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Changes in Busch Series for 2007
Sunday, October 08, 2006
By Heather Pohlabel
Well, it is official; things are looking up in Busch series racing for the 2007 season, and it's about time! Although the changes are slight, they are significant enough to possibly have an impact on how Busch series drivers are perceived and come up through the ranks. Busch series racing could be getting back to what it was meant to do, get racers ready for the more elite NEXTEL Cup series.
There will be eight exclusive Busch races, meaning no full time NEXTEL Cup racers will be participating in those particular races. It will be interesting to see how attendance fluctuates at these events, but two of the races are the international races, which surely will cut down on American fans' participation. The absence of NEXTEL drivers may have an effect on ticket sales, but die-hard racing fans are die-hard racing fans, no matter who is racing. The best advantage of these eight exclusive races is that the Busch series drivers will get a chance to prove themselves and make headlines a bit more by capturing the flag.
There will be twenty-six races that will be "shared" with NEXTEL Cup racers; still enough for someone like Kevin Harvick to win the title. (Harvick will NOT be racing a full time Busch series car in 2007, however, but that does leave the window open for someone like Carl Edwards). The schedule has been mixed up a bit, however, which may make duel driving more difficult for some NEXTEL drivers, except, maybe Carl Edwards who has his own plane, or Greg Biffle who has his own helicopter to fly to and from practice, qualifying, and the races themselves!
The Busch series has also added one more international race; the previously run race at the Autodomo Hermanos Rodriguez road course in Mexico City is still on the schedule. A Canadian race two years in the making has also been slated. The race will take place on the 2.7-mile road track at the Circuit Gilles Villenueve in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. This additional international race opens the doors to foreign racers and fans even further in this dominantly American sport.
The full 2007 Busch schedule is as follows:
February 17 Daytona International Speedway
February 24 California Speedway
March 4 Mexico City
March 10 Las Vegas Motor Speedway
March 17 Atlanta Motor Speedway
March 24 Bristol Motor Speedway
April 7 Nashville Superspeedway
April 14 Texas Motor Speedway
April 20 Phoenix International Raceway
April 28 Talladega Superspeedway
May 4 Richmond International Raceway
May 11 Darlington Raceway
May 26 Lowe's Motor Speedway
June 2 Dover International Speedway
June 9 Nashville Superspeedway
June 16 Kentucky Speedway
June 26 The Milwaukee Mile
June 30 New Hampshire International Speedway
July 6 Daytona International Speedway
July 14 Chicagoland Speedway
July 21 Gateway International Raceway
July 28 Texas Motor Speedway
August 4 Montreal
August 11 Watkins Glen International
August 18 Michigan International Speedway
August 24 Bristol Motor Speedway
September 1 California Speedway
September 7 Richmond International Raceway
September 22 Dover International Speedway
September 29 Kansas Speedway
October 12 Lowe's Motor Speedway
October 27 Memphis Motorsports Park
November 3 Texas Motor Speedway
November 10 Phoenix International Raceway
November 17 Homestead-Miami Speedway
ABC and ESPN2 will be covering the Busch series races for the 2007 race schedule. In 2006, the races were covered by FOX network, FX, TNT, and NBC.
Rumor has even been circulating at the possibility of a Chase in the Busch series as well, but nothing official has been stated regarding a Chase. The only official changes are the eight exclusive Busch series races, the twenty-six shared races with NEXTEL Cup drivers, and the two international races.
Once NEXTEL teams have been decided for next year, teams for Busch will begin to become clearer. It is already known that this year's inevitable Busch series champion, Kevin Harvick, will not race full time next year, whether due to the new regulations or by choice. Richard Childress Racing has also lost its primary sponsor, The Coast Guard for the Busch series 21 car driven by Harvick. The Coast Guard cited economical issues, not team performance as its reason for not sponsoring a car next year.
Many of the NEXTEL drivers will certainly be missed by Busch series owners, but fans will get to see new emerging talent coming from the Busch series next year. That is how it should be! Look forward to an awesome 2007 in Busch series racing!
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