After five races into the 2016 season, select members of the Speedway Media staff take a look at the state of the XFINITY Series. Opinions vary, as they rate the series and discuss topics including the much-debated issue of Sprint Cup drivers competing in XFINITY races.
1) What grade would you give the XFINITY Series, from A to F, and why?
Joseph Shelton – Despite the fact that the XFINITY Series has more underdogs and up-and-comers than the Sprint Cup Series, I still rate the Series at a C-. I choose that rating because these days, the NASCAR XFINITY Series is a joke. Gone are the days of it being an individual division with its own identity. Rather, it’s a playground for the big guys to just get a paycheck and move on.
A disheartening statistic to look at regarding this season in the XFINITY Series has to do with laps led. During Saturday’s XFINITY event Fox put up a statistic stating that Kyle Busch has led over 600 laps in XFINITY competition this year. 600! Second on that list? Joey Logano with 40 laps. What’s sad about that is that Logano has only run Daytona this season. So yes, like I said, the XFINITY Series has gotten to be a joke.
Ron Fleshman – With only a few races in the books and after Fontana, I’d have to give the Xfinity Series a grade of D. The JGR cars are so dominant that no one really has a chance to beat them unless they have trouble.
Tucker White – I give it a D-, and it was bumped up from an F because of the race at Auto Club Speedway. The racing has just been absolutely atrocious.
Ed Coombs – I give it a grade B. The races have been entertaining, close and as entertaining as the Cup races.
2a) How do you feel about Sprint Cup drivers in the XFINITY Series?
Joseph Shelton – As a fan, I want them out. See above for one of the ridiculous reasons why. Also, look at the 2010 season. Thirty-Four of 35 events were won by Cup regulars. This isn’t a series where names are made. It stopped being that in the early 00s’.
Ron Fleshman – I think Sprint Cup drivers are needed in the series. Several years ago Martinsville Speedway held a Xfinity race in July. If the stars of Cup had been there, I’m sure there would have been more than 6,000 in the stands
Tucker White – I’ve always been on the fence when it came to Cup drivers being in the XFINITY Series. I used to reluctantly accept is because I thought it was helping the series with attendance and sponsorship. But the other day, I read a piece by Allen Gregory of the Bristol Herald-Courrier where he absolutely destroyed the arguments for Cup drivers being in the XFINITY Series. If Cup drivers were bringing in the viewers, attendance and sponsors the defenders claim, why are the stands always under half full, viewership barely breaking a million people and sponsors always going for Cup teams? That’s a long-winded version of saying they shouldn’t be.
Ed Coombs – Cup drivers should not be excluded from racing in any series that they’re qualified to race in.
2b) Does their value in bringing sponsors to the series outweigh the fact that they often overshadow the regulars?
Joseph Shelton – Honestly, I think this is a beaten, pointless argument right here. Sure, they bring money to the sport, I’ll concede that. But in all honesty, we know who the regulars are. NASCAR makes it a point to push the daylights out of those guys. We know who Daniel Suarez is, who Bubba Wallace is, who Ryan Reed is, who Erik Jones is, who Ty Dillon is, etc. They’re not hurting for exposure in the slightest.
Look at the early 00s’, or if you’re like me, the late 90s’. Then the Busch Series, NASCAR got along fine with their drivers then, as well as the sponsors. We knew who Dale Earnhardt Jr. was and who Matt Kenseth was. So for the argument to stand that “The XFINITY Series needs Cup drivers to bring in money,” it’s a moot point. Even if that were the case, there’s something wrong with the fact that in five events we’ve yet to have an XFINITY regular qualify for the “Chase.”
Ron Fleshman – Sponsorship is important and it is real that these developing drivers would not attract sponsors. JR Motorsports, Gibbs and Childress do well with this, but RFR usually has an unsponsored car out there. Of course, Hendrick satellite JR Motorsports, Childress, and Gibbs are using Cup drivers, so that may have a lot to do with it.
Tucker White – Given what I said for 2a, my answer is no.
Ed Coombs – It far outweighs any overshadowing of the “regulars.” Not only does it bring sponsors to the series it puts bodies in the stands. I am at a loss why there’s a push to limit cup drivers from racing in the lower touring series. What’s next, sprint and modified cars?
I had a conversation with Tad Geschickter (JTG Daugherty Racing) when he was making the decision to race at the Sprint Cup level and one of his main points was how costly it is to race at the XFINITY Series level. While there may be some rules at the competition level that save them money on tires, engines, etc., what about the costs just incurred for travel the last few weeks?
3) Does the series still have value as a proving ground for new drivers or has that role been changed or diminished in the last several years?
Joseph Shelton – I hate being a doomsayer here, but it’s diminished greatly. See above. Five events in 2016 – Kyle Busch has led over 600 laps and has won three events. Chase Elliott and Austin Dillon, both Sprint Cup regulars, have won the other two. Still waiting on a regular to break through – if they break through at all (once again, see the 2010 season).
Ron Fleshman – There is no doubt XFINITY has trained drivers to become Cup drivers as has the truck series. For example Elliott, Blaney, and Larson this year, and many others in the Cup field.
Tucker White – I’d say yes, but it’s far more diminished with Cup drivers winning nine out of 10 races.
Ed Coombs – I believe it is still a good proving ground. It exposes new drivers to new tracks. It is still a large stage. There are very few drivers that did not start in the lower series, albeit it with limited success. I recall Jeff Gordon, Tony Stewart, Matt Kenseth, Kasey Kahne and many others cutting their teeth in that series.
4) If you think the XFINITY Series needs changing, what would you change to increase its popularity and importance going forward?
Joseph Shelton – It’s been a popular series regardless of who was driving what, but I’ll put down a formula a pair of friends brought up.
- Sprint Cup drivers with less than two full seasons of Sprint Cup experience can make unlimited starts in the XFINITY Series.
- Drivers who made the Sprint Cup Chase the year before are limited to five XFINITY starts the next year.
- All other Sprint Cup drivers are limited to 10 XFINITY starts the next year.
Another idea that’s been brought up is to put Sprint Cup regulars in lower-quality cars while Sprint Cup owners are forbidden to own XFINITY rides. Both ideas are great. But another idea is to not have so many companion events. Bring back Nashville, Gateway, and Pikes Peak. Live a little – go back to Rockingham.
Ron Fleshman – Maybe it’s time to quit having Xfinity races on Cup weekends all the time, but I doubt that will ever happen. Limiting the number of races a Chase driver from Cup in the past year makes sense, but once again, that won’t happen. Other than that I do not see a solution.
I’m sure promoters and tracks would raise holy cane if they made either change.
Tucker White – How much time do you have? First, either get rid of Cup drivers or limit them to one or two starts. Finally, take the XFINITY Series to more standalone events. If the XFINITY Series is truly its own “national series” as NASCAR claims, then 85 percent of the XFINITY schedule shouldn’t consist of being a companion event to the Sprint Cup Series. I’m not saying you have to take the XFINITY Series back to tracks like South Boston or Myrtle Beach, although I’m not opposed to doing exactly that, but I can’t see how the XFINITY Series is now anything other than a feeder system for the Sprint Cup Series or Sprint Cup Lite.
Ed Coombs – I’d like to quiet the talking heads that want change in NASCAR and then complain that it changes too much.
Agree or disagree? Please share your thoughts in the comment section below.
