Pocky's Paddock
by Bob Pockrass
Enough of the Busch-Earnhardt comparison
May 9, 2008
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Enough of the Kyle Busch-Dale Earnhardt Sr. comparisons already. Please.
It’s been nauseating to see the Kyle Busch-is-more-Dale Earnhardt-than-Dale Earnhardt Jr. comparisons this week.
First of all, Earnhardt Jr. has done nothing to try to make people believe that he is or wants to be Intimidator Jr. – he wants to follow in the footsteps of his father in winning races and being respected by his fellow competitors. He’s going to do that in his own style, in his own way. He might be a little nicer to his fellow competitors on the track, but don’t mistake that as being less worthy – maybe Earnhardt Jr. is just a little more calculated than his dad was.
Earnhardt Jr. is comfortable being who he is and not being Dale II. For that, he should be applauded instead of being ridiculed. He does it on and off the track. Could you really see his father building a country bar in downtown Charlotte? Probably not.
The other is the comparison between Dale Sr. and Busch. I just don’t get it. Busch will put a bumper on you, but he’s more than likely going to do it trying to make a daring move and seeing whose car will stick. Earnhardt Sr. would put the bumper on another driver to push him out of the way. He would make a daring move, but he wouldn’t lose control – he would just hold his line and dare his opponent to do the same.
Off the track, there seems to be little comparison. But remember, Busch is only 23 years old. Earnhardt Sr. didn’t compete in his first Cup race until he was 24 and didn’t run his first full season until he was 28. Few people knew Dale Earnahrdt Sr. at 23 the way they know Busch at 23.
It seems weird to compare Busch, still sort of a kid for the most part, with Earnhardt Sr. the man. And isn’t it time to stop trying to make Earnhardt Jr. a clone of his father?
It’s been nauseating to see the Kyle Busch-is-more-Dale Earnhardt-than-Dale Earnhardt Jr. comparisons this week.
First of all, Earnhardt Jr. has done nothing to try to make people believe that he is or wants to be Intimidator Jr. – he wants to follow in the footsteps of his father in winning races and being respected by his fellow competitors. He’s going to do that in his own style, in his own way. He might be a little nicer to his fellow competitors on the track, but don’t mistake that as being less worthy – maybe Earnhardt Jr. is just a little more calculated than his dad was.
Earnhardt Jr. is comfortable being who he is and not being Dale II. For that, he should be applauded instead of being ridiculed. He does it on and off the track. Could you really see his father building a country bar in downtown Charlotte? Probably not.
The other is the comparison between Dale Sr. and Busch. I just don’t get it. Busch will put a bumper on you, but he’s more than likely going to do it trying to make a daring move and seeing whose car will stick. Earnhardt Sr. would put the bumper on another driver to push him out of the way. He would make a daring move, but he wouldn’t lose control – he would just hold his line and dare his opponent to do the same.
Off the track, there seems to be little comparison. But remember, Busch is only 23 years old. Earnhardt Sr. didn’t compete in his first Cup race until he was 24 and didn’t run his first full season until he was 28. Few people knew Dale Earnahrdt Sr. at 23 the way they know Busch at 23.
It seems weird to compare Busch, still sort of a kid for the most part, with Earnhardt Sr. the man. And isn’t it time to stop trying to make Earnhardt Jr. a clone of his father?
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