BROOKLYN, MI - JUNE 12: Kyle Busch, driver of the #18 M&M's Toyota, stands in the garage during practice for the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series LifeLock 400 at Michigan International Speedway on June 12, 2009 in Brooklyn, Michigan
BROOKLYN, Mich. - Last weekend, Tony Stewart became the first owner/driver to win in NASCAR’s top series since 1998.
Kyle Busch smashed a guitar trophy - a Gibson Les Paul model embellished with Sam Bass artistry that carries a five-figure price tag - after winning the Nationwide Series race at Nashville Superspeedway.
Who got the most attention from race fans and the media? It wasn’t even close.
Internet message boards, radio shows and e-mail in-boxes were lit up, mostly by fans outraged over Busch’s behavior while Stewart’s hefty accomplishment was hardly acknowledged.
It’s really no surprise. As Busch’s victories in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Trucks series continue to rack up, so does the attention his actions and words receive.
Like it or not, Busch is becoming the face of NASCAR. That's mostly been the domain of Dale Earnhardt Jr. in recent seasons, but with his on-track success - and Earnhardt's lack of it - and off-track brashness, Busch is crowding into that shot.
Along the way, Busch - already controversial by any measure - has poured fuel on the fire by taking his shots at Earnhardt and his fans.
“You know, certain people just like to stir things up," said three-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, a former teammate of Busch’s at Hendrick Motorsports.
"Kyle, I’m sure, at points regrets stirring up the pot. But at other times, I think he thrives on it.”
To Johnson and many other observers, it's reminiscent of Darrell Waltrip's brashness decades ago, when Darrell Waltrip began challenging established stock car racing stars of that time.
“I mean, we all know Darrell in one way and Darrell doesn’t come off as a guy that bad-mouths a lot of people. But if you put a camera in front of him and put him at the race track, he has the nickname 'Jaws.' "
Busch just turned 24 and already has 51 wins in NASCAR’s top-three series. And, much to his critics’ disappointment, that's plenty of success to back up his talk.
But don’t give Busch all all of the blame - or credit.
The motorsports media often pepper Busch with questions unrelated to his racing success in hopes of sparking a controversial comment. And Busch has always obliged.
In the past several weeks, Busch has been asked about Earnhardt - the struggles on the track and replacement of the No. 88 team's crew chief - and he has unloaded.
On Friday at Michigan International Speedway, site of Sunday's LifeLock 400, Busch was asked about the criticism of his guitar-smashing maneuver. He said a lot of people hated it.
“I guess those are the ones with 88 tattooed on their arm. Or maybe still 8s,” he said.
“I’ve got no issues with Junior, it’s his fans that are crazy. But that’s all right.”
Earnhardt currently drives the No. 88 at Hendrick Motorsports and drove the No. 8 at Dale Earnhardt Inc.
A lot of people think the last thing Busch needs is more controversy. But Busch marches on, stepping all over the fan base of NASCAR’s most popular driver as he goes.
When a reporter asked Busch if he had expected his post-race celebration at Nashville to become such a hot topic, Busch said, "Sounds to me like the most popular driver award goes to Kyle Busch this year, right?”
Not so fast.
Busch certainly gives his fans plenty to crow about, but some in NASCAR see more negative responses than positive. And at least one longtime figure doesn't think that’s such a bad thing.
“Like him or dislike him, you have to agree he is one heck of a race car driver,” said NASCAR vice president Jim Hunter, who has held a number of jobs in racing, with NASCAR and sister company International Speedway Corp., since 1968.
“He’s having fun. He’s entertaining," Hunter said. "He has fun in what he says and what he does.
“Kyle evokes - or perhaps the better word is provokes - a response from fans, whether it’s favorable or an ‘I don’t care if I ever see Kyle Busch again’ response.
“He has the fans talking.”
And these days, all of NASCAR is listening.
Kyle Busch smashed a guitar trophy - a Gibson Les Paul model embellished with Sam Bass artistry that carries a five-figure price tag - after winning the Nationwide Series race at Nashville Superspeedway.
Who got the most attention from race fans and the media? It wasn’t even close.
Internet message boards, radio shows and e-mail in-boxes were lit up, mostly by fans outraged over Busch’s behavior while Stewart’s hefty accomplishment was hardly acknowledged.
It’s really no surprise. As Busch’s victories in NASCAR’s Sprint Cup, Nationwide and Trucks series continue to rack up, so does the attention his actions and words receive.
Like it or not, Busch is becoming the face of NASCAR. That's mostly been the domain of Dale Earnhardt Jr. in recent seasons, but with his on-track success - and Earnhardt's lack of it - and off-track brashness, Busch is crowding into that shot.
Along the way, Busch - already controversial by any measure - has poured fuel on the fire by taking his shots at Earnhardt and his fans.
“You know, certain people just like to stir things up," said three-time Cup champion Jimmie Johnson, a former teammate of Busch’s at Hendrick Motorsports.
"Kyle, I’m sure, at points regrets stirring up the pot. But at other times, I think he thrives on it.”
To Johnson and many other observers, it's reminiscent of Darrell Waltrip's brashness decades ago, when Darrell Waltrip began challenging established stock car racing stars of that time.
“I mean, we all know Darrell in one way and Darrell doesn’t come off as a guy that bad-mouths a lot of people. But if you put a camera in front of him and put him at the race track, he has the nickname 'Jaws.' "
Busch just turned 24 and already has 51 wins in NASCAR’s top-three series. And, much to his critics’ disappointment, that's plenty of success to back up his talk.
But don’t give Busch all all of the blame - or credit.
The motorsports media often pepper Busch with questions unrelated to his racing success in hopes of sparking a controversial comment. And Busch has always obliged.
In the past several weeks, Busch has been asked about Earnhardt - the struggles on the track and replacement of the No. 88 team's crew chief - and he has unloaded.
On Friday at Michigan International Speedway, site of Sunday's LifeLock 400, Busch was asked about the criticism of his guitar-smashing maneuver. He said a lot of people hated it.
“I guess those are the ones with 88 tattooed on their arm. Or maybe still 8s,” he said.
“I’ve got no issues with Junior, it’s his fans that are crazy. But that’s all right.”
Earnhardt currently drives the No. 88 at Hendrick Motorsports and drove the No. 8 at Dale Earnhardt Inc.
A lot of people think the last thing Busch needs is more controversy. But Busch marches on, stepping all over the fan base of NASCAR’s most popular driver as he goes.
When a reporter asked Busch if he had expected his post-race celebration at Nashville to become such a hot topic, Busch said, "Sounds to me like the most popular driver award goes to Kyle Busch this year, right?”
Not so fast.
Busch certainly gives his fans plenty to crow about, but some in NASCAR see more negative responses than positive. And at least one longtime figure doesn't think that’s such a bad thing.
“Like him or dislike him, you have to agree he is one heck of a race car driver,” said NASCAR vice president Jim Hunter, who has held a number of jobs in racing, with NASCAR and sister company International Speedway Corp., since 1968.
“He’s having fun. He’s entertaining," Hunter said. "He has fun in what he says and what he does.
“Kyle evokes - or perhaps the better word is provokes - a response from fans, whether it’s favorable or an ‘I don’t care if I ever see Kyle Busch again’ response.
“He has the fans talking.”
And these days, all of NASCAR is listening.
Posts
0 comments:
Post a Comment