pandr
10-20-2011, 01:01 PM
NASCAR needs Kyle Busch in the Chase
By Jim Utter - charlotteobserver
Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011
It’s better for NASCAR if he does.
Like him or not, Busch brings excitement to the races in which he is a factor to win -- whether it’s response from the fans in the grandstands or his competitors on the track.
In marketing vernacular, he "turns the needle."
How could he not? Busch has won 51 races in the Nationwide Series and 30 in Trucks. He has 23 wins in the Cup series, including four this season.
In an interview for Showtime’s "Inside NASCAR" this week, four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon said of Busch, “When they win a championship and he figures out how to do it, he’ll be another Jimmie Johnson with five or six."
It’s no secret Busch has not done particularly well in the past when he has competed in the Chase and for the first four races of this year’s Chase, the performance didn’t appear to be much different. He was eighth in points entering last weekend’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
His appearance in the Chase was described by many as “quiet” – generally not a term associated with the 26-year-old Las Vegas native.
Yet something good happened at Charlotte last week – Busch and his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team turned some heads. He led the most laps in the race but was passed by race winner Matt Kenseth late in the race.
Busch’s second-place finish still allowed him to jump four positions in the series standings and with five races left in the Chase, he trails points leader Carl Edwards by 18 points.
If Busch can perform in the next five anywhere close to what he did at Charlotte, the complexion of this Chase will change dramatically.
Kyle Busch in contention for his first series championship could well irritate many race fans. It may rise the ire of several of his competitors, with whom he’s had run-ins with in the past.
Popular or not, however, Busch in the thick of the battle down the stretch will most likely be entertaining.
And that's exactly what NASCAR needs.
C/P fhzts racin
By Jim Utter - charlotteobserver
Wednesday, Oct. 19, 2011
It’s better for NASCAR if he does.
Like him or not, Busch brings excitement to the races in which he is a factor to win -- whether it’s response from the fans in the grandstands or his competitors on the track.
In marketing vernacular, he "turns the needle."
How could he not? Busch has won 51 races in the Nationwide Series and 30 in Trucks. He has 23 wins in the Cup series, including four this season.
In an interview for Showtime’s "Inside NASCAR" this week, four-time Cup champion Jeff Gordon said of Busch, “When they win a championship and he figures out how to do it, he’ll be another Jimmie Johnson with five or six."
It’s no secret Busch has not done particularly well in the past when he has competed in the Chase and for the first four races of this year’s Chase, the performance didn’t appear to be much different. He was eighth in points entering last weekend’s race at Charlotte Motor Speedway.
His appearance in the Chase was described by many as “quiet” – generally not a term associated with the 26-year-old Las Vegas native.
Yet something good happened at Charlotte last week – Busch and his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota team turned some heads. He led the most laps in the race but was passed by race winner Matt Kenseth late in the race.
Busch’s second-place finish still allowed him to jump four positions in the series standings and with five races left in the Chase, he trails points leader Carl Edwards by 18 points.
If Busch can perform in the next five anywhere close to what he did at Charlotte, the complexion of this Chase will change dramatically.
Kyle Busch in contention for his first series championship could well irritate many race fans. It may rise the ire of several of his competitors, with whom he’s had run-ins with in the past.
Popular or not, however, Busch in the thick of the battle down the stretch will most likely be entertaining.
And that's exactly what NASCAR needs.
C/P fhzts racin