Oh my goodness, Ethyl, NASCAR is going to Hell in a hand basket ‘cuz one of them Toyoder drivers stole the championship. And what’s with a guy missing 11 races and still being able to race for the championship, anyway? That’s downright un-American. That Kyle Busch feller ain’t got no right to be a champion in my sport. He’s a arrogant smartass and he wins too much. That just ain’t right.
As I sit here typing this column, I already have a mental image of the words soon to be posted underneath it, as you, the rabid NASCAR-haters, rip me apart for telling to truth about the storybook-ending to Busch’s 2015 season. But you know what? I don’t care. This weekend isn’t about you, it’s about someone doing something spectacular.
No, it’s not the storybook ending most fans wanted to see and I can understand that; however, Busch is just as deserving of the title as Jeff Gordon, Kevin Harvick or Martin Truex Jr. would have been – if they had scored the win in the final race of the season.
The feel-good story would have been Gordon getting an unprecedented walk-off championship. Technically, it’s never been done in NASCAR. And had he won, I would be just as happy for him as I am for Busch. Despite the accusations, neither driver is “my favorite.” I like all drivers, well, almost all of them.
In some ways, Busch’s win is even more impressive than had any of the other drivers done it. Overcoming a broken leg, a broken foot and getting back behind the wheel of a racecar in three months is pretty amazing. Then he has to go out and win the enough races to make himself eligible for the Chase.
Considering he had zero points and wasn’t even listed on the driver standings report from NASCAR after the first race at Kansas Speedway, getting into the top 30 and being eligible was no small undertaking. The guy had to re-learn how to walk and he had to re-train his muscles to help him maneuver the car. I’m willing to post some pretty long odds that none of you reading this column could do what he did.
As for him being granted a waiver, it was the right thing to do. The idea that drivers had to attempt all races was not to penalize someone for getting hurt, it was done so road-course aces didn’t come in for a one-off deal and get a win that made them eligible to run for the championship. Had Busch not been injured, he would have run every race and the waiver would not have even been an issue.
Richard Petty didn’t run every single race of every single season to win each of his championships. So, why is social media blowing up that this is one of the worst thing to ever happen to the sport? And, yes, I know someone will probably go look up the stats on Petty. Don’t bother, I already did. It is also a known fact that many drivers back then cherry-picked the best-paying races rather than worrying about an entire series.
So, for once, try to look at the overall picture and not get bogged down in a dislike for Busch or the fact that he drives a Toyota or that he missed races because he got hurt. His championship run this year was legendary and something that will probably never happen again. It’s hard enough to win a NASCAR Sprint Cup Series championship when a driver is healthy. This accomplishment should have been impossible but Busch pulled off a miracle.
Congratulations, Kyle, you earned it.
And for the record, Ethyl is a fictitious character and not an identifier of any narrow-minded person’s family member.
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Jerry get over your large self. What are you saying? If he didn’t miss the 11 races and had the benefit of reset manipulations (without a win I might add…since the miraculous win today), what is so “legendary” about his run at a one race Championship? If this bullshitz system didn’t exist there is nothing “legendary” about anything he did regarding any Championship. He is and would be position 20 for over all points via the Classic points and not near sniffing the trophy. And lest we not forget the frozen field with 93 laps left to run last week. Oh the list goes on. But here it is, the folly has come home to roost in a big way. Many fans see it, and many are just happy “Harvick didn’t win it”. Lol. What a system. I see no miracle…I see a flawed system, that worked in the worst way it could. I figured it was down to Jeff or Kyle with the script…but BZF has always been an exploitive obsessed little genius in trying to garner what he views the eye catching stories for his failing sport to the outside world to see.
More of a Toyota-tolerator here. Chevy hater through and through. As for Kyle, I mentioned here a while back that I wouldn’t be upset if Kyle didn’t win the championship this season due to the circumstances. Well, he pulled it off any way and now many are crawling out of the woodwork to disparage his win. In the eyes of many NASCAR fans, this championship will forever remain tarnished due to Kyle missing so many races to start the season. Kyle won the championship within the rules laid out by NASCAR. I am not a fan of the rules and fully agree that under a legitimate points system, he wouldn’t have been any where near the top of the list at the end of the season. But, under these rules, he’s just as legitimate as anyone else that could have won it.
Jerry only you would open a column with a headline insulting fans you don’t like. While I agree with you that Kyle Busch had an impressive season and deserved his championship, and I have no problems with Toyotas (I drive an Avalon), your confrontational tone comes across like a cheap ploy to attract attention. Were you constantly picked last in kickball as a child? You sure seem to have a chip on your shoulder.
