Fresh off his all-star win, Tony Stewart is all the buzz of Charlotte this week, and rightfully so. Not only is he coming off a high profile win, he is enjoying success much sooner than even his most ardent supporters expected for him.
Hendrick Motorsports is all the rage for a variety of reasons. Jimmie Johnson is defending a title, plus Jeff Gordon’s resurgence, Mark Martin’s wins and Dale Jr’s struggles are an oft-popular topic.
While they grab all the headlines, Kurt Busch still labors in the shadows of these newsmakers, and he’s not even the most talked about member of his family. Talk about no respect- Rodney Dangerfield looked highly honored by comparison.
Today- it’s time to give a little love to the driver of the Blue Deuce. Third in the season points, the older Busch brother stands ahead of little bro Kyle (7th), the defending champ (4th), and last season’s Cup leader in wins Carl Edwards (12th). Picking up his 19th career win in Atlanta, Busch has more career victories than 2003 champion Matt Kenseth (18) and NASCAR favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. (18).
Am I making too big a deal out of the #2’s success? Am I just desperate for a positive story line?
I think not.
Remember this: a lot of people were leaving Busch and just about anyone else driving a Dodge for dead going into this season. You figure it was only a Ryan Newman win for Penske at Daytona and Kasey Kahne’s mid-season success that kept the Dodge name in the spotlight last year. After placing 7th in the 2007 standings, the 2004 Nextel Cup champion was mired in 18th. With the defection of Newman to Tony Stewart’s team and a perception that Roger Penske’s heart not being in the sport anymore, you would have had to look hard to find anyone who’s say Busch would make the chase, let alone be anything relevant in 2009.
One-third of the way into the season, and look what we have here. Kurt Busch is a player. The new engine Penske is running in their cars is no doubt a major ingredient, but its more than just that. Kurt Busch is driving with a purpose and he’s been a force to contend with every week. A look at the stats reveal a race to race consistency- with an average finish around 10 for the season, the last 10 races and the last 5 races. Every now and then he’ll hit a sour note, but Busch’s worst finish is his 23rd in Las Vegas.
It’s a good thing Kurt Busch’s fortunes are going well. He’ll have to have his “A-game” to stay in the mix with the likes of Johnson, Gordon, Stewart and Kyle. It’s kind of like Busch is the Tampa Bay Rays (sorry Kurt, I know you’re a Cubs guy- but hang with me here). The New York Yankees (HMS) have loads of bankroll, the Red Sox (SHR) have a history for success, but if like the Rays of 2008, if Busch can stay up front every week- suddenly- he’ll be the toast of the town.
Until then- he’s the stealth candidate- that David Pearson type guy that makes opponents say “How did HE get here?” at the front of the pack.
PHOTO CREDITS- Photo by plstt. To see more, visit flickr.com or click on the hyperlink.
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