NASCAR mailbag: Should Cup drivers be restricted from racing in the Xfinity Series?

Each week, SB Nation’s NASCAR reporter Jordan Bianchi answers your questions about the latest news and happenings within the sport. If you have a future mailbag question, email jordanmbianchi@gmail.com.

On the surface NASCAR limiting the Cup guys from racing in Xfinity and Truck races seems like a good idea, but is it really though? We hear all the time about how teams already can’t find sponsorship, so this is only like another big hurdle that must be overcome.

— Jay

Kyle Busch is upset, so too is Kevin Harvick. You can also add Brad Keselowski to this list. And when three headstrong Type-A personalities are in lockstep, this gives pause that maybe NASCAR is enacting a rule change with potential long-term negative ramifications.

Adding to the apprehension expressed by the three former Cup Series champions is their extensive backgrounds on the economics of team ownership in NASCAR’s lower-tier divisions, giving them a complete grasp of how difficult it is to obtain the necessary sponsorship to compete in the Xfinity Series and Camping World Truck Series.

They know firsthand that companies are reluctant to invest in an unproven driver without guarantees a Cup star will also be part of the sponsorship package — i.e. a notable name required to compete in a certain number of races. Funding that is absolutely essential to building and maintaining teams in a sport where the costs are continuing to soar while the money coming in declines.

So while NASCAR deserves credit for wanting to provide greater opportunities for up-and-coming drivers to win developmental series races, thereby helping make a name for themselves and cultivating a better connection with fans and sponsors, to shoehorn out Cup drivers from Xfinity and Truck Series races comes with a great price.

It is essential to Joe Gibbs Racing, Stewart-Haas Racing, and Team Penske to have Busch, Harvick, and Keselowski to entice prospective sponsors. And if that option is no longer available, there’s a good chance those teams will have to scale back and with it opportunities for young drivers become even more limited.

Amid a period where few new teams are being created and the stability within the ownership ranks is already quite tenuous, NASCAR finds itself in a precarious situation. Yes, Cup drivers dominating and winning Xfinity and Truck Series races hurt those divisions, but an outright ban would carry even more severe consequences where several teams would eventually have to shutter operations.

It was this point Busch spoke adamant about during an interview on SiriusXM Radio Tuesday, saying if he couldn’t race a truck for his own team he’d close the doors. Whether you like him or not, there is no denying without Kyle Busch Motorsports, the Truck Series landscape changes dramatically — not for the better.

There’s a happy medium between Cup drivers having unfettered access to compete outside the top level and Xfinity and Truck races consisting of solely series regulars. Capping Cup drivers with more than five years experience to seven Xfinity and five Truck races and prohibiting Cup drivers from running any of the playoff races and not impacting the championship, as NASCAR announced Tuesday, feels like an acceptable compromise.

Why are there not more Xfinity races away from, especially short tracks? Wouldn’t this be a good way to not have Cup drivers win so often and give younger drivers a chance to shine? Plus, it would mix up the schedule, which isn’t a bad thing.

— Aaron

A popular sentiment among fans, who would love to see a return to some of the classic tracks such as South Boston Speedway, Hickory Motor Speedway, and Indianapolis Raceway Park — venues once the backbone of the series. And a greater number of short tracks on the schedule is certainly not a bad thing, as it would help differentiate the Xfinity Series and allow it to have more standalone dates, which in theory makes it harder for Cup drivers to interlope.

Significant challenges exist, however, to make this a realistic option. Tracks currently hosting Cup-Xfinity combination weekends aren’t inclined to give up those dates, as promoters would then either necessitate the lowering of prices for ticket packages — you can’t charge the same price if you’re not offering the same volume in return — or find alternative ways to appease its customer base. Fans expect more for their dollars, not less.

Teams and sponsors also demand top-notch facilities and amenities, often not prevalent at smaller tracks. Then there is the safety of the track, with many short tracks lacking SAFER barriers installed and not possessing the funding to install the energy-absorbent walls NASCAR requires at all paved ovals.

None of this cannot be overcome. But it’s worth noting, there is no magic cure-all. Even if the Xfinity schedule was radically transformed, the economics of operating a team still needs addressing. A better lineup of races would only mask the deeper issues.

Reading all the stuff going on in Silly Season, it sure sounds as if there may be fewer teams next season. Do you think this is the case? And is NASCAR worried?

— Cathy

The potential exists, though it’s still too early to know definitively whether there will be fewer full-time teams in 2018 than this year. But what is known is that while many teams are in a sponsorship scrunch, the outlook has changed for several prominent organizations known to be considering downsizing.

Even with sponsorship uncertainty surrounding Kasey Kahne’s No. 5 team, Hendrick Motorsports is no longer seriously contemplating contracting from four cars to three, sources have told SB Nation.

SHR lacks primary sponsors for Clint Bowyer, Kurt Busch, and Danica Patrick, or whichever drivers may replace Busch and Patrick at the organization co-owned by Tony Stewart and Gene Haas, who’s had to subsidize three of his four cars this season. But the team is keen on staying with four cars, and it’s something Ford wants as well.

Reverting back to part-time status was an option for Wood Brothers Racing with Ryan Blaney leaving. But signing Paul Menard and bringing on board his family sponsorship ensures the single-car outfit will continue racing every week. Team Penske is also expanding, adding a third car for Blaney.

Of course, Richard Childress Racing must fill the considerable gap created by Menard’s departure to continue as a three-car team. Furniture Row Racing and Richard Petty Motorsports are other organizations where additional funding must be found to continue as is.