Roush Drivers Speak Out On Scheduling
Written by John Davison · March 25, 2004
With all the discussion of scheduling changes to the 2005 NEXTEL Cup season, we asked the Roush Racing drivers what their thoughts were on the hot topic and here’s what they had to say:
Mark Martin, Driver No. 6 Viagra® (sildenafil citrate) Ford Taurus:
“There is always a lot of talk about this and just as many opinions. My thoughts are this, there is room for a few more races, as long as they give some time off between races and not go for ten weeks in a row. For example, the all star race could run the same week as a NEXTEL Cup race like on a Friday night or so. That would loosen one weekend up there. They could shorten speed weeks to speed week. One week should be enough time to get everything done in Daytona without decreasing anything that we do on track. That would loosen up another week. We could also run once at Martinsville and New Hampshire instead of twice. There is four dates we could move. And the schedule could stay at 38.”
Greg Biffle, Driver, No. 16 National Guard Ford Taurus/No. 60 Charter Racing Ford Taurus
“I hate to see us get too far away from the roots of racing and the tracks where it all started. I grew up watching Richard Petty and Benny Parsons racing at Rockingham and Darlington and tracks like that are the heart of the sport. I’d hate to see a schedule without any of those tracks on it. At the same time, there are a lot of fans that don’t have a track nearby and can’t take the time to travel to one of the tracks the Nextel Cup Series visits. I, myself would like to see a race in the northwest someday and I think it would be fair if some of the tracks we go to twice were cut back to one race in order to expand to new race markets.”
Matt Kenseth, Driver, No. 17 DEWALT Ford Taurus:
“I’m not 100 percent sure what NASCAR will do next year because nothing has been finalized. It’s always exciting to go to new venues but on the other hand it’s sad to see the old ones like Darlington and Rockingham go.”
Kurt Busch, Driver, No. 97 Sharpie/IRWIN Ford Taurus:
“NASCAR has led us in a positive direction for growth and keeping up with the changes in our sport. Going to new tracks and new venues is a great idea, but at the same time we have to stick with the roots of NASCAR. Darlington, Richmond and Bristol are some of my favorite racetracks, and I’d hate to see us move completely away from those places that have so much history. But the bottom line is I’m a driver, and I’ll go to any track they tell us to. I’m just glad I don’t have to make that decision.”
Jeff Burton, Driver, No. 99 Roush Racing Ford Taurus:
“One thing that sets NASCAR apart from stick and ball sports is the fans. This sport has always been about the fans. NASCAR listens to the fans and will evolve the sport according to what the fans want. I think the sport needs to branch out into new markets like the Northwest, and even into other countries like Canada and Mexico. Certainly I don’t want to see tracks like Darlington and Martinsville go away because some of the best racing happens at those tracks. However we could probably run there once a year and give the second date to a new market to help grow the sport. I also believe that we should do more two day shows and night racing and to that end I don’t think it’s a bad idea to maybe race during the week. That being said, it’s not up to me. I’m sure NASCAR will make the decision that they think is right for the sport and we’ll do what they tell us to do. I would race all the time if I could but we as a group need to do what’s right for the sport ultimately allowing NASCAR to grow and prosper over the coming years.”
Jon Wood, Driver, No. 5- Roush Racing Ford F-150:
“There are two ways of looking at it. As a driver, most of us are fine with racing every weekend because we enjoy doing it and we can take time for ourselves during the week, but it’s not like that for the crew members. It would be a lot more difficult for them to prepare equipment for more races in a shorter amount of time. For that reason, I’m not sure the schedule can handle more races.”
Carl Edwards, Driver, No. 99 Superchips Ford F-150:
“I need all of the experience I can get, so the more races I can run the better. I think racing in more diverse markets is good for the sport, but then again I haven’t been racing 38 weekends a year for the past several years so that could change how I look at it.”
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