Scott's Pit Box: It's Time for NASCAR To Cut Cup Drivers from Xfinity, Truck Racing

I hear the biggest excuse why Sprint Cup drivers are racing in the NASCAR Xfinity Series are they provide sponsorship for teams.  The fact is sponsors can put their money on an up and coming star like Napa did with Chase Elliott, or AdvoCare did with Trevor Bayne.  It doesn't take sponsoring a big name guy like Kyle Busch to get your company splattered on the TV screen on Saturday's.

I look at the four races that Kyle Busch has ran this season and his numbers are outrageous.  He's won 3 of 4 races, he's led 626 of 713 laps he's competed in.  His average finish is 1.2, and people wonder why fans are bickering for him not to race?  I don't want to see a major league guy coming down to the NASCAR Xfinity Series and rotting up the show.  There are so many talented kids that are racing in the series that should be getting attention on Saturday's that Busch is taking away from when he races, that this needs to stop.

It isn't just Kyle Busch.  It's Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Joey Logano, Austin Dillon and many more.  If you've raced in the Sprint Cup Series two or more seasons and have a full-time ride inside Sprint Cup you don't need to be racing part-time in the Xfinity Series or the Camping World Truck Series.  There is enough talent to suffice the series competition with young drivers that have a desire to win and compete.  Last season Chris Buescher and Chase Elliott had many showings against one another and they provided fans a better show than Kyle Busch could have.

People keep bringing up the discussion of Mark Martin back in the 90s and people didn't bicker about him.  Well we didn't have social media then, we barely even had discussion groups and message boards back but believe me, fans didn't like it as much then as they don't like it now.  Fans didn't have the NASCAR Fan Council like they do now, they didn't have facebook or twitter to post their thoughts to NASCAR about issues, even though I don't feel it does any good on this topic.

The Xfinity Series is off this weekend, well what does it do Kyle Busch but he has to race in the Truck Series event this weekend at Martinsville.  You don't see major league pitchers pitching in the minor leagues on Saturday and then the majors on Sunday.  NASCAR needs to get this fixed because if you read enough, many fans aren't even watching on Saturday's events when Busch is racing.  He's stinking up the show.

When Xfinity took on the title sponsorship their slogan was "Where names are made!"  How is a driver suppose to make a name for himself when they are barely able to finish on the lead lap because a Sprint Cup driver has most of the field lapped?  One of my friends had a valid point about Sprint Cup Series drivers racing in the series, if NASCAR is going to continue to let them race, make them run a car that is not fielded by their Sprint Cup Series operation like Busch, Keselowski, Logano and Dillon have been.  Make them run their own equipment and form their own team.

The sponsorship deal is an excuse to get the Sprint Cup Series guy in the door.  Last season the series champion could not even find full funding on his car and I blame that on the fact that cup drivers had the major effect on the series.  I heard that when Buescher had a sponsorship deal in place for this season, the sponsor jumped ship to a part-time deal with a Cup driver in Xfinity.  Sponsors will fill cars, even if it takes owners and NASCAR lowering the price of the way the series is ran just like the Truck Series.

There are many cases where younger drivers are put on the back burner to these Sprint Cup Series drivers.  Remember Trevor Bayne having to sit out the majority of the 2012 season because a sponsor couldn't be found for his ride?  It's time for a change get these guys out the two series that are the growing lines to the Sprint Cup Series.

Bayne, Puccia finding speed after five races

Many people questioned the move Jack Roush made in early January when he moved Matt Puccia to the AdvoCare Team of Trevor Bayne and moved Bob Osborne to Front Row Motorsports after Chris Buescher was moved in there.  Bayne and Osborne seemed to struggle last season getting their chemistry down and there were a lot of marks I put against Osborne last season in how he handled some situations with Trevor Bayne and making changes.

So I was one of the people that really, really welcomed Matt Puccia's arrival as the new crew chief of Bayne this season and for the most part I've seen a lot good things so far in the first five races this season.  Puccia has handled things much differently than Osborne did, he and Bayne have more of a working chemistry together.  After five races this season you can see a difference.

Trevor Bayne showed a lot of speed this past weekend in Fontana.  Bayne was running very competitive before a tire blew out on his No. 6 AdvoCare Ford Fusion on lap 109.  This was after the No. 43 of Aric Almirola made contact with Bayne.  The team fixed the problems on the car and the one big mark I give them is they did something I didn't see all of last season.  They came back from being down a lap to get a top-20 finish.