What’s that annoying noise in the distance? Oh it must be Jerry Jordan. Frontstretch’s answer to a question that nobody asked.
I’ve never given a crap about any of the emblems on any of the cars because that’s the only way you’d know one manufacturer from the other any more.
The title of the article showcases what a putz you are. You get over yourself you suck-up of a wanna be writer. Luck you and the horse you rose in on.
I’m sure glad you are going casual now, you’re patience and filter seems to be worn thin of late.
Yep, definitely been burning bridges.
Although if you look at some of the other comments in response to this article I just said what everyone else was thinking.
Jerry, I think you’ll see there’s a lot of us that don’t care what make of car anyone drives anymore as, other than engines, the cars are the same because of NA$CAR’s rules eliminating any creativity. However, if I was your editor, I would fire your ass immediately for extreme stupidity. You should know not to insult your readership like that. How stupid are you?
Another screed from the rare North American Compensated Troll. As usual with this lockstep-marching clickbaiter, I came to read the comments from the good writers, those posting below the third-grader’s insults.
Great column Jerry! It is rich that a bunch of people who come here every week only to malign groups and individuals with whom they disagree, would be so offended at a gentle jab. Need some cheese with that whine, folks? A box of tissues? A WAMBULANCE?
The idea that Kyle Busch had an advantage in starting the season with two broken limbs, multiple surgeries and grueling rehab is simply ludicrous. In effect, he spotted the competition 11 races and still managed the required top 30 in points and 4 pre-Chase wins. Then while the childish hoopla played out among Logano, Kenseth, Harvick and Keselowski, Kyle was the one who kept his head down and pointed his way into the Final. And while the media circus surrounding Jeff Gordon played on, Kyle stayed focused on the goal. And finally, with the championship within smelling distance, he endured a final pit stop and restart which he and his team executed to perfection.
The best driver won the championship. Period. End of story. No asterisks required.
President of the Jerry Jordan Fan Club? Drunk on the ‘Official Kool Aid of NA$CAR?
None of the above. I just disagree with the FS regulars who come here only to voice their [constant] outrage. NASCAR’s rules have always been arbitrary even in the Golden Age (as you remember it). I remember all the farcical “points” situations that decided championships over the past 30 years. At least the concept of winning the final race to win a championship leaves a satisfying feeling of racing for the title instead of stroking to the title.
But thanks for proving my point that the FS Fan Club is a lot better at dishing out insults than receiving them.
Yeah brokenrecord, the best driver in the Homestead race won the one race championship.
Any way you try to diminish it, racing for a championship is infinitely better than cruising to a 15th place finish to win the “points.”
It’s ironic that so many so-called race fans are opposed to racing!
Okay, let’s take a look at the World of Outlaws final Sprint Car point standings. Donny Schatz was the overall season champion by winning the point title by 544 over Shane Stewart while Brad Sweet was third and 673 points behind. Schatz won 31 races had 60 top five finishes and 70 top 10 finishes. Stewart had nine wins, 38 top fives and 57 top 10s while Sweet racked up five wins, 31 top fives and 60 top 10s. Now, as per NA$CAR logic, both Sweet and Stewart should be able to go into the last 10 races of the year with an equal chance like Schatz to win the point title and be season champ. Hell, even Logan Schuchart, who finished 10th in the points and 1626 points behind, should be able to have a chance yet…………are you effin’ kidding me? Whatever it is that you and Braindead Brian are on, please get rid of it. In racing, the season champ is determined by whoever has the best OVERALL season, the most consistent night in and night out racer all year.
Brokenarrow, you know where Kyle would have finished the season in points had Nascar been using the old points format? Twentieth! So, instead of finishing twentieth he is the season champion. Wow, what a farce!
Its articles like this that made me unsubscribe to the newsletter and unfollow a bunch of people on twitter. Congratulations Summer can now say she’s doesn’t write the dumbest articles on this site.
Really Jerry? The only reason that we are unhappy is because Kyle Busch is driving a Toyota and not a Chevy or Dodge? Do you really believe the crap that you write?
We are unhappy because we have a driver who missed 1/3 of the season and needed all sorts of special accommodations from NASCAR to be able to even make the Chase. I don’t care whose logo was on the front of the car. If you haven’t noticed, they are all alike anyway!
