Second To None: The History of the NASCAR Busch Series

NASCAR's Busch Series has always been about racing hard and having fun doing it. In the two decades since it grew out of the long-running Late Model Sportsman Series, the Busch circuit has become famous as a training ground for future Winston Cup stars like Jeff Gordon, Mark Martin, Bobby Labonte, and Dale Earnhardt Jr.But the Busch Series has also established its own tradition of ultra-competitive racing and colorful drivers. The series has fostered some legendary rivalries, starting with Sam Ard and Jack Ingram in its earliest years and continuing with more recent grudge matches between Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Matt Kenseth.And despite the fierce competition on the track, the Busch Series has also earned a reputation as a friendlier, less corporate circuit than the Winston tour, one in which the community of drivers, teams and fans still resembles an extended -- though often fractious -- family. When someone in that community unexpectedly misses a race, competitors will often call their home or shop to see that everything is OK.Until now, no single source has told the full story of the Busch Series from its origins to the present day. Second to None traces the beginnings of the series in the Sportsman class and reviews every season from 1982-2000.