Now, Busch says he’ll be a new man in 2012. He has to be.
"If you keep getting in trouble, you're not going to be here very long,” said the Joe Gibbs Racing driver during yesterday’s opening day of the annual NASCAR Sprint Media Tour. “I'm trying to change something."
That will be unwelcome news to many of Busch’s most ardent fans, who embrace their driver as much for his renegade persona as his indisputable skills behind the wheel of a race car. They worry that toning down Busch’s off-track demeanor will impact his race day brilliance, turning one of NASCAR’s most polarizing personalities into just another corporate yes-man, smiling at the cameras and thanking God, Goodyear and Gatorade for a seventh-place finish and a good points day.
“I've got fans that tell me all the time they don't want to see me change," admitted Busch yesterday. "I've tried to keep that, but ultimately, it's not going to work."
No matter how he tries, however, Busch cannot seem to avoid controversy. He was back on the hot seat again yesterday, when reporters asked about his new NASCAR Nationwide Series team. Busch confirmed recently that he will not race on the Camping World Truck Series this season; a change made at the request of JGR. He will, however, split a season of Nationwide Series competition with elder brother Kurt, driving a Monster Energy-sponsored Toyota out of his own Kyle Busch Motorsports stable. While that partnership was approved in advance by JGR President J.D. Gibbs, team owner Joe Gibbs pulled no punches in expressing his unhappiness with the arrangement.
"I will say that I was not in that meeting, or we would not be doing this," said Gibbs. "These two (Busch and J.D. Gibbs) got together and somehow, we are now racing against him."
No matter how hard he tries to toe the line, Kyle Busch just can’t catch a break.
he dsosent deserve a break unless its in the form of being barred from nascar
ReplyDeletewhat is wrong with a racer wanting to race? He's not the first to be brash or have an attitude, or be booed...Dale sr wasn't most popular drive until he died, I remember being 10 with my dale sr shirt and being booed. What he did to hornaday, inexcusible, but he was benched, and no athlete takes that well...you learn from it. You sound like the same folks that wanted Tim Richmond barred too...looking back, Tim wasn't all that bad huh?
DeleteHaters gonna hate. Pour them some Hatoraide.
DeleteI don't know that he deserves a break. And while I am not a Joe Gibbs fan, I can't say as I blame him for being upset.
ReplyDeleteAs a car owner he wants to have the best chance to win, if that means allowing one of his drivers to have a competing team,at a lower level, well that is what you have to do. Keeping your people happy and all that.
But to learn that it is going to be a full time effort, with two Cup level drivers (I know you can argue that point), how can you expect him to be happy about that?
An owners championship is not outside the realm of possibility for Busch's team. With the limited strength of field (full timers) in the Nationwide series already Busch had to know his boss wasn't going to be happy. To me it just seems like more of the kind of appearent selfish behavior we see from the Busch brothers.
He must use an electric razor, because he clearly still has a nose. Well, Kyle at least.
Joe stuck by Kyle. Unlike Roger Penske who did not stand by his guy for far less. I believe Kyle could learn a lot from Joe. Operative word-could, if he lets himself.
DeleteI like Kyle Busch, Hes just trying to be the best he can be, whats wrong with that.
ReplyDeleteWe need men in America that want to be the best.
Great american's is what made this country great.
If some one is wanting elite hood in racing, I say Go for it.
AMEN!!!!! AND AMEN!!!!!!
DeleteI wouldn't want to race against Kyle either...he can win anytime any place if he has the car and so can his brother. Can we say...Owners Championship in NW.
ReplyDeleteThis is going to be AWESOME...
I don't know about "catching a break." What part of "please don't race in the truck or Nationwide series so you can concentrate on your job with JGR" didn't he understand?
ReplyDeleteKyle will blow it again this year. Everyone was saying he was a changed man last year. I never believed it, I said, just wait and see. Sure enough, we saw the TRUE Kyle. Won't be any different this year.
ReplyDeleteCoach didn't want Kyle spending time racing JGR's Camry in Nationwide or Kyle's trucks, didn't say anything about Kyle forming a Nationwide team. Spilt milk Coach, spilt milk. He's got the most talented drive in NASCAR and he's trying to restrict his competitiveness? kyle and Kurt found a way to race and not impose on anyone except those who think they own them 100% and Kyle BROUGHT Monster to JGR as an associate sponsor.
ReplyDeleteCan't have it both ways Coach.
Doug from NJ
Doug, your facts are incorrect. Kyle did not bring Monster Energy to JGR as an associate sponsor, or anything else. Monster has never been associated with the Gibbs team.
DeleteI could swear I heard Kyle state he was bringing Monster as an associate to JGR when he revealed the new cars last week. If I am wrong, my apologies.
DeleteDoug from NJ
Dave, you are correct that Kyle did not bring Monster to JGR. Gibbs is a Coke racing family team. Kyle had NOS as his sponser under the Coke family. NOS will be partners with another NW driver this year, I cannot give that name out because I don't think that it has been anounced, but you probably already know that.
