It was a refreshing change of pace (pardon the pun) to see Scott Wimmer break the "Buschwackers'" winning streak in last Saturday's Nationwide race in Nashville. The young season had been dominated by Sprint Cup drivers--formerly known as "Buschwackers"--Cup drivers who also ran in the Busch Series (now Nationwide). Tony Stewart won the first two races, and Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, and Clint Bowyer each garnered one victory.
Not that Wimmer is a stranger to racing in both series, but this is his first NASCAR victory since 2003. Then again, his taking the checkered flag in the RCR No. 29 shouldn't be that great a surprise, since even though he's only running limited schedule this season, Wimmer's car owner, Richard Childress, has quite a bit to be proud of so far, for example, his cars' 1-2-3 finish in the Bristol Cup race.
There are pros and cons on both sides as to whether it's a good idea for Cup drivers to also race in the Nationwide Series. Some argue that the Cup drivers "steal the show", not to mention points from Nationwide drivers. Others claim that racing with the top drivers gives the Nationwide drivers valuable experience. And some believe more fans will attend Nationwide races or tune into the TV broadcasts just to see the "stars" compete.
In any event, a victory over Cup pros like Carl Edwards and pole-sitter Kyle Busch should give Wimmer the confidence to convice potential sponsors he's ready to drive full time in either the Nationwide or Cup Series. Need we any more proof that Wimmer has the "right stuff" to even be a champ? Guess you could call him a "Buschwacker" after all. Just ask a "slightly" disappointed Kyle Busch.
Keywords: Carl Edwards, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, Mark Martin, Matt Kenseth, NASCAR, Nationwide Series, Richard Childress, Scott Wimmer, Sprint Cup, Tony Stewart
