by Lee Spencer

Updated: July 21, 2008, 6:18 PM EST 69 comments

add this RSS blog email print

And there's no better place to enjoy Triple A competition than Gateway International Raceway. The 1.25-mile track is situated on the east side of St. Louis, about a 15-minute drive from downtown depending on traffic.

Sports fanatics could enjoy nine innings at Busch Stadium and cross the Mississippi for 250 laps of scintillating stock car action. That's what Trevor Hoffman, the all-time career saves leader currently with the San Diego Padres, did on Saturday night from St. Louis native Mike Wallace's pits.

Gateway offered a spirited balance of veteran NNS campaigners, Sprint Cup drivers vying for the title along with stock cars up-and-comers looking for a shot at primetime. In true "back to basics" fashion, there was greater parity in the results of the Missouri-Illinois Dodge Dealers 250 compared to companion events, which are generally Cup throwdowns.

Yes, Carl Edwards, the defending NNS champ who is currently fourth in the Cup standings, won the race, but newcomers Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, Landon Cassill and James Buescher finished ahead of points leader Clint Bowyer, who was scored eighth.

Now before the harping begins that Logano, Keselowski and Cassill should run in the Top 10 because these drivers race for Cup supported teams, NNS regulars Jason Keller and Jason Leffler finished third and fourth, respectively. It was Keller's best finish in four seasons. Leffler matched his top effort from Talladega in April.

The Dodge Dealers 250 was a perfect example of what the Nationwide Series was designed to do — provide a solid proving ground for racers aspiring to reach NASCAR's top level while presenting fans with great motorsports theater.

Let's delve deeper into the current state of the Nationwide Series.

First, the good stuff

1. The drive for parity: NASCAR is making a concerted effort to ensure the cars are equal as was evident by taking 10 engines back to the Research and Development Center in Concord, N.C., following the Chicagoland race. The sanctioning body made those numbers readily available to the manufacturers and teams.

2. Hometown twists: Gateway does a great job of promoting the local storylines and creating a sense of community. The Wallace family has a grandstand named in their honor. Mike Wallace threw out the first pitch at the Cardinals game on Thursday night and a pre-race special on the St. Louis native was featured in the broadcast. Mizzou attendee Carl Edwards took part in a track walk fundraiser with fans after riding his bike from nearby Columbia. And fellow Missourian Jamie McMurray celebrated his six-year absence from the track by winning the pole. By raising the interest among local sports fans, inevitably, the sport will be able to reach additional racing enthusiasts.

Now, back to the drawing board ...

1. You've got to fight for the right ... : Although the dyno numbers from Chicagoland were considerably more equal than Milwaukee, Carl Edwards was accurate in his assessment. "There are a lot of dynos in the world, but there's no dyno like the big asphalt one ... and that dyno says we're down," Edwards said. What happened to the days when the manufacturer's reps battled for equality in NASCAR? One long time engine man in the garage said simply, "The guys that liked to fight are gone ... the new group is much weaker now. They're fighting, just at a different level." The sanctioning body nearly castrated the former Big Three with the COT. Given that a new car is in the offing for the NNS.

2. Meet the parkers: While there were 47 drivers that attempted to make the Gateway show, five of the participants were in the garage before the competition caution was called on Lap 20. The car count was up at Gateway. No one expects all 43 cars to be completely equal, and there will always be mechanical failures. But there has to be a way to give the future of NASCAR competitive equipment to hone their skills for the next level.