“I forgot it was the Kyle Busch Show.”
Really, Brian Vickers? You haven’t noticed an overabundance of the No. 18, and its driver, in the camera shot this year? Huh. You must be watching a different NASCAR season from me.
Seriously, folks, if there’s one thing you learn as a sports fan, it’s that we love controversy. Whether we’re talking about domination, complete collapse, brilliant strategy, stumbling, eloquence or amazing idiocy, that is what fills our water cooler conversation every week. And as if he was this sport’s version of Paris Hilton, Kyle Busch has gone to the head of the NASCAR class in providing gossip fodder this year. I even have to grudgingly award him yet another star for eliciting such bitter retorts from Vickers on Saturday afternoon (Aug. 15).
In fact, I’m willing to go so far as to predict that, like it or not, in 20 years the antics of M&M’s Boy will fill pages of NASCAR history books sitting on the coffee table of an average fan.
Let’s face it; the boy can drive. He does things with four tires and a steering wheel that leaves every jaw in the house hanging. Despite his inability to summon a single gracious remark in his entire on-track career (at least, I can’t recall one – please disabuse me of the perception if possible), the younger Busch has everything required of a potential Hall of Fame career.
He wins. Yeah, so OK, he’s had a bit of trouble with that little thing lately; but you can’t ignore his double-digit stats in the win column of the three major NASCAR series. Even this year, he’s smashed (had to, just had to) a total of 11 trophies in a mere 54 starts. Damn, that’s good.
He won’t back down. Go ahead, make a list of your favorite classic drivers. How many bump ‘n runs are they responsible for? Unless they fall under the description of “gentleman racer,” I think you’ll find more than a handful of muscle moves on their resumes. Furthermore, how often did they apologize?
He makes headlines. As the fog of history takes over present-day events, only a few individuals survive the collective memory loss involved in an ever-evolving sport. Those people who won, mouthed off and made an impact on the daily workings of NASCAR are the ones we celebrate in history books.
Acknowledging these things doesn’t mean you have to like Busch. In fact, nothing makes my blood boil more than when the little kid decides to blame the entire world for his misfortunes… but I can’t ignore him.
So when Brian Vickers manages to post the same kind of stats as his nemesis, we can rename the broadcast “The Red Bull Racing Hour with Brian.” Until then, I’m afraid, we’re all going to be just guests on “The Kyle Busch Show.”
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