Can’t believe anyone with just a little bit of Nascar sense could say that Kyle won this “championship” and was deserving. Remember folks, this chase is suppose to be the season championship. Kyle missed a third of the season, half of the races leading up to the chase and he missed more races than are in the entire chase format. How in the world anyone and I do mean anyone could say that Kyle deserved to be in the chase after missing this many races is just plain crazy. And folks, before you jump on this I’m against Kyle rant, no driver who misses this many races should be allowed to be in the chase. Kyle got injured in the xfinity series in a wreck he caused. First, I have said for years now that no cup driver should be driving in these lower series because they are better drivers and in most cases have better teams and equipment. No way that is even close to being fair. And folks, if you look at the classic point standings using the old format before they went to this chase Kyle is ranked #20 in those points. Using the old format, Kyle wouldn’t even be on the stage at the awards banquet but due to this “exception” by Nascar he is the champ. What a crock! Beside Kyle’s name in the record book there needs to be an asterick saying he didn’t race in eleven races. Anybody that approves of this fiasco has to be drinking some serious Nascar Kool Aid. Scott i agree with you.
Frontstretch: the home of all the so-called NASCAR fans who are nothing more than a bunch sore losers living in a past that never happened.
And just a reminder, NASCAR has previously given waivers to Tony Stewart, Brian Vickers, Denny Hamlin, and Dale Earnhardt, Jr. The fact that they failed to execute the requirements for a championship is on them.
I don’t think any of the other names you mentioned missed eleven races. Come on man, how many races do you have to miss before Nascar says you can’t complete in the chase? Well, we know It’s gotta be at least eleven, right? So, from now on Nascar says if you miss eleven races you can be in the chase. Well, what if someone misses twelve races? Oh, guess Nascar won’t go there will they? But, from now on miss no more than eleven and you are in. We’ll see how that works out won’t we? What a crock and even you Kyle fans know in your heart this isn’t right. I said last night I would have given anything if Harvick or one of the other chase drivers would have mentioned that Kyle wasn’t a true champ because of the races he missed. But, No Nascar Driver past or present won’t go there because Nascar would black list them. Same with all the media people and announcers. They won’t say what they know to be true because their Nascar Career would be over. This is one of the biggest fiasco’s Brian France has ever created. His father and grandfather are rolling over in their graves!
PUT AN ASTERICK BY KYLE BUSCH’S CHAMPIONSHIP FOR ONLY RACING 25 RACES. NOT A CHAMPION IN MY BOOKS. BRIAN FRANCE WAS GOING TO DO ANYTHING HE COULD DO TO GET HIM IN THE CHASE. JUST REMEMBER HE WAS RUNNING IN THE XFINITY RACE AT THE TIME HE GOT INJURED. DON’T YOU THINK EVERYONE IS SICK OF ALL THE CUP DRIVERS TAKING A MAJORITY OF THE TROPHIES AWAY FROM THE XFINITY REGULARS AND KYLE HAS TAKEN PLENTY OF TROPHIES AWAY FROM THEM…. JUST PLAIN SICK OF KYLE BUSCH.
INSTEAD OF ROWDY ABOVE HIS DOOR IT SHOULD BE PEE WEE HERMAN BECA– USE HE LOOKS LIKE HIM.
Rod, it’s long overdue that cup drivers should be banned from the xfinity and truck series. No other sport in the world where you have the top athletes racing against up and coming athletes like Nascar allows. And, it’s not just the experience of the drivers. Most of these cup drivers are racing in the xfinity and truck series with far superior cars, equipment, crews, and unlimited budgets. Why Nascar doesn’t understand this I’ll never know! Oh wait, they probably do know this they just don’t care!
Hey Jerry, comparing Kyle to the other 3 eligible drivers does not exactly setting the bar very high, given that 16 wins was sitting on the bench. But keep hating the fans Jerry. I do agree about hating Toyota but your lack of tact is quite childlike. Way to piss off the people that ensure your job security. Speaking of, I would be pretty concerned about my job security over the next few years. Steward and Gordon fans will be gone from the sport and I don’t see many of them coming back. Good luck keeping those millennials interested in Nascar.
Hell, Jerry’s condescending tone pissed me off… AND I EVEN OWN A TOYOTA!
I put off reading the article because I wanted to give the food I ate time to digest. I still don’t want to read it so I came to the comments to reaffirm what I guessed Jerry wrote.
Jerry, why hasn’t Brian hired you yet. Keep sending your resume. It’s getting harder to remove that much brown from your nose, isn’t it?
Don’t hate the player, hate the game. Kyle didn’t make the rules, he just raced within them. Just because you, your uncle and your cousin once owned 25% of a street stock that race at Brokeback Speedway one time doesn’t mean you are qualified to comment on professional motorsports. Go back to trolling your local high school football blog.
