"I feel NASCAR does a good job at promoting the lower divisions," said Grala. "That’s important because fans need to be able to follow drivers through the ranks as they come up into the higher series, so that they feel like they’ve been a part of the journey too. I think one downside is for the drivers who aren’t selected as NASCAR Next, they tend to get significantly less coverage and promotion. But as a driver that was not chosen for the Next program, I feel I’ve been able to make my way up the ranks successfully nonetheless, so it can be done!"
Grala has made 81 starts across all five NASCAR series and the ARCA Racing Series. Racing across those series gave Grala the opportunity to race at tracks that would be important to him in the future. Following running full-time in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series last season, Grala is beginning to encounter tracks that the NCWTS series doesn't race at including last weekend at Auto Club Speedway. Grala feels that every track that is on the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series and XFINITY Series schedule should be on the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series schedule being as the series is a stepping stone toward the top.
"I do think that the more Cup and XFINITY tracks that the Truck series race at, the easier the transition is for the drivers as they move up," said Grala. "Take this weekend for example: this will be my first race ever at Auto Club Speedway. It would have been a lot easier to learn the track at a lower division, rather than having to learn on the fly at this high of a level."Speaking of the stepping stone, many feel that the XFINITY and Truck Series should have their own identity. It's tough to do that when you also need the experience to prep a driver for the future. For Grala, much like many other drivers, it's a tough subject.
"I think from the perspective of a driver, the lower divisions should have as many Cup companion events as possible," explained Grala. "However, the short tracks need races (especially national division races) to keep them in business. It’s a tough call because it really depends who you ask."
Grala has competed in big-time Late Model races over his career including three appearances in the Denny Hamlin Short Track Showdown and two starts in The Snowball Derby. Those races tend to attract drivers like Kyle Busch, Timothy Peters, William Byron, Erik Jones, Corey LaJoie, and other big names who bring attention to those races from NASCAR fans who may not normally pay attention to these late model events.
"I definitely think that Cup and XFINITY drivers should participate in as many grassroots races as they can. It is beneficial to everyone involved. Unfortunately, the XFINITY and especially Cup schedules don’t leave too much spare time to race in Late Model events! That’s why I love the Snowball Derby so much during the off-season... I hope to find the sponsorship to run it this year with Fury Race Cars!"These races also bring out the best drivers and could feature the future of the sport. Drivers like Christian Eckes, Raphael Lessard, Ty Majeski, and others who are now making their way up the ladder. Look at Erik Jones and the beginning of his career, he was found after he beat Kyle Busch for a victory in a race and you can see how fast he progressed up the ladder.
Being in the XFINITY Series, the subject of the Cup drivers racing in the lower series and even though the fans don't like it, most of the drivers competing in the series don't mind it. Grala is one of those drivers who notice it helps when they are there and can ultimately benefit the sport in the long run.
"I think having Cup drivers in the XFINITY races helps up our game, and learn faster since the competition is raised to the next level," explained Grala. "It also helps bring fans and viewers to the series, where they might discover an XFINITY regular to cheer on. The fact that NASCAR keeps the number of starts limited for the Cup drivers and separates the standings, really helps the series regulars achieve their goals." (Koelle,2018)
Photo Credit - Brandon Wright/Brandon Wright Photography
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