NASCAR’s bandaid won’t heal Xfinity’s problems

Without Cup drivers like Kyle Busch propping up the Xfinity and Truck series both would cease to exist on their own merit. Who would watch?

By most standards, the NASCAR Xfinity Series model has been broken for years.

And to the dismay of the few remaining Xfinity loyalists, Tuesday's long-awaited NASCAR announcement on new participation guidelines will do little to remedy an embarrassing problem that has resulted in sparse crowds, measly television ratings and tedious events.

Beginning next year, Sprint Cup drivers with more than five years' full-time experience will be limited to a maximum of 10 races in the Xfinity Series and seven events in the Camping World Truck Series. Sprint Cup heavyweights, such as 2016 series champion Kyle Busch, will also be barred from Chase playoffs and the Dash 4 Cash programs in both circuits.

So when Busch and Joey Logano are not dominating selected Xfinity races next season, the door will remain open for Cup drivers such as Kyle Larson and Austin Dillon to trophy-grab with their Sprint Cup crews, equipment and engines.

In some cases, the Sprint Cup interlopers have 10 times the budget of Xfinity regulars. Many longtime Xfinity car owners and teams gave up this unfair fight in frustration and disgust years ago.

The blame for the sorry state of the Xfinity Series should be passed around. Busch is simply taking advantage of the system in the same way that former Cup driver Mark Martin did.

NASCAR is a star-driven game. That's why sponsors would rather promote their products with an established and popular driver instead of helping out a hungry Xfinity newcomer.

Track owners and marketing firms have long promoted the Xfinity races with images and highlight of Cup drivers. Meanwhile, the few remaining traditional media outlets that cover Xfinity events focus on the superstars instead of the relentless strivers and dreamers who work seven days a week with home grown crew members.

One of the best stories in all levels of NASCAR this season has involved Xfinity regular Blake Koch. Operating with the first-year Kaulig Racing team, Koch is currently third in the Xfinity Chase standings with three races remaining.

Instead of celebrity chasing, reporters should seek out the stories of the underdogs in the Xfinity and truck series and fans should pay more attention on the real warriors in the sport.

The defenders of the current Xfinity arrangement still cling to the argument that the sport needs the income and jobs that the Sprint Cup gang generates.

And there is the well-worn but ludicrous argument that Chase regulars benefit from competing against the best drivers in the sport. Even Busch has admitted that he essentially uses Xfinity races as an extra test session and training for his Kyle Busch Motorsports pit crew members.

Let's be real. The Sprint stars could start from the rear of nearly every Xfinity race and still lap most of the Xfinity regulars. There is nothing to learn when an underfunded driver cannot even see his competition.

Television commercials for Xfinity races focus on the rising stars in the series, but those young guns have a slim chance of actually defeating the Sprint Cup titans.

The new Chase format for the Xfinity series was designed to bring more exposure to the regulars. While Cup racers dominate Chase events, fans and media members must use their calculators and wait to see who finishes 23rd to determine which drivers advance into the next round of eliminations in the Xfinity Series.

Tuesday's overdue move by NASCAR to help breathe life into the Xfinity Series was a step in the right direction. But this model needs a total makeover. Allen Gregory/Boston Herald Courier