drivers -- Hamlin and Yeley.

"I don't mind running against Kevin Harvick Inc.," Wilkerson said. "It's running against Roush, Hendrick and Childress; that's where we run into problems.

"You'll never get 40 Cup guys to run the Busch Series. They like their time off, but I do mind nine of them running the full schedule."

Wilkerson estimated the Nextel Cup drivers would cost BMI $200,000 this season. BMI's two-car team includes estimated race winnings and points fund earnings, Wilkerson said.

The independent Busch teams have complained loudly to NASCAR about the "Buschwackers," but the sanctioning body hasn't made any moves to curb the Nextel Cup drivers, and probably won't, despite complaints.

Including those from BMI.

"We do, but it's a dead subject," Wilkerson said. "It's not going to happen, and I don't think they want it to happen. I can't say as I blame them. I think (fans) want to see Jeff Gordon and Dale (Earnhardt) Jr. running the day before because it sells tickets."

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Copyright (c) 2006, Messenger-Inquirer, Owensboro, Ky.

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Source: Messenger-Inquirer

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