Head2Head: Moonlighting with the Craftsman Trucks

Cup superstars moonlighting in the Nationwide Series is a frustrating sight for me, but it's the reality we live in and I have to deal with it. Cup superstars making laps in the Truck Series, though, is where a line has to be drawn.

Kyle Busch, after a second-place finish at Daytona and a first at California, is leading the Truck Series point standings. The same Kyle Busch that has made the Chase in the Cup Series the last two years is excited to be out front, knowing it will be short-lived as he will only run in a handful of races.

Busch is hurting the Truck Series, he is hurting other drivers, and he either doesn't realize it or doesn't care.

The 22-year-old Busch is a phenomenal driver, one of the best the Cup Series has to offer. It's that fact that disturbs me as to why he feels the need to run in the Truck Series at all. He's not gaining anything from it. He doesn't need the money -- in his short four-year Cup career he's already eclipsed $18 million. I'm sure he's doing OK for himself.

There are three things that bother me with Busch running "for fun" in the Truck Series.

First, it takes away from up-and-coming drivers who need a break. Yes, the argument can be made that Billy Ballew might not even run the truck if Busch wasn't in the mix, but when some full-time Truck teams have to go home because Busch has taken a starting spot -- that seems ridiculous, especially since Busch isn't racing for a title.

Second, Busch is taking valuable championship points away from drivers who actually will use them. All Busch cares about is winning the race -- he's not concerned about a "good" points day, because he's not running for a title. It's all-or-nothing for that No. 51 truck when Busch is behind the wheel, so when Todd Bodine finishes second behind Busch at California and loses 15 points -- the difference between first and second -- it hurts.

Finally, it's the all-or-nothing attitude that is the biggest issue. Busch is amazing behind the wheel. He can do things with trucks and cars that other drivers just can't. But when Busch isn't concerned about anything except winning, there are times when he will take unnecessary risks that end up hurting "full-time" teams.

The season opener at Daytona is a perfect example. On Lap 19, Busch was aggressive coming out of Turn 2, tapped Mike Skinner which led to an eight-truck pileup ending the day for Skinner, Brendan Gaughan, Jon Wood, Ted Musgrave and Matt Crafton -- all full-time guys trying to win a title.

Ironically, Busch sustained only minor damage and went on to finish second.

More harm comes from Busch racing in the Truck Series than good. He's one of the best drivers in this sport, and will no doubt win multiple Cup Series championships. It's too bad his ego prevents him from solely focusing on that instead of ruining it for so many in the Truck Series, just to get some more TV time.

Didn't we have this argument just two years ago? And wasn't it people like Mike Skinner and Ron Hornaday word-for-word saying that they love having Mark Martin drive in the Truck Series?

It created a buzz, they said. It gave the Truck Series some much-needed attention, they said. It was fun to beat him, they said.

Sure, Kyle Busch is no Mark Martin; the reason Busch is not a Gillette Young Gun is because he has no facial hair, not because of his age. Respect from peers, patience on the racetrack and a blue-collar old-school fan base may have something to do with it, too.

But -- just as was the case with Martin two years ago -- the Craftsman Truck Series needs Kyle Busch.

The comment is made over and over: The Truck Series is NASCAR's best racing. Action on the track proves that. Television ratings and sponsorship dollars, however, don't. It's not likely that Budweiser is clamoring to get it's logo and a commercial with the Clydesdales rounded up to pair with Jack Sprague. Newly minted NASCAR fan, 17-year-old Cannon, isn't likely to seek a Rick Crawford T-shirt over a Tony Stewart cap.

While many drivers in the Truck Series have paid their dues and cemented their reputation as the most-respected wheelmen in a garage, fans simply don't recognize their names. And that's a problem, especially when the series is grasping for a title sponsor next year.

But when Joe Gibbs Racing fan Johnny C. Mechanic gets home from the shop late on Friday and flips on SPEED and sees Kyle Busch racing, he's likely more inclined to watch.

Ah, but old Kyle is only doing it for himself. He's not helping the Truck Series. He's just collecting an added paycheck like those Buschwhack ... er, Nationwidewhackers.

Uh, no. Old Kyle races for Billy Ballew, who answers his own phone when you call his shop. Old Kyle helps fund a second truck for Ballew, with Richie Wauters. Old Kyle doesn't receive a paycheck from Ballew on Monday morning. Old Kyle is helping Ballew get his name and truck in front of cameras to help lure a sponsor.

So no -- there's no comparison between what Busch is doing and what other Cup drivers do when they dabble in the Nationwide Series because their owner's sponsorship hinges on whether or not a Cup driver is behind the wheel or not.

No -- there's no damage done when Busch drives for an independent owner, hands him every penny of the winnings and goes back to his day job.

No -- there's nothing wrong with Busch leading the points; because he's the Cup points leader, the Truck Series is making headlines that normally wouldn't be made (see: Head2Head this week).

Two years ago, people tuned in to see if Mark Martin could get beat. This year they'll do the same with Kyle Busch.