Edwards on NNS racing

M

MoMike

Guest
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Carl Edwards plans to run every race in NASCAR's second-tier Nationwide Series despite not being able to contend for the championship.

NASCAR is changing its rules this year, forcing drivers to select one series in which they will race for a championship.

That leaves drivers such as Edwards and Brad Keselowski, who race full-time in the Nationwide and Sprint Cup series, no longer able to compete for titles in both divisions.

The revision presumably fills NASCAR's desire to give the second-tier series its own identity.

Edwards, though, plans to continue racing both series.

He says Thursday that the Nationwide owners' championship and race victories make it worthwhile. Edwards adds that his plan could change based on "whatever looks best for our Cup program."


I guess some guys just can't take a hint.
MoMike
 
I don't blame it all on the drivers. I also hold the sponsor and NA__AR itself responsible.

With the declining ratings and nothing indicating that things will get any better this season, I think that NA__AR has now entered a panic mode, where the mantra will be, "Do something, even if it's completely wrong!" It's kind of like the old rhyme:

"When in trouble,
Or in doubt,
Run in circles,
Scream,
And shout."
 
John Galt said:
I don't blame it all on the drivers. I also hold the sponsor and NA__AR itself responsible.

With the declining ratings and nothing indicating that things will get any better this season, I think that NA__AR has now entered a panic mode, where the mantra will be, "Do something, even if it's completely wrong!" It's kind of like the old rhyme:

"When in trouble,
Or in doubt,
Run in circles,
Scream,
And shout."
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The ratings for cup races have been falling off for about five years but the TV ratings for the trucks and NNW series were up last year.

When did the chase start?

Fools ball and baseball have also been falling over the last few years.
 
Smoke14 said:
The ratings for cup races have been falling off for about five years but the TV ratings for the trucks and NNW series were up last year.

When did the chase start?

Fools ball and baseball have also been falling over the last few years.
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If you mean NFL football, they set a new record for ratings this year.
 
Maybe a rule that states a cup driver cannot earn owners, or driver points in the division.
Carl, and Brad can have a trophy, and money, but Jack, and Roger have to run a NNS regular to earn points.
I promise you the cup regulars would become extinct in a hurry.
MoMike
 
BobbyFord said:
Take the Cup drivers out of the Nationwide Series and the series will not last a year.
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How did it ever survive before the Cup Raiders began to come over en mass?

I remember that the series did pretty well from 1982 until 2001, when Harvick ran both series full time. It had its own schedule and own identity and the series had a pretty good following and was an actual developmental series for future Cup drivers. Whenever a Cup driver ran a BGN race (almost always in either the driver's own car or for a BGN team owner) I can't remember any complaints.

Then, after the Cup Raiders arrived on the scene, we now hear talk about the series folding if the Raider leave. Sorry. I just don't buy it. But, that's just me...
 
John Galt said:
How did it ever survive before the Cup Raiders began to come over en mass?

I remember that the series did pretty well from 1982 until 2001, when Harvick ran both series full time. It had its own schedule and own identity and the series had a pretty good following and was an actual developmental series for future Cup drivers. Whenever a Cup driver ran a BGN race (almost always in either the driver's own car or for a BGN team owner) I can't remember any complaints.

Then, after the Cup Raiders arrived on the scene, we now hear talk about the series folding if the Raider leave. Sorry. I just don't buy it. But, that's just me...
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I don't buy it either. Honestly Nationwide needs to be a "feeder" series, where young talent can sharpen their teeth before moving up to the Cup series. I mean are there even any rookies starting in the 2011 Cup series?
 
SpeedPagan said:
I don't buy it either. Honestly Nationwide needs to be a "feeder" series, where young talent can sharpen their teeth before moving up to the Cup series. I mean are there even any rookies starting in the 2011 Cup series?
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I think Stevie Wallace might be the only one? BUT, that's not BGN's fault. IT's a product of NA__AR allowing the number of team owners to dwindle to Hendrick, Roush, Childress, Gibbs, Penske and Ganassi. There just aren't any openings for rookies this year.
 
SpeedPagan said:
I don't buy it either. Honestly Nationwide needs to be a "feeder" series, where young talent can sharpen their teeth before moving up to the Cup series. I mean are there even any rookies starting in the 2011 Cup series?
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Stephen Wallace is just running Daytona so far and Brian Kezelowski is supposed to be putting a deal together but that's it so far.
 
