NASCAR introduced a rule in 2017 that limited the participation of Cup Series drivers in the Xfinity Series and the Craftsman Truck Series. The sanctioning body felt that they were unwarrantedly dominating the lower tiers and wanted to give the drivers in the respective series a better chance at winning races. But nearly a decade later, this decision is being rethought.
Advertisement
The current rule, which was tightened in 2020, is that drivers with more than three years of experience in the Cup Series can race in a maximum of five Xfinity Series races and five Truck Series races every year. All these starts must come before the regular season finale. NASCAR announced recently that it is in talks to reverse this limit, and one person who is in full support of the idea is former driver Kenny Wallace.
Wallace spoke about the news on his YouTube channel and explained why he thinks Cup Series drivers ought to be allowed more participation in the lower tiers. The first example he used was Connor Zilisch’s mastery in the past several weeks. The youngster has won six races in the Xfinity Series thus far this year, and many of them came with Shane van Gisbergen in the field.
The fact that he beat a global motorsports icon who is simply the best on road courses is astoundingly impressive. Wallace believes that his performances wouldn’t have been as highly thought of if van Gisbergen hadn’t been on the field. And so, he thinks that the drivers in the lower tiers are being deprived of the opportunity to prove themselves against the best in the game because of the current limits.
When Wallace beat the greatest drivers in the sport
Wallace said, “I feel bad for these Truck drivers and these Xfinity drivers. You know why? They don’t have an opportunity now to outrun the best. They don’t have an opportunity to outrun the Cup drivers. So, although it seemed like this grand idea, what it’s done now is it has dumbed down the Xfinity Series and the Truck Series.”
Wallace went on to narrate two incidents from his own career to make his case stronger. The first was a victory he secured at Richmond Raceway by beating Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Mark Martin. “That night I won,” he quipped.
“I was the best that night. I kicked their a**. It was a great night; a night I will never forget. But that night would not have been that good unless I outran two of the greatest of all time. Now it was very rare, but it was a moment to remember.”
The second was yet another victory, this time at Bristol, in which he overcame a battle against Martin. He holds these two races in the highest regard and still reminisces over how he trumped two of the greatest icons this sport has ever produced. It is only fair that he thinks the youngsters of today must be given the chance to experience a similar ecstasy.
