BUSCH LEAGUE IS GOING BIG TIME.Byline: Louis Brewster Some of the stiffest competition this weekend at the California Speedway The California Speedway is a two-mile, low-banked, D-shaped oval superspeedway in Fontana, California, similar to that of "sister track" Michigan International Speedway. It is located approximately 40 miles east of Los Angeles on the site of the former Kaiser Steel mill. is set for Friday afternoon - and it will have no impact on Sunday's featured race. And the reverse is also true. Some of the drivers who are expected to compete in the NAPA California 500 will also have a role in determining the winner of the Auto Club 300, the support race for the Busch Grand National series. There are 56 cars entered for Saturday's 150-lap race, and only 43 spots on the grid. Once considered the training ground for NASCAR's premier Winston Cup Series, the Busch series The NASCAR Busch Series is a stock car racing series owned and operated by NASCAR. It is NASCAR's "minor league" circuit (often compared to Triple-A baseball), and is a proving ground for drivers who wish to step up to the organization's "big league" circuit, the Nextel Cup. has blossomed into a fertile race of its own. The payout by Anheuser-Busch went from $650,000 in 1998 to $1.5 million this season. Saturday's purse at Fontana is a track-record $1,059,416. The bigger points' fund has attracted a greater number of Cup regulars, especially when the two series are part of the same weekend. This week's race marks the ninth doubleheader in 10 Busch races this year. And while the Busch series might be a training ground, it's also very lucrative for Cup regulars. As many as 16 Cup drivers will attempt to make Saturday's field. That's not good news for the Busch regulars. It is good news for the promoter, in this case the California Speedway; the influx of Cup regulars helps Saturday ticket sales, especially since Sunday is a sellout. ``We feel that the Busch Grand National is a very viable series that can go into areas and represent NASCAR NASCAR (National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing), organization that sanctions American stock-car races, est. 1948. It held its first race in Daytona Beach, Fla. very professionally,'' said Mike Helton Michael Helton is currently the president of the National Association of Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR). He replaced Bill France, Jr. in November 2000 as the company's third president. He was named the Chief Operating Officer of NASCAR in February 1999. , NASCAR president and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. . While there are stand-alone Busch races in Milwaukee, Nazareth (Pa.) and Nashville, doubleheaders are more common. The controversy is not limited to Fontana but has been on going since February and is fueled by media reports that imply Winston Cup regulars are taking championship points, money and headlines. Certainly the Busch series could stand on its own. It is bolstered by some of the top names in the sport - Earnhardt, Petty, Jarrett - and is home to drivers destined des·tine tr.v. des·tined, des·tin·ing, des·tines 1. To determine beforehand; preordain: a foolish scheme destined to fail; a film destined to become a classic. 2. to become household names History Formation (1998-2000) Household Names have been together since 1998, with various members rotating throughout the line-up with singer, Jason Garcia, until it was solidified in the summer of 2000 with bassist/keyboardist, Chris Peters, and drummer, C. J. of the future - Kenseth, Blaney and Dillon. Earnhardt is Dale Jr., the defending race and series champion. Adam Petty Adam Kyler Petty (July 10, 1980 – May 12, 2000) was an auto racing car driver. He was the first fourth-generation driver in NASCAR history. Early life Petty was born in High Point, North Carolina into stock car racing "royalty. is a fourth-generation NASCAR competitor whose father is Kyle Petty Kyle Eugene Petty (Born June 2, 1960 in Randleman, North Carolina) is an American NASCAR driver, the son and grandson of racing legends Richard Petty and Lee Petty, respectively. He drives the #45 Marathon Petroleum Company Dodge Charger for Petty Enterprises. . Richard Petty Richard Lee Petty (born July 2, 1937) is a former NASCAR Winston Cup Series driver. "The King," as he is nicknamed, is most well-known for winning the NASCAR Championship seven times (Dale Earnhardt is the only other driver to accomplish this feat),winning a record 200 races is his grandfather and Lee Petty Lee Petty (March 14, 1914 (near Randleman, North Carolina) - April 5, 2000) was an American stock car driver in the 1950s and 60s. He was one of the pioneers of NASCAR, and one of its first superstars. Career Lee Petty was thirty-five years old before he began racing. , one of the NASCAR pioneers, his great-grandfather. The same goes for Jason Jarrett
Jason Jarrett (born October 14, 1975) is a racer in the ARCA RE/MAX Series. His father, Dale, and grandfather Ned are former champions in NASCAR. , Dale Jarrett's son and Ned Jarrett's grandson. Matt Kenseth could very well make the jump to Winston Cup next year along with young Earnhardt, an old friend. Dave Blaney left sprint cars to race in NASCAR while Mike Dillon once substituted for Dale Earnhardt Sr. Randy LaJoie, a two-time Busch champion, is not a fan of seeing the older, more experienced and better-financed drivers in the Busch series. ``Shaquille O'Neal can't go back to college for the NCAA Tournament,'' LaJoie said. ``Let us have our series back.'' Young Earnhardt has mixed feelings. ``It's a double-edged sword. Of course it does cut into some of the Busch regulars' programs, especially guys with new teams this early in the season,'' said Earnhardt. ``It takes away from teams that don't qualify, have provisionals or aren't eligible for provisions.'' But competing with Cup regulars gave Earnhardt Jr. the skills to win the 1998 championship. ``I wouldn't be anywhere near the driver I am today if not for Mark Martin and Jeff Burton and those guys I raced against last year,'' said Earnhardt. ``I learned a ton from those guys and greatly benefited.'' Casey Atwood could be excused if he wants nothing to do with the Cup drivers. He's 18 years old, although he aged considerably after landing on top of his car and going for a wild ride in the season opener last February at Daytona. But Atwood, like Earnhardt, enjoys the competition. ``A lot of people don't like it, but I do,'' Atwood said. ``I want to learn all I can. The more I get behind those guys and race with those guys, the better off I'll be.'' Todd Bodine, winner of the inaugural Busch race in 1997, has a different perspective. He is using the series in an effort to return to Sunday racing. ``From the veteran side, I enjoy the competition,'' said Bodine. ``I was in Junior's shoes a few years ago and you learn from those guys on and off the track. They are the best of the best and can only make you better.'' Bodine also understands the dynamics of watching the less-experienced and lesser-financed teams go home after Friday's qualifying session. ``These young guys need the experience, but they can't get in the race. They can't get the experience,'' Bodine said. ``There is no real clear-cut answer to the problem.'' |
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