Harvick to 'Buschwhacker' critics: Quit griping

[Team Infidel]

Kevin Harvick is one of 24 drivers attempting to run in both the Busch Series and Nextel Cup events this weekend at Michigan. With the record number of "Buschwhackers" at Michigan, Harvick knows there will be talk about limiting the Cup drivers in the Busch Series. And he's going to have none of it. "They need to quit griping and start learning how to win," Harvick said. "That's what all of us had to do. This is not something that's new. It's just something that's more widespread through the media. "There's a couple of them that gripe about it more than others that have been here for a while that seem like they're on the coast-and-collect program so they just need to figure out how to win races and run better. That'd be what I would do." Harvick leads Carl Edwards by 443 points in the standings. The top six drivers in the standings are Nextel Cup regulars. "When I came in, Mark Martin was pretty much kicking everybody's butt, Jeff Burton [was also good]," Harvick said. "They were winning races and it wasn't really that big of a deal and now it's a big deal it seems like. "I've always been the type that if you get beat you need to figure out why. That's what I would do if I was them instead of worrying about how we can try to be more competitive with getting rid of people. That's not really the answer to things."(SceneDaily.com)

 

[AJChenMPH]

I guess the issue that NASCAR should address is the perception and the intent of the Busch Series: is it the minor-league training series to the Cup series? Or is it a separate, but lower-cost series? If it's the former, then Cup drivers should not be allowed to drive in it, period -- have you ever seen a Major League Baseball player deliberately play in minor league games to keep the minor league team in contention? But if it's the latter, then anything's fair game.

 

[Team Infidel]

No, it is turning out to be the test for Cup. Since NASCAR reduced the number of tests for Cup, they are using the Busch series to get around that.

 

[AJChenMPH]

Yessir, from the drivers' and teams's point of view -- and drivers will tell you that any additional seat time is valuable. I'm just saying that from NASCAR's POV, they need to make that decision first (minor league series vs. independent series), then decide where to go from there.

 

[bigcanada813]

the way i see it, having cup regulars run the busch series gives those busch regulars a taste of what to expect if they make it into the nextel cup. i'm all for the way it's set up now, keeps the cup guys in tune, and gives the busch guys practice against the big leagers.

also, if people are raising such a stink over cup drivers in the busch series, why don't they say things when drivers like Martin and Kyle Busch run in the truck series?