Travel becomes tough for drivers in both Cup, Busch

LONG POND, Pa. -- With no less than nine men praying for some version of clear skies this weekend, in and around Pocono Raceway and Nashville Superspeedway, drivers like Carl Edwards are becoming rookie meteorologists.

While fewer drivers this season are simultaneously balancing full schedules in both the Nextel Cup and Busch Series -- which Edwards has done for the last three years -- Edwards is doing it best, as he's sixth in Nextel Cup points and leading the Busch standings by a wide margin.

Five men are currently doing full seasons in two divisions: Edwards, David Reutimann, David Ragan, Dave Blaney and J.J. Yeley; although that number will no doubt have shrunk by at least a couple by the end of this month.

But nine are trying to do the double on this, the first weekend of six this season in which a "stand alone" Busch event will create travel and personnel dilemmas for at least seven Cup and eight Busch organizations.

Clint Bowyer, David Stremme, Greg Biffle and Mike Bliss are joining the full-time two-timers in trying to make it back and forth, if only on Saturday for Busch qualifying and the Federated Auto Parts 300.

Edwards, at least, has no worries.

"The bad part about doing back and forth is you can get held up somewhere -- you could have trouble with the airplane or something and you might not get [back to Pocono] until 6 or 7 in the morning on Sunday," Edwards said. "But, even then, that's not the end of the world.

"The good part is that you get to have fun and go to try and win a race in Nashville in the Busch Series, and get to travel around in helicopters and do all that stuff. It's a blast."

Friday wasn't much of a day for the travel planners.

Edwards, his Roush Racing teammate Ragan and team owner Jack Roush weren't enjoying Friday evening when a line of thunderstorms stretching from Canada to Atlanta reportedly tied up westbound air traffic.

Bowyer, who's eighth in the Nextel Cup standings, planned to fly to Nashville after Bud Pole Qualifying at Pocono, but the weather cancelled that plan. It also reportedly kept Biffle and Stremme "in the barn" in Pennsylvania.

Team representatives said Roush and his drivers were going to attempt to make the trip, but they had not arrived in Nashville by the time the first practice ended. (Continued)