Most of NASCAR’s top stars are enjoying a rare weekend off, and that’s just fine with the Nationwide Series regulars.

NASCAR’s top developmental series is most often run as a support event for Sprint Cup races, which allows many of the Cup stars to easily run both Nationwide and Cup. For the most part, the big names tend to dominate the Saturday races.

Last year, only three of 35 Nationwide — then called Busch — events were won by non-Cup drivers, and two of those — Stephen Leicht at Kentucky and Aric Almirola at Milwaukee — were races run separately from Cup events.

That’s why the Nationwide drivers love those occasional one-off races — like today’s Pepsi 300 at Nashville Superspeedway.

“I love running wheel-to-wheel with all the Cup drivers and teams week in, week out, but there is no doubting that Nationwide Series teams like ours look at stand-alone races like this weekend in Nashville as a chance to get a top result on the board,” Australian driver Marcos Ambrose said.

“In reality, it’s going to be nice to have a race with only a few Cup guys, and we expect a really strong run there.”

The Nashville field includes six Cup drivers who decided to race on their weekend off.

The Cup drivers racing at Nashville included Clint Bowyer, coming off a win in last week’s Nationwide race at Bristol, reigning Nationwide champion Carl Edwards, looking for his fourth straight Nashville Nationwide win, Kyle Busch, Denny Hamlin, David Ragan and David Reutimann.

Waltrip changes

With Dale Jarrett’s retirement following the Bristol race, David Reutimann will take over driving duties of the No. 44 Michael Waltrip Racing Camry — leaving the No. 00 Toyota in the hands of Michael McDowell, beginning next week in Martinsville.

Both cars are guaranteed starting spots at Martinsville based on owner points, with Reutimann leaving the 00 in 27th and Jarrett stepping away from the 44 in 34th.

“It will be nice to show up at a racetrack and know that we are locked into the race,” said Reutimann, who spent all of 2007 outside the top 35 and having to qualify for every race. “We have to keep moving forward in our points to insulate things.”

The 23-year-old McDowell will be making his Cup debut after serving an apprenticeship in ARCA and running four Nationwide races and one NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series event.

In preparation, McDowell has been spending time at the racetracks with the team’s spotters, as well as using racing simulators.

“It’s a PC-based simulator,” McDowell said. “I have a racing wheel, pedals, force feedback and a big monitor that’s almost (like) looking out the windshield of your race car. It makes a huge difference.”

He said he has used gaming and simulation so long that he’s been able to adapt to what’s real and what’s not real.

“When I went to Salem (Ind.) Speedway for the first time (in ARCA), I had already run 300 laps there on the simulator and, when we unloaded, I was the quickest, my first time ever there,” McDowell explained. “I led the practice off of my first lap and I thought that was just coincidence.

“Then we went to Kentucky and it was the same thing. The simulator really helps where you’re going to lift and how much brake pressure you’re going to use. The only thing you don’t get is that seat-of-the-pants car-sliding experience — it’s visual.”

So, is he ready for Martinsville’s .526-mile, paperclip-shaped oval?

“I think (the simulator is) a huge help and I’ve probably done 750 laps around Martinsville already,” McDowell said.

Quiet down

NASCAR on Fox analyst Darrell Waltrip, who lost his voice during last week’s race at Bristol, has been diagnosed with severely inflamed vocal cords and is under doctor’s orders to severely limit his speaking for the time being.

Waltrip, whose gravelly voice was almost painful to listen to during the Bristol telecast, saw Dr. Katherine Grant at the Vanderbilt Voice Clinic in Nashville, Tenn., on Wednesday. Grant, who has treated Charlie Daniels and other Nashville music stars, basically told the irrepressible former Cup champion to keep quiet for a while.

“It took eight years, but I finally figured out a way to get more air time,” joked Waltrip’s Fox colleague and former crew chief Jeff Hammond.

Waltrip is expected to be back in the booth in time for the Martinsville race on March 30.

He said it

“I’m pretty much going to lie low this weekend. We have been on a roll since the first week in January between testing in Daytona, then Las Vegas, then California. Right after that, we went to Speedweeks in Daytona, then California and straight to Vegas to race. Then, we had a two-day test in Phoenix before heading to the Atlanta race. I’m telling you, me and the rest of this team are ready for a break. A few days of rest are a good thing, but to mainly spend time with our families is the best part.” — Gillett Evernham Motorsports driver Elliott Sadler on the rare weekend off for Cup drivers.

Their picks

The majority of Cup drivers polled on their picks in the NCAA basketball tournament chose North Carolina as the eventual champion.

That’s not surprising, since most of the Cup drivers live in the Tarheel state.

But there was a surprising number of drivers voting for Kansas, led by Kansan Clint Bowyer, who has it all figured out.

“When Kansas beats (coach) Roy Williams and North Carolina on Saturday (of Final Four week), I’ll head to San Antonio after the Cup race in Texas for the national championship,” Bowyer said. “It looks like Kansas was meant to beat Roy Williams and I was meant to go the national championship. I love it when a plan comes together.”