Minor league status major league cost: after a change in direction, the Busch series is struggling for drivers, funding and attention. (NASCAR).(automobile racing) From: The Sporting News | Date: March 4, 2002| Author: | COPYRIGHT 2002 Sporting News Publishing Co. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan.  All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group.Copyright information

Since the mid-1980s, the Busch Series has functioned as NASCAR's Class AAA circuit, providing a stable, reliable minor league racing series that represented the final steppingstone to Winston Cup. During most Cup weekends, fans could spend their Saturdays checking out rising stars such as Kevin Harvick and Dale Earnhardt Jr. in Busch races that often included such perennial NASCAR favorites as Mark Martin, Jeff Burton, Michael Waltrip and Jimmy Spencer.

But for the owners, drivers and teams in the Busch Series, the last year has been anything but stable. Despite Harvick's ...