Well Jerry if you had truly done your research you would know that prior to 1971 there were often 60+ races per year. This often meant multiple races on any given weekend at tracks that could be in different cities, so no one could possibly race all the races even if they wanted to. Even then, until the Latford system was instituted in 1975 different races rewarded various points depending on race length and prestige. David Pearson was the prime cherry picking driver, and if he had driven in all of the races, he likely would have won several more championships in the 70’s, but since he ran a limited schedule, he didn’t get rewarded with any additional “big trophies.”
Was Kyle Busch’s recovery and subsequent five wins impressive. Absolutely. Was it a championship season. No.
However, he played within the rules BZF dictated. And really no points scenario has been perfect throughout the history of NASCAR, however the current iteration is the most flawed of all.
Your insulting tone & complete disrespect for all Nascar fans (along with the harmful backwoods stereotyping) shows me what a cheap & pathetic headline grabbing writer(?) -(certainly not journalist or reporter) opportunist you are…I am quite well aware that Nascar needs Toyota a heck of a lot more than Toyota needs Nascar…I can assure you that I will Never waste my time reading the insulting & condescending trash you rag out again..
Jerry, Kyle’s rehabilitation just isn’t that awesome. I’d be willing to bet a lot of us here have faced and overcome adversity. It’s what people do. You simply can’t compare him to say… Nancy Kerrigan, although you could draw a comparison of Kevin Harvick to Tonya Harding.
Lol, Lol. Lol. : ) :) :). The superlatives of the Superhuman KB as dictated by the drooling Jerry was too much for a sane person to take, especially as it seems KB is the only millionaire with the best of care and private this and that and access to doctors 24/7 to accomplish this and the only human being that has done something wonderful. But in reality it wasn’t so wonderful because he rightfully so is 20th in classic points. The real baromter that true race fans look to. What else do we have? A whole lot of race manipulation and such, went his way…it was in the cards with him and Toys for some time this year. A one race Chump is not the stuff of legends..despite Jerry’s warm and fuzzy dreams and a few of the fan boys wanting to lump his whole career into one season..that is not how it should work, nor should a one race format.
One thing I think affected Nascar’s decision to grant Kyle a waiver is the Toyota Factor. I think Toyota has probably been complaining to Nascar about not winning a Championship in Cup Racing and maybe even threatening to get out of racing. That may have affected Nascar’s decision on this waiver. I just wonder if it had been a ford or chevy driver if they would have gotten this waiver? Wow! Can you imagine the headlines in the Japanese Media about Toyota winning the cup title? Oh, I know all you Toyota Fans will say that Toyota’s are built in this country but still it’s a Japanese Company. You have to remember that Nascar is all about money and for Toyota to threaten to withdraw from Nascar would probably affect their decisions. But, I think Nascar will continue to lose fans based on this decision to let a driver who missed this many races to be crowned the season champ when he missed nearly a third of the season. I’ll bet you could put past and present Nascar Drivers on a lie detector machine and you would have probably ninety eight percent of them saying that no way a driver who misses this many races and still be eligible for the title. And, yes that includes Darrell and Larry Mac although they won’t telll you that on tv or in editorials.
I doubt the Japanese media even knows NASCAR exists. And Chevy driver Kurt B got a waiver too. Step away from the ‘shine.
Larry, there are a lot of pissed off people echoing your statements regarding Toyota and this faux Champ. It might bite Brian, but then again nothing ever does. Talk about a charmed life with a silver spoon. SMH. 20th in overall “real points”, without race manipulation. Hard fact to overlook.
OK, so the article was slightly antagonistic, but seems like quite a few of the respondents went for it hook line and sinker. That anyone could believe that the sport handed a manufacturer a championship really shows shortsightedness. Is it even remotely possible a secret like that could be kept in this day and age? Would the Chevy and or Ford motor company roll over and accept that? Would an executive, driver, crew chief, crewman or even a secretary in any competing organization not “leak” the information in a red hot second?! Nothing stays a secret for long in 2015. As for Kyle (or any other driver) deserving the Championship after missing 11 races, did I miss something? He made the top 30, won 4 races and outperformed the other 16 drivers in the Chase. Every other driver has the opportunity to do the same and they did not, hence he is champion. That he didn’t race the first 11 was actually more of a hindrance than a benefit in racing for a title. Everyone else had a head start to become accustomed to the 2015 rules package. (we won’t even address the injury as many of you feel that because of his money, his body healed faster) For the sake of argument however, lets assume that he didn’t get hurt and raced in all the races. Even if he finished dead last … he would still be Champion based on his performance. So to all the nay sayers … I’m sorry your driver didn’t win (mine didn’t either), but don’t lesson someone else’s accomplishments by being a sore looser.
