Nationwide Series teams expect that NASCAR will allow Sprint Cup drivers to compete in as many Nationwide races as they want next year, but that they will not earn points toward the series championship. NASCAR has not announced the change, but Nationwide owners believe that when a driver applies for his NASCAR license prior to the season, the driver must declare whether he is racing for points in Cup, Nationwide or the Truck Series. “I don’t think the Cup guys are going to be getting points at all if they’re running the Nationwide Series,” team owner Rusty Wallace said last week. “Once they get their license, they’re going to have to commit, do you want your points in the Nationwide Series, do you want your points in the Truck Series or do you want your points in the Cup Series? That’s just a guess.” It’s a guess confirmed by other Nationwide team owners and the most likely scenario, according to NASCAR sources. NASCAR Chairman Brian France said an announcement would be made in January about the exact changes. The last five years have seen full-time Cup drivers win the Nationwide title ‘Â Kevin Harvick, Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, Kyle Busch and Brad Keselowski. Only two races last year were not won by Cup regulars ‘Â Justin Allgaier at Bristol and Boris Said at Montreal. Keselowski and Edwards say they are committed to run full schedules next year, not just to their sponsors but to the crews that work on the cars (SceneDaily)(11-25-2010)
