Waid's World
by Steve Waid
Thundering out of the gates
February 27, 2008
More blog postings from Steve Waid
Right about now, I don’t think Kyle Busch misses Hendrick Motorsports.
When Dale Earnhardt Jr. moved over to Hendrick, it was Busch who made his exit from the team. He moved over to Joe Gibbs Racing and there was a lot of speculation about how he would perform.
After all, he was going to be the third headstrong personality on the team, along with Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin, and Gibbs had dropped Chevrolet in favor of Toyota.
I think it’s safe to say Busch and Gibbs are going to do very well if the early evidence is any indication.
Busch has logged top-five finishes in the Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series and Craftsman Truck Series races run to date.
He was fourth in the Daytona 500 and again in the Auto Club 500 Cup races. He was second in the Daytona Nationwide Series event and again in California.
Incidentally, teammate Stewart won both those races.
And in the trucks, Busch was second at Daytona and the winner in California.
He’s currently the points leader in Sprint Cup and Craftsman Trucks and is the first driver to lead those standings at the same time.
He’s second in the Nationwide Series rankings and would be first had not his teammate swept the races to date.
In the Auto Club 500, Busch diced with former teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon as the race wound down to its merciful close.
The Hendrick guys beat him to the finish line, but Busch said it was “cool” to race against them. They may no longer be teammates, but he respects them.
Sure, it’s very early in the season and over the course of the next several months, Busch’s hot start might cool down a bit.
But he’s come thundering out of the gates, which makes me think he’s perfectly happy to be right where he is.
When Dale Earnhardt Jr. moved over to Hendrick, it was Busch who made his exit from the team. He moved over to Joe Gibbs Racing and there was a lot of speculation about how he would perform.
After all, he was going to be the third headstrong personality on the team, along with Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin, and Gibbs had dropped Chevrolet in favor of Toyota.
I think it’s safe to say Busch and Gibbs are going to do very well if the early evidence is any indication.
Busch has logged top-five finishes in the Sprint Cup, Nationwide Series and Craftsman Truck Series races run to date.
He was fourth in the Daytona 500 and again in the Auto Club 500 Cup races. He was second in the Daytona Nationwide Series event and again in California.
Incidentally, teammate Stewart won both those races.
And in the trucks, Busch was second at Daytona and the winner in California.
He’s currently the points leader in Sprint Cup and Craftsman Trucks and is the first driver to lead those standings at the same time.
He’s second in the Nationwide Series rankings and would be first had not his teammate swept the races to date.
In the Auto Club 500, Busch diced with former teammates Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon as the race wound down to its merciful close.
The Hendrick guys beat him to the finish line, but Busch said it was “cool” to race against them. They may no longer be teammates, but he respects them.
Sure, it’s very early in the season and over the course of the next several months, Busch’s hot start might cool down a bit.
But he’s come thundering out of the gates, which makes me think he’s perfectly happy to be right where he is.
Average Rating:
0.0
Add Your Comments
Other Recent Blog Entries by Steve Waid
- Maybe the 600 won't be eventful -
- Childress worthy of hall of fame -
- Busch’s perceived villainy is OK on the track, but not away from it -
- NASCAR has a chance to make its drug policy a better one -
- Busch's best bet: stick to Sprint Cup -
- A good move – and give NASCAR credit -
- The episode that forced NASCAR to adapt -
Search
Other Blogs
Recent Blog Postings
- What does a victory really mean to a team?
by Rea White | - Coca-Cola 600 could be exciting race
by Bob Pockrass | - A few surprises after the confetti settles
by Kenny Bruce | - Should fans vote a driver into all-star race?
by Kris Johnson | - Burnout competition a grand concept
by Rea White | - Busch’s perceived villainy is OK on the track, but not away from it
by Steve Waid | - Pit crew challenge a unique experience
by Bob Pockrass |
Poll Position
After watching the all-star race, which of these lap leaders has the best chance of winning the Coca-Cola 600?