Motorsports 2006

A Buschwhacky situation

More Nextel Cup drivers hone their skills by keeping one foot - or sometimes both - in the second-tier Busch Series.

By MIKE READLING
Published February 17, 2006

It didn't take long for Carl Edwards to leave his mark on the Nextel Cup circuit. One year, to be exact.

In that time Edwards burst onto the Nextel Cup scene and immediately positioned himself atop the driver's standings. After his four post-victory backflips, almost $5-million in winnings and a tie for second in points last season, everyone wants to emulate the 25-year old.

Edwards credits a large part of his success to running all but one race on the Busch Series schedule, in addition to the 36-race Nextel Cup schedule. It made for some long weekends - especially when the two series were racing in different states - but the added seat time and chance to run what amounted to an extra 300 miles each weekend on tracks that were new to him proved to be a big boon.

"It helped me a bunch of ways," Edwards said. "The first thing was I got to race more. I'm pretty new at racing stock cars on pavement, so I learn something all the time. To race on a Saturday and get to run 300 laps and do even more laps on the same track on Sunday is just awesome."

Much like anything else a successful driver does, Edwards' strategy didn't go unnoticed in the garage area. Seven Nextel Cup drivers are slated to run the entire Busch season, including four Cup rookies: J.J. Yeley, Reed Sorenson, Denny Hamlin and Clint Bowyer.

Those numbers are way up from last season when Edwards was the only Nextel Cup driver to drive the entire Busch season. Greg Biffle, who tied for second with Edwards in Cup points, drove 27 of the Busch 35 races and three other Cup drivers started a majority of the races.

Called "Buschwhackers" because they swoop in only on weekends when the Busch and Nextel Cup series are at the same track, 15 other Nextel Cup drivers started at least 10 races in the second-tier series last season.

"Busch racing is so fun to me because there's no points involved and I can go race and try to win, take chances," said Elliott Sadler, a Nextel regular who drove 16 Busch races in 2005. "We might make it on gas, we might not."

That style of thinking seems to be changing, though.

Many drivers, especially younger ones, are looking to hone their skills - and if they have to fly back and forth from Nashville to Pocono during a race weekend, that's what they'll do.

"I think the main challenge will be running 800 miles every weekend, but I'm looking forward to it," Sorenson said. "I think I needed to run both, just being a (Busch series) rookie last year. There'll be times when I wish I hadn't done it, but I needed to do it so I'll live with the decision."

Dale Earnhardt Jr. echoed the sentiments of something that sounds like a good plan, but could become a distraction as fatigue sets in late in the season.

"I think it's really fun to run the Busch race but, at the same time, it was a great idea when you planned it six months ago," Earnhardt said. "So I don't really think it sounds like a whole lot of fun to me and mot really a blast. But, I do know for sure, running Busch races is better for your performance and your knowledge and preparation toward your Cup car on Sunday and also with tires changing every year, every race for that matter."

Still Earnhardt said he negotiated his number of Busch races in 2006 from 14 down to seven.

"I'm definitely not doing a full Busch Series schedule," he said. "I'm not Carl Edwards, I'm not that strong."

[Last modified February 16, 2006, 09:46:05]