Gibbs Has Franchise Player in Busch
AP
Posted: 2008-04-28 17:18:29
TALLADEGA, Ala. (April 28) - Maybe Joe Gibbs can afford to let Tony
Stewart go. The ol' coach already seems to have NASCAR's next star
on his roster.
Rusty Jarrett, NASCAR / Getty Images
Busch Survives
Talladega Madness
On another crazy day at Talladega, it's Kyle Busch who escapes for his second Sprint Cup Series victory of the year. The 22-year-old driver continues his breakout season and moves into second place in the points standings with the big win.
Kyle Busch did it again Sunday, this time conquering a track
that had always given him fits. As he pulled into Victory Lane at
Talladega Superspeedway, there appeared to be nothing this
22-year-old phenom can't do - even it means filling the shoes of
his teammate Stewart, a two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion.
Busch has already won twice in nine races on the Cup circuit,
trailing leader Jeff Burton by just 22 points. He's third on the
second-tier Nationwide Series, right on the tail of Clint Bowyer
and Carl Edwards, and was leading the Craftsman Truck Series until
he missed a conflicting race in Kansas City, dropping him to sixth
in the points.
In all, Busch has won seven races in the three series on tracks
of all varieties - a road course, an intermediate track, a
pseudo-short track and now a superspeedway.
"He's red hot," Gibbs said.
The Super Bowl-winning coach has put together a race team that
rivals his glory years with the Washington Redskins. Busch, Stewart
and Denny Hamlin are all in the top 10 a quarter of the way through
the season.
But the Talladega weekend began with reports that Stewart wanted
out, possibly as part of a deal to run his own team. Naturally,
Gibbs wants to keep his dream team together - and his senior driver
is under contract through 2009 - but he may face some hard
financial decisions.
Just like he did when running an NFL team.
To borrow a football phrase, Gibbs would probably feel inclined
to put the franchise tag on Busch instead of Stewart if forced to
make a choice. Busch is 14 years younger than Smoke, and he's
already shown himself to be a talented, fearless racer who'll mix
it up with anyone.
Drivers stop along the track during the NASCAR Nationwide series Diamond Hill Plywood 200 auto race at the Darlington International Raceway, in Darlington, S.C. Friday, May 9, 2008. (AP Photo/Patrick Collard)
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David Ragan (6) hits the wall the NASCAR Nationwide series Diamond Hill Plywood 200 auto race at the Darlington International Raceway, in Darlington, S.C. Friday, May 9, 2008. (AP Photo/Patrick Collard)
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Kyle Busch spins out as he hits the wall coming out of turn one during the NASCAR Nationwide series Diamond Hill Plywood 200 auto race at the Darlington International Raceway, in Darlington, S.C. Friday, May 9, 2008. (AP Photo/Virginia Postic)
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Tony Stewart comes out of turn three during the NASCAR Nationwide series Diamond Hill Plywood 200 auto race at the Darlington International Raceway, in Darlington, S.C. Friday, May 9, 2008. Stewart won the race. (AP Photo/Patrick Collard)
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The fieldrs follow the pace car for the start of the NASCAR Nationwide series Diamond Hill Plywood 200 auto race at the Darlington International Raceway, in Darlington, S.C. Friday, May 9, 2008. (AP Photo/Patrick Collard)
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Tony Stewart holds the checkered flag after winning the NASCAR Nationwide series Diamond Hill Plywood 200 auto race at the Darlington International Raceway, in Darlington, S.C. Friday, May 9, 2008. (AP Photo/C.J. Driggers)
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Flames shoot out of Stanton Barrett's car as he hits the wall the NASCAR Nationwide series Diamond Hill Plywood 200 auto race at the Darlington International Raceway, in Darlington, S.C. Friday, May 9, 2008. (AP Photo/Patrick Collard)
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DARLINGTON, SC - MAY 09: Tony Stewart, driver of the #20 Old Spice Toyota, makes a pit stop during the NASCAR Nationwide Series Diamond Hill Plywood 200 on May 9, 2008 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
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DARLINGTON, SC - MAY 09: The car of Matt Kenseth, driver of the #17 CitiFinancial Ford, is towed after crashing during the NASCAR Nationwide Series Diamond Hill Plywood 200 on May 9, 2008 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
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DARLINGTON, SC - MAY 09: Tony Stewart, driver of the #20 Old Spice Toyota, celebrates in victory lane after winning the NASCAR Nationwide Series Diamond Hill Plywood 200 on May 9, 2008 at Darlington Raceway in Darlington, South Carolina. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
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"The thing about Tony is we have been together for 10 years,"
Gibbs said. "It's been a great ride, and that's why we don't want
it to stop. We would love to have it work out pretty much the way
it did the last time" Stewart signed a new deal with Gibbs.
