The 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series - LIVE on Motors TV

The Nationwide Series, NASCAR's star-name-stuffed second tier, returns to Motors TV in 2012 with live or delayed-as-live coverage of all 33 rounds.

Nationwide is the ideal stage for up-and-coming stock car drivers to cut their teeth and gain exposure in front of the Sprint Cup decision makers, often forming part of a triple header of oval track competition when it joins the Cup and Camping World Truck series weekender.

But in 2012 it will also be home to a plethora of big name drivers, with three-time IndyCar champion Sam Hornish Jr., fellow single-seater convert Danica Patrick and X-Games star Travis Pastrana all set to contest full campaigns.

Nationwide's origins date back to the 1950s, when it was a regional series for older model cars. The championship we know today was created in 1982 as the Budweiser Late Model Sportsman Series, and in that season the title was won by the legendary Dale Earnhardt.

The series was now well on its way with the cars raced only slightly older than what was being campaigned in the top-tier Winston Cup. Then as now, the series was a showcase for new drivers, but it also represented a way for established names to gain more track time and bring new sponsors into the sport. 

Four constructors participate in the Nationwide Series: Chrysler (with the Dodge Charger and Challenger), Ford (Fusion and Mustang), Chevrolet (Monte-Carlo SS and Impala) and Toyota (Camry). Since 2011 the series has featured a version of the "Car of Tomorrow".

NASCAR drivers can no longer compete in both series

The series' schedule is nearly identical to that of the Sprint Cup, and some rounds see a clutch of top division drivers competing in the Saturday races. However this created controversy, with many first-line drivers stealing the thunder of the newcomers, who subsequently found it hard to make a name for themselves. For 2011 NASCAR ruled that drivers can no longer compete for the title in both series and would have to declare their intentions before the start of the season.
 
The list of past champions is a who’s who in American stock car racing: 2000 Winston Cup champion, Bobby Labonte won in 1991, followed by Joe Nemechek in 1992.

But the series caught the eye of the American public when Dale Earnhardt Jr., the son of the “Intimidator”, took back-to-back titles in 1998 and '99, making the series must see TV.  After moving on to the Cup he still competed in a limited Nationwide programme, including the Super Speedway rounds at Daytona and Talladega. The 2000 years were dominated by Cup stars with Kevin Harvick, Carl Edwards and Kyle Bush winning titles. Just one non-Cup regular won a race in 2007 (Jason Leffler).

Danica Patrick and Travis Pastrana

Last year rising star Ricky Stenhouse Jr. took the championship spoils with two wins - and thanks to the series' new points system, as Kyle Busch and Carl Edwards won a combined 16 races but were not eligible for the title. Stenhouse will not returning to defend his crown 2012, stepping up to Sprint Cup, meaning this year’s Nationwide spotlight will shine brightest on Danica Patrick, who has made the move from IndyCar, and Travis Pastrana, who hopes to avoid injury and contest the full schedule.

The NASCAR Nationwide Series represents a thrilling addition to Motors TV's live programming line-up, joinung the likes Grand Am and ALMS. And with that: Ladies and Gentlemen, start your engines!