JEFF GLUCK

NASCAR comes up short with rules limiting Cup drivers in lower series

Jeff Gluck
USA TODAY Sports
NASCAR will limit the number of races Cup Series drivers can run in lower-tier series in 2017.

NASCAR took another step toward improving the competition in its lower series Wednesday, but the new rules don’t go far enough.

Fans have been screaming for years about Cup Series drivers coming into the Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series and dominating the races. When combining their talent and experience with top-tier rides, the Cup guys often are unbeatable and stink up the show.

Before this season, NASCAR made a tiny change – it banned experienced Cup drivers from participating in the lower series season finales at Homestead-Miami Speedway as it rolled out a playoff format that would crown the winner there, similar to what it has done in its premier series. Now officials have made a bigger move, though it still won’t solve the problem.

The new rules: Cup drivers with more than five years of experience can race 10 Xfinity races and seven Truck races per year, but those races cannot be during the Chase, the regular-season finale or the Xfinity “Dash 4 Cash” races.

So what does that mean for next year? It keeps Kyle Busch, Brad Keselowski and Joey Logano from overshadowing NASCAR’s self-described next generation of drivers during the Xfinity Chase, for example -- but it doesn’t dramatically alter the course of the series.

Busch still will probably dominate the 10 Xfinity races he runs, and all the Cup drivers will be spread out through the course of the regular season. Team owners could then turn to other drivers like Matt Kenseth or Denny Hamlin to pick up the other races, meaning they’ll still be Cup-heavy at the front of the field.

Those drivers won't run during the Chase, but there’s still a chance for guys like Kyle Larson or Austin Dillon - who are outside the five-year experience window - to overshadow the playoff. The only true Xfinity/Truck-only races will be the championship, where drivers collecting Cup points cannot run.

So once again, NASCAR is inching toward a goal – eliminating Cup drivers from the lower series - instead of simply addressing the problem once and for all.


Follow Gluck on Twitter @jeff_gluck