But, if Stewart decides to bolt, Busch would be a worthy
successor.
Heck, he already looks like the team's No. 1 driver.
"I am fortunate to be hooked up with this bunch," said Busch,
who turns 23 next week. "I guess I'm a decent enough driver, and
when you give me a good enough car, we can do something with it and
put it in the right position and we're able to run up front and do
well."
As good as Busch has been, he could have been even better. He
was leading at Bristol when his power steering broke. Mechanical
problems also plagued him at his hometown race in Las Vegas, where
he started from the pole, and on the fender-banging short track at
Martinsville.
But, as he showed at Talladega, a harrowing track where he had
failed to finish four of his last six races, Busch is racing in a
different gear than most of his rivals.
He fought his way back from a lap down after missing his pit box
and having to go around again without any drafting help, benefiting
from the "lucky dog" rule. Then, with just 18 laps to go, Busch
tangled with Jamie McMurray at the end of the long backstretch, the
No. 18 car nearly going sideways before he managed to save it.
Busch claimed the lead with five laps to go, blocked a couple of
passing attempts and coasted to the checkered flag when a massive
crash took out a dozen cars behind him, bringing out the yellow.
"We're blessed to be a part of it, to see it," said J.D.
Gibbs, the ex-coach's son and team president. "And the exciting
thing is you forget how young he is. How many years we have left to
grow together is really encouraging."
And to think, this guy was fired from his last gig.
Busch was dumped by Hendrick Motorsports after last season, the
powerful team deciding to go with fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr.
While no one doubted Busch's potential, he was known for being
reckless and impatient, as likely to wreck his car as get to the
finish. Plus, he was a bit of a brat, rubbing plenty of folks the
wrong way with his irrational behavior.
Busch still operates with a bit of an edge, but he's definitely
grown up on the track.
"I learned years ago that first you must finish to finish
first," he said. "I let that slip my mind for a little while and
became an idiot for a bit. I sort of remembered someone telling me
that again, and it's sort of worked out."
J.D. Gibbs knew he had a superstar on its hands after watching
Busch's test at Atlanta Motor Speedway last October, his very first
time working with JGR and crew chief Steve Addington.
"We realized we had something very special," Gibbs said. "You
could see it in Steve's eyes. I just think there's a lot of things
that really fit in the package, and first and foremost, you need to
have that guy behind the wheel. And he just has a natural talent.
That was never more evident than when Busch somehow kept his car
between the lines while jostling with McMurray.
"The save, I didn't know what was happening," Busch said. "I
thought I was going out of the park. Luckily, somehow, we got off
each other and kept it straight."
Then Juan Pablo Montoya hooked up behind Busch, pushing him to
the front, where he was able to race for the win.
Montoya finished second to match his career best on an oval
since moving to NASCAR midway through 2006. Hamlin was third.
"The whole race was crazy," Hamlin said. "Everyone got
antsy."
That showed in the waning laps, which were marked by three
separate accidents. The first came with 14 laps to go when Stewart
was stuck in the middle of a huge pack of cars. Bobby Labonte got
forced to the bottom of the track, and it set in motion a six-car
accident that ended Stewart's day.
Despite leading a race-high 61 laps, he dropped to 0-for-20 in
Talladega Cup races.
"That's what happens late in these races," Stewart said as he
surveyed his damaged car. "If it was my fault, I'm sorry. But by
looking at the video, I don't think I did anything wrong."
Busch certainly isn't doing anything wrong.
He looks like a franchise player.
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