Oh c’mon H.R., you can do better than that. What this stinkpot “article” really is…………..is unmitigated tripe. From what I can see, is no one is blaming Kyle Busch for this mess. It’s all NA$CAR’s doing and the blame is being squarely placed on NA$CAR. Kyle Busch did what he was told he would have to do and he did it. No one has ever said that he didn’t have the talent to wheel a race car, he does and then some. But, I have yet to see in any other form of racing or racing series where you can miss about a third of the season and still be crowned as the season champion. In reality, those 11 races he missed meant absolutely nothing in the overall scheme of things. In racing, every race should mean as much as any other race be it the first race, the 15th race the 25th race or the last race. Every race should be part of crowning the season champion.
First, for those people, who have supported my columns throughout this season, I want to say “Thank you.” I don’t expect you to agree with every word I type and many of you have differing opinions, which I greatly respect. Some of you have the same of similar opinions as I do. That makes me feel good but there are others, who just want to spew venom and spread hateful insults.
I knew the haters would come out in force and try to detract from what Kyle Busch accomplished in becoming the 2015 CHAMPION. You se, all drivers race under the same rules. If they don’t like the rules they can find a different career. Each one of you are really big and mighty when typing anonymously (most of you, I know some of your real identities) but how many would stand up in front of Kyle Busch and say the things you type to his face? I’m betting none of you have the balls to do that because it’s way easier to talk shit behind a keyboard.
Throughout this entire season, I have written columns that incited the emotions of fans and haters, alike. And that was the goal. I don’t care what any of you think about me and the insults just go to show how childish and immature you are. Yeah, I’m fat. If you think that’s going to hurt my feelings by expressing it in the comments section of my column, you need to get more ammunition.
Kyle Busch overcame extreme odds to even get back in a racecar, much less compete for and win a championship. For you peoples stuck in 1985, #TheChase is here to stay. The old points system died years ago and no matter how much you malign Brian France or bitch about NASCAR, it won’t change.
The best thing you can do is embrace the change or go watch another sport. Personally, I don’t want to see fans leave NASCAR but if the fan base truly is made up of a bunch of rabid detractors of the sport, as many of you claim, then maybe you all leave together.
It sure didn’t seem like the hundreds of thousands of fans that I saw (yes, I was at the track) throughout the year hated the product they were watching. In fact, they cheered for their favorites, they booed their rivals and it looked like they had a good time. I think you – the complainers and haters – overestimate your numbers.
As for the claim that “NASCAR is dying” because the fan base is abandoning the sport, I would like to point you to other sporting events. Please attend the next professional hockey game or baseball game or football game in your area. Attendance is down at all of those events – it’s not just NASCAR. With everyone competing for money and the economy not rebounding like many predicted it is easier, and cheaper, to watch at home or on a mobile device/computer – which are not metered to count viewership. Are the numbers equal to TV viewers lost, probably not but, again, all sports are experiencing declines and they don’t have #TheChase to blame.
The truth is there are a bunch of people on this site, who do nothing but complain and whine about something they have no control over. There is a difference between constructive debate and simply lobbing insults and, trust me, I can lob insults with the best of them. I know before I ever type a single letter what response my columns will receive – it’s not because I’m a “hack journalist” as some of you claim. I’d be happy to put my resume up against any of yours. The reason you rip my columns apart is because what I write is the truth and it has become abundantly clear over this season that – YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH.
I felt compelled to reply, good job, but I’m not going to. Oh shit, did I just…
LOL. OMG. WTF……Seriously?????????????????????????????????????????????? Rolling, I am rolling here. O.k. I am upright..wait a minute…I’m laughing…sorry. What did you say again.
In fairness you do have a valid point regarding the people who post here and similar pages. And I unabashedly add myself to that group.Yet I wonder what the options are?
I doubt that the editor and your fellow writers would like it if those people posting so negatively went away. At best it would leave a boring site where writers submitted their views into a vacuum. At worst it would be a bunch of cheerleaders having a pep rally for a sport they dont participate in.
So while I have to agree with your frustration, I don’t think you would embrace a dramatic change.
If you think about it, such a change is already happening. Think back on all the writers and commenters of years past, those names we looked for when poking around for stuff about “our sport.” Those with a contrarian view, or even rubber-stamp types who would occasionally go off the reservation. A lot of them are gone, and few have ever popped up again. Everyone who owns at least one pair of glasses without a rose tint has a favorite site or writer or personality who has gone away and not returned, and not simply due to retirement or downsizing.
Some of those writers possibly wore out their welcome either with their editor or maybe with Nascar. But then some of them simply grew tired of either the sport or the job.
Same thing happens with fans.