Those that don't think there is an improvement need to take a lot at the numbers compared to the first five races last season.  Last season, Bayne had an average start of 34.6 and an average finish of 26.8; this season Bayne has an average start of 17.0, and an average finish of 22.0.   The numbers are going to improve once Roush gets the cars completely understood and he and Puccia have more time together.

Las Vegas Pre-Race Notes

Trevor Bayne will be making his sixth career start this weekend at the 1.5 mile Las Vegas Motor Speedway this weekend when the Sprint Cup Series goes there for the Kobalt Tools 400.  Trevor Bayne scored his first career non-restrictor plate top-ten at Las Vegas in 2012 when he finished 9th.
Notes of Interest:

• Trevor Bayne comes into Las Vegas 27th in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series points standings after the first two events.
• Bayne has five previous starts at the 1.5 mile track, with 1 top-ten finish.  Bayne has an average start of 29.0 and an average finish of 20.0 at the track.  He has completed 1330 of 1335 laps.
• In Five Xfinity Series starts, Trevor Bayne has 3 top-five finishes and five top-ten efforts.  Bayne completed 1000 of 1000 laps with an average start of 11.6 and an average finish of 5.4.

Quoting Trevor Bayne on Las Vegas
"Las Vegas has always been a pretty fun track to race on.  Whether it was back in the XFINITY Series or in the Cup Series, I've really liked racing here.  Hopefully our AdvoCare Ford will have the same speed in it we did in Atlanta and that we can get a really solid run for everyone at AdvoCare and back at the shop."

Atlanta Pre-Race Notes

Trevor Bayne looks to make vast improvement on his 28th place finish in the Daytona 500 last weekend when the Sprint Cup Series goes to Atlanta Motor Speedway this weekend.  This will be Bayne's third visit to the 1.54 mile quad-oval track in the Sprint Cup Series.  Bayne's best finish came in September of 2012 at the track, a 16th.
Notes of Interest for Atlanta

• Trevor Bayne has recorded five Xfinity Series starts at AMS.  He recorded one top-ten finish, a seven place finish in August of 2013.
• Bayne's two previous Sprint Cup efforts at the track have been 16th and 19th place finishes.
• This will be the first non-restrictor plate race for the new Ford Fusion and the NASCAR rules package.

Bayne's Thought's on Atlanta

"Atlanta is a ton of fun to race on.  You can race right against the wall or right on the white line.  It has a lot of charactor to it and really wears out tires.  I love racing there and hopefully (crew chief) Matt (Puccia) will get this AdvoCare Ford dialed in and we will have a great run on Sunday."

Daytona 500 Pre-Race Notes

Trevor Bayne will entering his sixth Daytona 500 this season when the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series arrives at Daytona.  Bayne enters his second full season behind the wheel of the No. 6 AdvoCare Ford Fusion for Roush Fenway Racing with new crew chief Matt Puccia.  Bayne scored his last top-ten finish in the Sprint Cup Series last July at the World Center of Racing.
Notes of Interest

• Trevor Bayne remains the youngest winner of the Daytona 500 at 20 years and 1 day when he won with the Wood Brothers Racing team on February 20, 2011.
• Trevor Bayne has started 10 events at Daytona, he has 1 win, 1 top-five and 2 top-ten finishes, while completing 1480 of 1777 laps and leading 8 of them.  Bayne has an average start of 22.3 and an average finish of 26.1 at the 2.5 mile super speedway.
• Bayne's new crew chief Matt Puccia has 8 starts as a crew chief at Daytona with 1 top-five and four top-ten finishes, all coming with Roush Fenway teammate Greg Biffle.  Puccia has an average start of 11.1 and and average finish of 14.2 at the track.
• With the new NASCAR Charter System Trevor Bayne is guaranteed a start in each event this season.
• Trevor Bayne will start his sixth Duel 150 from the 17th position after qualifying 33rd in Sunday's Daytona 500 qualifying session.

Quoting Trevor Bayne on Daytona
"Daytona will forever be special place for me.  Winning here in 2011 is something that I will cherish for the rest of my life.  It means the world to me knowing that my name is part of this track's history.  I love racing here.  Restrictor-plate racing is a type that definitely keeps you on your toes the whole day and onedge.  Hopefully (crew chief) Matt (Pucca) and I can get this AdvoCare Ford handling great and get that second Daytona 500 victory on Sunday."

