NASCAR: Should small and uncompetitive teams be allowed to compete?
By Asher Fair
Should small and uncompetitive teams be allowed to compete in NASCAR Cup Series races? There are many factors to consider when taking a stance on this issue.
Chip Ganassi Racing partner Rob Kauffman recently ruffled some feathers with his tweet about uncompetitive part-time cars competing in NASCAR Cup Series races.
Kauffman tweeted in response to ESPN motorsports writer Bob Pockrass’s tweet about John Cohen’s team, NY Racing, fielding an entry for J.J. Yeley in this Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, North Carolina.
Yeley’s entry in the #7 Chevrolet caused the entry list for this weekend’s race to grow to 41 cars, which is one car higher than the number of cars allowed in the field and is the highest number of cars on an entry list in the 2018 Cup Series season.
Here is Kauffman’s tweet.
Ridiculous. Devalues the sport -why give away $ to noncompetitive part time cars. Give to charity or create Driver retirement/disability fund @NASCAR https://t.co/026NYV3Hxx
— rob kauffman (@kauffmanrob) May 22, 2018
Regardless of your take on the issue, there are multiple issues to consider completely before coming to that conclusion. First of all, there is the issue of money. If these teams have the money to field an entry, shouldn’t they be allowed to?
Furniture Row Racing are a small team, yet they just won the 2017 Cup Series championship with Martin Truex Jr. after years of hard work to get where they are. Who is to say another small and currently uncompetitive team can’t follow in their footsteps?
Secondly, there is the issue of a driver’s desire to race. If drivers really want to run around in 34th place for the whole race, which is exactly what Yeley will do if he makes the field, shouldn’t they be allowed to? They know what they’re getting into, and they know it could potentially negatively affect their future odds of landing a full-time ride.