NASCAR needs Kyle Busch and Earnhardt Jr. to step it up in 2010

By Jeff Owens - Executive Editor

Tuesday, November 24, 2009

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As Jimmie Johnson was basking in the glow of his historic achievement Sunday night, the attention of many NASCAR fans and followers was already turning toward 2010.

That’s the problem with historic winning streaks: They’re shining moments that must be celebrated but are hurriedly shoved aside and quickly forgotten in lieu of future possibilities.

Why dwell on a monumental occasion when no one is really happy about it except the history-making participants?

Most NASCAR fans would just as soon forget Johnson’s fourth straight championship because they are weary of seeing the same driver and same team dominate year after year.

So while the spotlight shone brightly on Johnson and his No. 48 team once again, and the NASCAR world prepared to honor him as champion – again! – the two most important drivers at Homestead-Miami Speedway were packing up and heading home with disappointing finishes.

While Johnson wrapped up his fourth title, the two most significant drivers in the sport limped home 13th and 25th in the final standings.

While Johnson may well make more history, winning a fifth, sixth and maybe even seventh title, it is Kyle Busch and Dale Earnhardt Jr. who carry the hope for the future squarely on their shoulders.

With interest in the sport clearly waning, with TV ratings and attendance on a sharp decline, it is Earnhardt Jr., the sport’s most popular driver, and Kyle Busch, it’s most controversial and entertaining star, who NASCAR need most.

They are the two drivers most capable of re-energizing fans and reigniting their love affair with the sport.

Earnhardt Jr. has a legion of fans who move the needle when it comes to TV ratings, attendance and souvenir sales.

Their interest in the sport ebbs and flows with Junior’s fortunes, and he has taken them on a dizzying roller-coaster ride the last two seasons.

Earnhardt Jr.’s struggles at Hendrick Motorsports have shocked Junior Nation and the NASCAR world because of the enormous promise and expectations he carried with him to the sport’s elite organization.

His disappointing performance this year – just two top-five finishes in the worst season of his career – is likely a significant factor in
NASCAR’s declining TV ratings.

When Junior wins races and is a legitimate championship contender, as he was five years ago, NASCAR experiences a surge in popularity. NASCAR Chairman Brian France has even emphasized more than once the importance of Earnhardt Jr. to the health of the sport.

That heavy burden and the high expectations that come with driving for Hendrick has no doubt contributed to Junior’s struggles. But it is a load he must bear and figure out how to carry if he is to be a contender again, giving his large fan base a reason to care.

Busch, meanwhile, has a similar impact on fans, though in a different way.

He is the sport’s most controversial and polarizing figure, striking a nerve with fans both good and bad.

He is the driver fans either love or hate. They either hate his aggressive driving style and brash, sometimes-arrogant demeanor or love his confident swagger and devil-may-care attitude.

Whether he’s bumping and banging his way to the front, taunting booing fans or smashing guitar trophies, no one stirs the emotions of fans the way Busch can.

Ironically, he is the anti-Junior and the anti-Johnson. Junior’s cult-like followers hate Busch because he is the aggressive, take-no-prisoners driver they want Junior to be, eliciting unthinkable comparisons to his famous father.

Hendrick fans, meanwhile, revel in the class and professionalism Johnson and teammate Jeff Gordon have demonstrated during their reigns at the top. They view Busch as the outcast, the driver who didn’t fit Hendrick’s white-collar image and was sent packing in favor of Junior.

But Busch is also arguably the second-most talented driver in the sport – as evidenced by his 12 wins the past two years – and the rising star most likely to challenge Johnson and knock him off his throne.

While Carl Edwards and Denny Hamlin have both shown championship potential with big seasons the last two years, it is the 24-year-old Busch who seems to offer the greatest possibility for a dominant, Johnson-like run.

Though he missed the Chase For The Sprint Cup this year, Busch showed remarkable consistency and maturity in his run to the Nationwide Series title. Though he dominated the series, winning nine races and finishing second 11 times, he also showed the patience and intelligence of a champion.

He vows to absorb those lessons and be a smarter racer in the Sprint Cup Series next year, which could finally make him a serious championship contender.

Aside from the sudden resurgence of Junior, nothing could be better for the sport than for a colorful and entertaining character like Busch to challenge Johnson and forge a rivalry with the driver who is his polar opposite.

NASCAR needs both Earnhardt Jr. and Busch to step up their games, giving the sport a burst of excitement and energy after four years of Johnson’s dominance.

They, more than any other drivers, can re-energize fans and give them hope for something new.

Jeff Owens is a writer for NASCAR Scene, which is published weekly, 46 weeks per year. Visit www.scenedaily.com for more information.