Should Nascar Drivers Be Allowed to Race Away from the Cup Series?

The final off week for Cup drivers, led to tragic results for Kasey Kahne who elected to spend his free weekend racing at Williams Grove Speedway. Kahne, however, did not finish the race. Instead, a major crash left Kahne extremely lucky to walk away.

The incident brings to question, and a lot of discussion, on whether or not race team owners should limit their drivers on what they can and can't do during their off weekends.

David Caraviello, of Nascar.com, says yes, while Bill Kimm, of Nascar.com, is in disagreement.

However, both agree that the wreck that sent Kahne's personally owned sprint car over the wall to land 30 feet away from the track was a very scary event.

Any racing fan will tell you, that racing is a very unpredictable sport. History has proven that with some of the greatest wrecks, including the one that ended the left of the legend himself, Dale Earnhardt Sr.

Which stands to reason, should drivers be allowed to race elsewhere in there off time. It is a very good question and a small part of me wants to say yes, after all, it is there lives. Kimm pointed that out very nicely when he reminded everyone of Denny Hamlin's knee injury, but Kimm also brings up that drivers are an investment.

The sole purpose of investing is to get a return on your money. Can you imagine Rick Hendrick giving up the only man to ever get five consecutive championships in a row, Jimmie Johnson? How about the most popular of all race car drivers, Dale Earnhardt Jr.?

The answer to both questions is no. When anyone invest money into another person, place, or thing, they expect to get a return. Yet, they can not do that if their drivers are taken out of the picture by accidents away from the track. So should owners limit their drivers on what they can and can't do away from the track.

I have to say yes and no. Drivers are paid to drive for the Sprint Cup Series and should only be allowed to race in that series, not Nationwide or any other race. However, what they do on their own time is their own business, after all, are you going to tell a NFL superstar he can not play football away from the field.