NNS: New Champ Won’t Be Cup Regular

Nationwide

NNS: New Champ Won’t Be Cup Regular

Aric Almirola leads the list of preseason NASCAR Nationwide Series title favorites...

Tom Jensen | Posted January 12, 2011 Charlotte, NC

Aric Almirola led the first practice for the NASCAR Nationwide Series STP 300 at Chicagoland Speedway. (Photo: LAT Photographic)

There will be a new NASCAR Nationwide Series champion in 2011.

The sanctioning body pretty much assured that with its decision to allow drivers to accumulate championship points in only one series. So, unlike the past five seasons, the 2011 Nationwide champion will not be a NASCAR Sprint Cup regular who is dabbling in another division.

In addition to helping give the series its own identity, the move leaves the race for a new champion pretty much wide open. Here are some possible candidates for the 2011 title:

1. ARIC ALMIROLA — After a very impressive runner-up finish in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series points in 2010, Almirola moves up to the Nationwide Series, where he’ll drive the No. 88 JR Motorsports Chevrolet. He could be a force to be reckoned with. Although he’s just 26 years old, Almirola already has a tremendous amount of NASCAR experience.

2. TREVOR BAYNE — As a 19-year-old splitting time with two teams in 2010, Bayne finished seventh in the NNS points standings, winning three poles. The only non-Cup regular to finish ahead of him in points was Justin Allgaier. The plan is for him to run the full season this year and go for a series championship. Bayne has a ton of upside potential.

3. JUSTIN ALLGAIER — This season, Allgaier moves to Turner Motorsports after Penske Racing was unable to secure sponsorship for him. Last year, Allgaier finished fourth in points, best of any non-Cup driver. Look for him to be one of the drivers to beat for the championship this year.

4. ELLIOTT SADLER — Now here’s an intriguing choice: Sadler, the long-time Cup veteran, will run the full Nationwide Series in a Kevin Harvick Inc. Chevrolet. Sadler won at Pocono in a KHI Truck Series entry, and his affiliation with the team seems to have re-energized him.

5. BRIAN SCOTT — In his rookie season last year, Scott posted just one top-five and five top-10 finishes. But this year, he moves to the powerhouse Joe Gibbs Racing outfit, the team that has won three consecutive NNS owner championships. This is Scott’s chance to shine.

Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief of SPEED.com, Senior NASCAR Editor at RACER and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. You can follow him online at twitter.com/tomjensen100 and e-mail him at Jensen is the author of “Cheating: The Bad Things Good NASCAR Nextel Cup Racers Do In Pursuit of Speed,” and has appeared on numerous television and radio shows. Jensen is the past President of the National Motorsports Press Association and an NMPA Writer of the Year.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tom Jensen

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