One of the most important developments in the history of motorsports has been the recent strong investment by sanctioning bodies in building a path of driver development. Structures such as the “Road to Indy” and the proposed “Road to F1” concept have allowed a clear path for drivers, investors, and teams to understand how a driver matures and can make their way to the top of the racing ladder. However, one of the largest forms of racing in America – NASCAR – has yet to define a clear “Road to the Sprint Cup” path.
Certainly pieces of the ladder system are already in place at the national level for stock car racing. The soon-to-be-renamed Sprint Cup Series is the pinnacle of NASCAR racing in the world. Just below that on the ladder, you find the Xfinity Series, which has often been regarded as a developmental series. And while some drivers may dispute the notion, the Camping World Truck Series comes in as the third rung.
It is after the trucks that you reach a mix of series that could all be considered one of the earliest steps to racing for a Sprint Cup trophy. The K&N Pro Series, divided into east and west divisions, can be argued to come the closest to that level because of its NASCAR sanctioning. However, many will praise the merits of racing in the ARCA Racing Series, where not only do they race on short tracks and road courses like the K&N Series, but also speedways and superspeedways seen on the national circuits.
There are six clear steps on the Road to the Sprint Cup, when you consider how a driver develops. First, one begins racing late models and other cars at the local track level, often competing and winning track championships. The next step would take you to the K&N Pro Series, where drivers now race in bigger cars and on a wider variety of tracks. This would then place the ARCA Racing Series as step three on the road, because of the increased competition and larger tracks that see action. Beyond that, the Road to the Sprint Cup continues as already previously established.
Unlike the other ladder systems in racing, however, there are many more seasoned veterans that can be found racing at all levels of the Road to the Sprint Cup, making it inherently unique. Competition is always fierce among racers, but rarely outside of stock car racing due drivers get the chance to race with a ten-time champion like Frank Kimmel at the ARCA level, or seasoned truckers like Johnny Sauter and Matt Crafton.
The Road to NASCAR has been one that can be muddled easily by the co-competition between series like the K&N Pro ranks and ARCA. However, this ladder system proves unique compared to others around the world in the high level of talent among all of its drivers, both young and old.
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