John Galt said:
How did it ever survive before the Cup Raiders began to come over en mass?

I remember that the series did pretty well from 1982 until 2001, when Harvick ran both series full time. It had its own schedule and own identity and the series had a pretty good following and was an actual developmental series for future Cup drivers. Whenever a Cup driver ran a BGN race (almost always in either the driver's own car or for a BGN team owner) I can't remember any complaints.

Then, after the Cup Raiders arrived on the scene, we now hear talk about the series folding if the Raider leave. Sorry. I just don't buy it. But, that's just me...
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Good point, I don't see it folding either, in fact if they did leave I think just the opposite would happen.
 
John Galt said:
How did it ever survive before the Cup Raiders began to come over en mass?

I remember that the series did pretty well from 1982 until 2001, when Harvick ran both series full time. It had its own schedule and own identity and the series had a pretty good following and was an actual developmental series for future Cup drivers. Whenever a Cup driver ran a BGN race (almost always in either the driver's own car or for a BGN team owner) I can't remember any complaints.

Then, after the Cup Raiders arrived on the scene, we now hear talk about the series folding if the Raider leave. Sorry. I just don't buy it. But, that's just me...
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Times change. This isn't 1982. This isn't the same NASCAR of 1982 nor is it the same fanbase. Perhaps you haven't noticed the grandstands at a Nationwide race lately :confused: How many of the people in the grandstands are there to root on a Nationwide-only driver? My guess is not too many.
 
BobbyFord said:
Times change. This isn't 1982. This isn't the same NASCAR of 1982 nor is it the same fanbase. Perhaps you haven't noticed the grandstands at a Nationwide race lately :confused: How many of the people in the grandstands are there to root on a Nationwide-only driver? My guess is not too many.
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perhaps the fans left, in part, because of the raiders. the bgn had a distinct following apart from winston cup. maybe they liked it that way. why watch a cup lite race with little chance of your favorite driver finishing in the top 5?
 
SlowNeasy said:
perhaps the fans left, in part, because of the raiders. the bgn had a distinct following apart from winston cup. maybe they liked it that way. why watch a cup lite race with little chance of your favorite driver finishing in the top 5?
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BINGO! Race fans aren't stupid. They know a sham when they see one. This is the exact reason why viewing figures are UP in the CTS and down in Cup. The viewers see more actual racing in the truck series. If Harick and Shrub continue to drive in the truck series and run rough shod over its regulars, we'll see the numbers in that series fall also.

To give Bobby Ford credit he is 100% correct in that the NASCAR fan of 1982 is different from the NA__AR fan of today. One of the main reasons is that the car was viewed differently thirty years ago than it is today. I, personally, believe that many of the twenty- and thirty-something crowd, and the poeple who have recently "found" NA__AR, will be glad when we old time fans just give up on the sport and quit following and commenting on it completely. We are a constant reminder of something they just don't relate to.
 
Here's my problem with Edwards' running the whol series. Carl, there might be another Carl Edwards out there that needs a shot at the big time. That shot could possibly come in the form of an NNS ride. But that kid can't get it now, cause you dcided you have to run the whole season.

These cup guys (and the owners that do it as well) and hurting the sport in the long run because they're taking up spots in the ladder and not using the series for what it should be, a rug along the way to the top....not just a personal playground for themselves because they can.
 
I agree VA, but his profession is a race car driver and hes gotta make a living. I know they make a good living just driving cup. But if someone is offering to pay you to do your job its hard to turn down the easy cash when you want to bring home a check. And again i realize they are making millions but Carl seems like hes still in that short track state of mind where its do what i gotta do to bring home a check.
 
BobbyFord said:
Times change. This isn't 1982. This isn't the same NASCAR of 1982 nor is it the same fanbase. Perhaps you haven't noticed the grandstands at a Nationwide race lately :confused: How many of the people in the grandstands are there to root on a Nationwide-only driver? My guess is not too many.
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Yes exactly because they can only relate to the Cup drivers who compete in that series. It is a viscious circle, if you allow Cup drivers in....how many do you allow, how often, do you allow them to compete for the Championship???? It is a snowball effect, the only way to give Nationwide it's Identity only allow up and comers with no Cup experience what so ever. That series would suffer for awhile, but IMO wouldn't die, then would get back to being the feeder series it once was and should be.
 
