Click here to follow us on Twitter @circletrackplus

Random thoughts for a Friday about the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, wondering what the sanctioning body would charge a parched city for a weekend race day, err, days of rain.

Having known and heard about Kyle Busch in the last century, and fully aware how successful West Coast drivers had been in Sprint Cup competition, it was easy to secretly root for the young Las Vegas racer.

Secretly? As a journalist, you can't be open about such things when covering the sport. That's part of being old school: treat everyone the same, even those you feel could some day be among the elite.

Sportswriters shouldn't be fans.

At one of the first Major League Baseball games I staffed at Dodger Stadium, I was approached by a living legend, a long-time writer whose by-line was greatly respected.

“Young man, I am more than pleased that you have chosen this profession,” he said upon asking my name and affiliation. “Welcome, please feel free to ask me any questions you might have. I will answer to the best of my knowledge. All I ask, in return, is to respect your chosen craft.

“That's quite simple: Don't root in a press box, regardless of sport. Don't pass that bias along to your readers.”

That's being my guide. That's why I have kept a secret since 2001, when I first saw Busch drive. He's a natural, although his previous demeanor put some people off. However, for the last 16-24 months he's been a changed man and his fan base has grown.

That's why there wasn't a huge uproar when NASCAR granted him a waiver upon his return after a broken leg and ankle following his Xfinity Series crash in the season-opener at Daytona. If he won a Cup race an finished in the top 30, he would be Cup eligible.

Seven outings after missing 11, Busch is halfway there. He's won two races (Sonoma and Kentucky), he's 35th in points and is just 87 points out of the 30th place (Cole Whitt at the moment). However, Busch has also been unable to finish two races.

There are many, including myself, who believe Busch can meet the challenge, can display his God-given talent to makeup those points. However, for perhaps the first time in his long racing career, he'll need to change his methods a bit, consider the huge risks in taking a chance he might not otherwise thought about.

For the next nine races, there will be many of us rooting and pulling for him, secretly or otherwise. …

The number of home town home tracks seem to shrink each year. It's a real issue for some operators, working on paper-thin margins and trying to attract not just racers, but sponsors and fans. The sanctioning body isn't an issue, it's the sign of the times.

These quarter- and half-mile tracks are the beginning for the future generations of NASCAR drivers.

With such small profit windows, perhaps the track owners/.promoters/operators are right in wishing NASCAR would help by not scheduling as many races on Saturday night. There have already been three events on Saturday, and the All-Star race. Before the season is complete, there will be Saturday night races Aug. 22 (Bristol), Sept. 12 (Richmond) and Charlotte (Oct. 20).

These races may be great for ratings, but is it good for the sport in the long run?