This is going to be an unpopular column when it comes to NASCAR fans.
Let’s be clear I am a NASCAR fan first before I even write this blog, and it’s the main reason I even take the time to write in this space.
I’ve never been a real fan of Kyle Busch, although I do know some people who are. But it is hard to deny his racing talent. He won a championship two years ago, which was way before I thought he would have the composure, maturity, and focus to do so in the Cup Series. He proved me, and a lot of other people who follow racing closely, wrong. I have no shame in admitting that. Kyle Busch is a great race car driver and has the potential to win many more titles. Let’s not forget his championship came just eight months after breaking his leg in a huge crash at Daytona in 2015.
Busch may have been a little out of line to storm after Joey Logano and punch him in the face after the Kobalt 400 in Las Vegas. I’m not going to write about who was right and who was wrong in the incident. Busch walked right into a hornets nest and he clearly got the worst of the confrontation after being punched by Logano’s crew members.
I am here to say that I think Kyle Busch is NASCAR’s MVP. Or maybe it’s MVD, most valuable driver. And before you freak out, let me explain.
First, Busch going after Logano and then getting beat up by the Penske Racing crew members was to be expected from The Kyle Busch. At 31 years of age he may have a wife and a son and a championship now, but it is hard to leave that passion and fire for winning at home. Busch wants to win in everything he does, every single day. But it’s how we all accept losing that defines us. Busch does not handle it well, but that is NASCAR’s problem and also its benefit. He’s like a spoiled child, and there’s nothing wrong with that.
The Busch-Logano rumble in Vegas is the talk of NASCAR, and that is actually refreshing to me after two weeks of talk about rules, stages, and pit road speeding penalties. The fight even took the focus away from a dominant win by Martin Truex Jr., who was able to pass Brad Keselowski with two laps to go. Keselowski was close to winning his second straight Monster Energy Cup Series race after taking the checkered flag in Atlanta. It was all everyone could talk about leading up to Ryan Newman’s surprise win in Phoenix this past weekend.
NASCAR should not be this complicated. It should be about who wins, who wrecks, and what drivers you like and don’t like. The last few weeks I’ve heard way too much about downforce, how fast the drivers can go on different segments of the pit road, what the digital dashboards look like, and on and on. I really like Larry McReynolds on the Fox broadcast, but usually when he comes in to explain how things work I head to the refrigerator or the bathroom. Love you Larry, but no one sitting at home on their couch is ever going to be a NASCAR crew chief.
Now back to the fight.
Hearing someone say, “Did you see Kyle Busch get his ass kicked?” gets your attention way more than, “Can you believe there were 13 speeding penalties on pit road?”
I got several texts on Sunday from people I never would have thought to be watching the NASCAR race in Vegas, especially with a plethora of college basketball going on.
Every story needs a villain, and Busch is the NASCAR villain. Dale Jr. is the sport’s most popular driver, but Busch is its most important driver. Brad Keselowski could be the hated one, but he does not truly embrace the role. Keselowski also is more of an ambassador who speaks out on the issues.
Who would the fans boo if not for Kyle Busch? Who would get a better cheer when he crashes or blows an engine than Kyle Busch?
Sometimes people take NASCAR so seriously that they can’t realize that 40 drivers are actually putting on a show for your entertainment. Sure they get paid pretty well to do so, but they wouldn’t if no one was there to see it. Busch is part of the reason you pay for tickets, and it’s hard to say where NASCAR would be without him.
When I was growing up I watched a lot of IndyCar racing with my father. Back then it was CART or the PPG Indy Car Series. In the midwest we loved open-wheel racing. My favorite drivers were Danny Sullivan and Bobby Rahal. I met both of them at the Cleveland Grand Prix growing up. But man did I dislike Emerson Fittipaldi. I couldn’t stand him. Every week I hoped Rahal or Sullivan would come home with the win, but at the same time I always paid attention to where Fittipalid was. And most of the time my boos for him were stronger than my cheers for my favorite drivers.
That’s the Kyle Busch affect in NASCAR. You may hate him, but you’re always paying attention to where he’s running in the race.
I’m not telling anyone who has a disdain for Busch to change at all. I’m just simply pointing out how good he is at playing the ultimate NASCAR heel, to coin a term from professional wrestling.
The two drivers met face-to-face this week with NASCAR. Logano brought his laptop to show Busch data that made his points and he accepted responsibility for the accident. Both these drivers are very smart, and are a major part of the future of the sport. They know what they’re talking about, and they also know how to win. Busch will win another championship or two, Logano will win his first and then a lot more after that. We surely have not seen the last of these two and their intense desire to win. Let’s not forget Matt Kenseth intentionally wrecked Logano in the Chase of 2015. No one likes the guy who wins a lot and who is up front every week.
I agree with NASCAR’s decision not to suspend Busch this week. What would that accomplish? Do you think that would change Busch and the way he approaches each and every race? Absolutely not. What you see is what you get from Kyle Busch, and that is why he is NASCAR’s MVP.
(Above Photo by Chris Trotman/Getty Images)
Speed For Thought 