Let's Charter the Track

NASCAR and several of the members from the Race Team Alliance announced their new deal for the future on Tuesday afternoon in a press conference.  Roush Fenway Racing president Steve Newmark was on hand as the announcement was made, along with Richard Petty, Tommy Baldwin, Brian France, Rob Kauffman, and several others.

There will be thirty-six teams granted with Charters and they are guaranteed entry into each of the 36 events.  Standards for obtaining one of the Charters were based on participation during the last three NASCAR Sprint Cup Series seasons (from 2013 through July of 2015).

NASCAR will cut its field from 43 cars down to 40 each week, and there will be four additional positions available for entry through ordinary qualifying procedures as outlined in the 2016 Sprint Cup Series Rule Book.

The Charter system is something that owners have been fighting for in an attempt to achieve more value for their racing organizations for the future.  It will help arrange more stability by guaranteeing sponsors and other partners continued partnership for an extended amount of time.

As of now the organizations that have been awarded Charters are:
Roush Fenway Racing (3), Richard Petty Motorsports (2), Team Penske (2), Front Row Motorsports (2), Hendrick Motorsports (4), Richard Childress Racing (3), Chip Ganassi Racing with Felix Sabates (2), Stewart Haas Racing (3), Furniture Row Racing (1), JGT Daughtery Racing (1), Tommy Baldwin Racing (1) Germain Racing (1), Go Fas Racing (1), BK Racing (2) Premium Motorsports (1), Circle Sport Racing (1) and HScott Racing (1).  Also there are two Charters from the now dissolved Michael Waltrip Racing.

The one team that seemed to be left out of everything was the Wood Brothers.  The longest running organization is without a Charter going into their first full-time season in almost 9 years.  Running part time the last 8 years was the the reasoning for the Wood Brothers team not being handed a Charter.  Eventually they could purchase one if another team falls out.

• Charters will be granted to 36 Sprint Cup teams.  A charter will guarantee a team a spot in every points race.
• Teams can sell their charter.  They can also lease their charter for one year.  NASCAR must approve the new purchaser of the Charter.
• The agreement is for nine years (five years and a four-year option).  Teams will be able to remain part of the agreement as long as they are in "Good Standing."
• The NASCAR Sprint Cup Series field will be cut down to 40 cars.  Teams without charters can compete for the remaining four positions in the field.
• A Team Owner Council will be setup and have formal input into major decisions, such as rule packages that are put into place.  The council is expected to be involved in how the sport is governed.  NASCAR will still oversee the sport.
• The Four Car Maximum will remain in effect with the Charters.  As each organization will only be allowed to have four Charters.

New Paint, New Crew Chief Highlight changes for Bayne in 2016

It's been a while since Trevor Bayne had a regular paint scheme that was different than the red, white and blue AdvoCare scheme that has been a part of his color configuration since the start of the 2014 season when AdvoCare first joined him in the NASCAR Xfinity Series.

AdvoCare will have a have a different look on Bayne's No. 6 Ford Fusion for Roush Fenway Racing this upcoming season.  The car will have a checkered flag pattern down the side of its doors, with a blue stripe on the bottom of the car.  The lettering will be AdvoCare blue with the number being the same red as last season.

Bayne looks to have a new helmet and firesuit to go along with his paint scheme this season.  That isn't the only change going on with Trevor Bayne for the 2016 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season as Matt Puccia will take over the ranks as the crew chief for Trevor Bayne this year.  Puccia brings six years of experience as a crew chief in the Sprint Cup Series, mainly working with Bayne's teammate Greg Biffle who he won three events with during their tenure together.

The season will get kicked off in a couple of weeks when the Sprint Cup teams arrive at Daytona for front row qualifying for the Daytona 500.  It will be the first time that Bayne and Puccia will have the chance to work with one another in the Sprint Cup Series on the No. 6 AdvoCare Ford.

"Getting to work with Matt this year will be great," said Trevor Bayne.  "We've known each other for years and I feel like we will be able to communicate very well together.  He has had a lot of success in the past and hopefully we can continue that success this year."

Puccia echoed Bayne's thoughts.

"I'm excited for what 2016 has in store," said Puccia.  "It will be great to work with Trevor this year and to work with the folks at AdvoCare.  We made a lot of changes this off season at Roush Fenway and I think that they all will greatly help once this season gets underway."