Pat Tryson in difficult position in final races
It must be hard to be Pat Tryson these days.
Since announcing his intention to leave Penske Racing for Michael Waltrip Racing at the end of the NASCAR Sprint Cup season, Tryson has enjoyed some of his strongest runs with driver Kurt Busch.
In the 10 races since Tryson assumed the role of lame-duck crew chief, he and Busch have captured seven top-10s, including a win at Texas Motor Speedway.
So why is Tryson vacating his position with the 2004 Cup champion to become the pit boss for incoming MWR driver Martin Truex Jr., who has one career win and hadn’t posted a top-five all season until Sunday’s event at Phoenix International Raceway?
Perhaps Tryson just wants the challenge of working with a younger driver who some observers believe has not yet reached his full potential in NASCAR. Maybe MWR offered Tryson a contract with terms that he simply couldn’t refuse.
Or maybe Tryson finally just got tired of Busch’s familiar tirades over the team radio during races.
Whatever his reason for leaving may be, the thought must have crossed Tryson’s mind - probably more than once - that his decision to go elsewhere might have been a little premature.
As the old saying goes, the grass is often greener on the other side.
But in Tryson’s case, I’m not sure that will hold true.
