For years, the Cup drivers have risen to absolute ascendancy in the Nationwide (formerly the Busch) Series. Kevin Harvick, Kyle Busch, Clint Bowyer, Carl Edwards, Brad Keselowski, among others have owned the series, leaving a bad taste in the mouths of fans who watch the Nationwide Series hoping to see some fresh faces. Instead, we see the Stenhouses, the Steve Wallaces, Jason Lefflers, Justin Allgaiers, and Reed Sorensons contending for top 10 finishes, or for "good points days".
Stenhouse outdueled both Keselowski and Edwards en route to his first career victory. What makes this victory so special is the fact that a year ago, Stenhouse nearly lost his ride. He was struggling to live up to the potential that is placed upon drivers who step into Jack Roush's equipment. As the 2010 season drew to a conclusion, Stenhouse began to find a comfortable balance. He entered the 2011 season as one of the favorites to capture the Nationwide Series title now that the Cup moonlighters no longer score championship points. Well, he is not leading the standings, but he became the first Nationwide-only driver to win a race in 2011, which is exceedingly refreshing for fans of the series.
Stenhouse moves up to third in the Nationwide championship standings, just 8 points behind Elliott Sadler. This could be the momentum Stenhouse needs in his quest for the Nationwide title. In my opinion, Stenhouse's victory at Iowa highlighted the NASCAR weekend, not the All-Star race.
1 comments:
It's a good season for them to advance on the race cards.
Post a Comment