BobbyFord said:
Times change. This isn't 1982. This isn't the same NASCAR of 1982 nor is it the same fanbase. Perhaps you haven't noticed the grandstands at a Nationwide race lately :confused: How many of the people in the grandstands are there to root on a Nationwide-only driver? My guess is not too many.
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The cup races have tons of empty seats as well.
 
sloggie said:
Ban the cup guys and the first thing you lose in all the sponsors. It's tough to run a series without them.
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No, more sponsors for the NWS guys, those cars that the Cup guys now drive would not be occupied, granted some would pull out, but there still would be rides open. So what if they don't field 43, 36 quality rides would be better than watching Cup guys dominate every week.
 
Mopardh9 said:
No, more sponsors for the NWS guys, those cars that the Cup guys now drive would not be occupied, granted some would pull out, but there still would be rides open. So what if they don't field 43, 36 quality rides would be better than watching Cup guys dominate every week.
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And, there possibility that there could be a couple sponsors out there that would come in if they didnt have to pay the higher prices required by the cup stars.
 
Mopardh9 said:
No, more sponsors for the NWS guys, those cars that the Cup guys now drive would not be occupied, granted some would pull out, but there still would be rides open. So what if they don't field 43, 36 quality rides would be better than watching Cup guys dominate every week.
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You are thinking like a Racer and not a businessman. Sponsors want big names and exposure. You don't get then when no one knows who is racing. Nationwide won't stick around without the cup guys.

In the end, it's going to be the Cup guys can race, but won't get championship points. I think it could be pretty awesome to watch guys go for broke because they don't have to points race.
 
sloggie said:
You are thinking like a Racer and not a businessman. Sponsors want big names and exposure. You don't get then when no one knows who is racing. Nationwide won't stick around without the cup guys.

In the end, it's going to be the Cup guys can race, but won't get championship points. I think it could be pretty awesome to watch guys go for broke because they don't have to points race.
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You seem to be confusing Cup guys race from time to time in the series, to EVERY FRIGGIN RACE. Face it, the series might as well fold now, because it's no longer the Nationide series anyway. It's pretty much Sprint Cup Lite now. I'd be upset if I owned Nationwide, laid out all those dollars for a series that was dominated by guys with Sprint stickers everywhere.
 
VaDirt said:
You seem to be confusing Cup guys race from time to time in the series, to EVERY FRIGGIN RACE. Face it, the series might as well fold now, because it's no longer the Nationide series anyway. It's pretty much Sprint Cup Lite now. I'd be upset if I owned Nationwide, laid out all those dollars for a series that was dominated by guys with Sprint stickers everywhere.
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Are you kidding? Nationwide loves having those well known Cup guys. Hell, if I see one more Dale Jr insurance add I'm going to throw up. Toss out the cup guys and you think Nationwide is going to run an ad campaign featuring some driver no one has heard of?

They will jump ship faster than you can say "Brian France is an idiot"
 
sloggie said:
Are you kidding? Nationwide loves having those well known Cup guys. Hell, if I see one more Dale Jr insurance add I'm going to throw up. Toss out the cup guys and you think Nationwide is going to run an ad campaign featuring some driver no one has heard of?

They will jump ship faster than you can say "Brian France is an idiot"
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Again, there's a difference between them running time to time and every race. The NWS guys love having the Cup drivers race, but not every race. While Marty Reid and ESPN2 do a good job talking about the non-Cup guys, the Cup guys still get all the exposure and sponsorships.

The series would not fold without Cup drivers. ARCA drivers find sponsors -- you know why? Because the Cup guys aren't there... and it makes less sense to sponsor an ARCA car.

If the Cup guys remain in Nationwide, they'll get all the sponsors and all the money. Sure, some sponsors would leave, but others would come in if the Cup drivers left and they might take a chance on some young talent... happens in ARCA and in short track racing across America.
 
VaDirt said:
And, there possibility that there could be a couple sponsors out there that would come in if they didnt have to pay the higher prices required by the cup stars.
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This nailed it.

Plenty of sponsored vehicles in ARCA and Trucks. Why would it be any different if the Cup guys were ousted from Nationwide?
 
Not to mention you get some of the cooler sponsors coming in that some relate to more. Like Gun Broker.com and a few others that are on the truck rides.
 
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