Earlier this year I was doing this fairly regularly. Then I began to blog other things. But recent discussions with JJ have brought this back to mind so I thought I might do it again.
Hey, this is simple. I am not going to make it complicated like JJ does. He can try to baffle you with ####. I just want to show you something that might make you go huh, interesting.
Let's update this a bit though. In order to be consistent with previously expressed views, let's say that NASCAR goes with 11 four-car Nextel Cup teams. Then let's ban the top 44 drivers from the Busch Series so young guns or old dogs can have those seats. So what do we have?
For now let's look at the current Busch standings and simply extricate the top 44 Cup drivers from the field. Then we can see what is left and consider it to be what a potential Busch field might look like if there were no Cup drivers allowed in it. I am going to call it "The Busch Class Standings."
Jason Leffler
Bobby Hamilton Jr.
Stephen Leicht
Mike Wallace
Marcos Ambrose
Scott Wimmer
Steve Wallace
Regan Smith
Kyle Krisiloff
Shane Huffman
Brent Sherman
Mike Bliss
Ward Burton
Todd Kluever
Aric Almirola
Eric McClure
Jon Wood
Brad Keselowski
Jason Keller
Brad Coleman
Robert Richardson II
Kelly Bires
Kevin Hamlin
Timothy Peters
Danny O'Quinn Jr.
Stanton Barrett
Cale Gale
Justin Diercks
Richard Johns
Morgan Shephard
Chase Miller
Brett Rowe
D. J. Kennington
Sam Hornish Jr.
Ron Hornaday
Bobby East
Curtis Davis
Derrike Cope
Kevin Conway
Timothy McCreadie
David Green
Todd Bodine
Mark Green
Guys, if you are real race fans, you have to admit, that would be a really cool field.
Jason Leffler was your Busch Class winner tonight in the Diamond Hill Plywood 200 at Darlington Raceway. Leffler finished 6th overall in a good showing for Toyota. And boy did they need it. Regan Smith was second in the Ginn Resorts Chevrolet, 12th overall. And Jason Keller made a most excellent return to the Busch Series finishing third in class and 14th overall.
Oh yeah, Denny Hamlin won the race followed by Mark Martin and Carl Edwards. But they are Buschwackers and that's another story. You can read about Denny Elsewhere. Love him in Cup. But here he is just another wacker.
Carl Edwards raced to his second consecutive NASCAR Busch Series victory, easily winning the Pepsi 300 in chilly conditions Saturday at Nashville Superspeedway to extend his lead in the season standings. The Nextel Cup driver led the final 25 laps and crossed the finish line 4.7 seconds ahead of David Reutimann. Dave Blaney, who was involved in an early fracas, rallied to finish third. Jason Leffler was fourth, followed by Regan Smith.
More interesting to this writer was the fact that we finally got to look at a true Busch Series Race. Yes there were a few Cup drivers and Edwards won. But Edwards is running the full season so I am down with that.
And Cup regulars won second and third place today. But Reutimann and Blaney are by no means NASCAR giants. Don't get me wrong, that's not smack. I like both guys.
Then there was Leffler and Smith, true Busch guys in fourth and fifth. Yes Smith is driving Cup for Ginn Racing when Mark Martin is practicing retirement. But that is by no means full time Cup. And I have no problem with that. Word is Leffler will attempt a few Cup races with members of the old ppc racing team too. Good for them. They know they aren't likely to win, they are doing it for the fun of it.
And look at the standings. We have pure Busch racers in spots 6 through 10.
Sixth is Marcos Ambrose Jr. He is a little wary of his Busch skills but was glad to have his family join up with him this week for most of the remainder of the season.
Bobby Hamilton Jr. promised to move to the top of the "Busch" guys and he did that today. Only Ambrose is ahead of him by Hamilton's definition of "Busch." Hamilton is seventh in the points.
Shane Huffman, he of USAR Hooters Pro Cup fame and a true up and comer, just wait and see, is up to eighth
Mike Wallace holds onto ninth after a rougher day today in the Geico gecko car. Yes Mike runs some Cup races but he doesn't kid himself about being a Cup racer these days. However, I do think that cousin Warren of his is scaring him.
And Stephen Leicht had a good run today and moves up to 10th.
Cheers! For Busch drivers. Head for the Mountains!
"But all this must be suffered by those who profess the stern order of chivalry" Most Interesting Blog, June 16, 2008 and six other occasions. Lisa awarded him Best "breaking news" blogger March 31, 2008. Blog of The Day, Christmas Day, 2007. edhardiman wrote, "Falco's tribute to Rocket Richard reminds us all the stars of today stand on the shoulders of giants..." October 23, 2007. Three Golden Swirrly p00p Awards (Hockey, NASCAR and Use of Graphics), FlyingPig, July 18, 2007. 2007 Memorial Day Weekend Trifecta sponsored by williamwilman . Featured on WFORacingFans April, 2007. "Stylin'" award, Dusty, February 07. "One of ten new bloggers to watch" Dudski, January 2007.