DeleteIn another Article(scene daily) Kyle Said Monster will be an Associate sponser on the #18 Sprint cup car. He also said the Monster Deal had been in the works since Feb. 2011 and JGR(J.D.) was in the loop the whole time. Since JGR did not mind Kyle and Denny Driving for Braun Racing. We know Joe did not pull Kyle because of driving for two different teams angle. Joe Pulling Kyle from the Nationwide JGR rides was as probably as far as he could go to try to show his displeasure for the Monster Deal
DeleteMake no mistake about it, if JGR was 100% opposed to Kyle racing in the Nationwide Series this season, we would not be racing in the Nationwide Series this season. Kyle told us last week that KBM has not yet turned a profit, and I doubt he would forfeit his multi-million dollar paycheck from JGR to continue losing money at KBM. Just my view.
Deletehttp://www.scenedaily.com/news/articles/nationwideseries/Busch_brothers_to_share_Nationwide_Series_ride_with_Kyle_Busch_Motorsports.html
DeleteThe Monster deal is a multiyear deal with KBM, and Monster will also be an associate sponsor on Busch's Cup car at JGR. The energy drink company obviously likes the Busch competitive spirit.
I think that means if Busch is dumb enough to "bump" a JGR car, he might be looking for that truck driving school number...
ReplyDeletePole! I am confident that Kyle will have a good year this season and hopefully not running in the truck series and running limited races in Nationwide will help focus Kyle in cup and get that championship! Go Kyle!!
ReplyDeleteAs soon as he agreed to tone it down Kyle became a corporate Yes Man. Duh....He wants to keep his job. I guess he is not so "Rowdy" after all.
ReplyDeleteHello Dave,
ReplyDeleteDoes KBM build their Nationwide cars from scratch or do they purchase the cars from another organization? also how much technical support if any is KBM receiving from JGR... I know last year the purchase a NW car from NEMO when Kimi was racing... Thanks!
KBM Builds its Truck and Nationwide cars from scratch. They get technical and manufacturer support from Toyota, but not from JGR, per se.
DeleteKyle needs a break from all his self-inflicted gun shoot wounds?
ReplyDeleteHe took the ride he should have given Ricky Carmichael!
ReplyDeleteit won't be long before kyle busch and kurt for that matter will have to fund their own stuff if they want to race. gibbs is at his end rope with kyle and kurt is already with a small non competitive team. i don't like either but they can drive. the both of them need an attitude adjustment in a bad way.
ReplyDeleteIf it wasn't for Kyle and Kurt NASCAR wouldnt have anything to talk about, NASCAR should be thankful that they had the brothers to help fill some air time up until 2012 season starts.
ReplyDeletewhat happened to NOS ?
ReplyDeleteI wouldn't say i always approve of Kyles attitude but who the Hell am I to approve or not. He may be one of the best wheel men in the past 20 years and is a Hell of a tallent. No maybe dont try to wreck people for racing you hard but as far as the way he speaks his mind I do dig that. And I am a Harvick fan saying all this. Geez this sport is going to be so sugared down we are all going to get type 2 diabetes soon. They made stewart quiet down and now I guess they are making Kyle....He was the best driver to watch in the trucks and nationwide.
ReplyDeleteI agree that Kyle is a talented driver.Ability and talent , unfortunately, can and will be overshadowed by attitude. NOBODY makes it to the highest level of racing as he has unless they have talent. I have always been impressed with his abilities,and un-impressed with his antics. I have to say though, there is no doubt in my mind that he will someday be in the Nascar Hall of Fame. He's that good. My favorite drivers through the years have been Cale Yarborough, Dale Sr., and Kevin Harvick. All of which have had there share of issues. :)
DeleteFirst off I am not a Kyle Fan But he has talent this sport hasn't seen in a long time, as for this eposide It is a problem with JD and Joe Gibbs, Kyle did exactly what he should has done, I guess he is dammed if he does and damned if he doesn't. All I have to say is chin up and do what is best for you. Good luck 2012.
ReplyDeleteCry me a river Joe Gibbs. If they are making deals without your knowledge maybe you need to tighten up the ship.
ReplyDeleteBob
OH FIDDLESTICKS! My vroom vroom isn't running well. C'mon boys. Anybody have any ideas? Let's huddle up and pray for some speed or handling!!! Stick to your local track. NASCAR's TOO corporate. SAVE-SOME-BUCKS!!
ReplyDeleteDon't see how this comes down to Kyle not being able to catch a break. Usually, when this is said, it is about someone getting the same bad result. That's not the case here. If anything, it's Coach not catching a break. Kyle was encouraged not to drive the truck because he gets himself into trouble driving his own equipment. So as a remedy to that, you let him drive his own equipment in the Nationwide series? Driving against your own equipment? Kyle gets to take the talent of KBM and chase bigger dollars in NNS with a talented Cup driver like Kurt and who he believes is the best driver in the NNS (himself). Yep, the way I read it, Kyle is catching a huge break, and Joe Gibbs is left wondering what the hell JD was thinking.
ReplyDelete