By Rebecca Gladden

November 26, 2004

I'm not referring to the championship, of course. He's already won that.

But when it comes to winning over the fans, Kurt Busch has an uphill climb. Some of the obstacles he faces are of his own making; many are not.

The new Nextel Cup "Chase for the Championship" format works against Busch on several levels.

A majority of fans have not embraced the new points system. Websites and message boards across the Internet - including NASCAR.com - continued to track the season under the old points format right down to the final race. In theory, the old system would have seen Jeff Gordon win his fifth Cup title, with Busch finishing 247 points behind in 4th place.

Some will argue that the comparison is unreliable because teams would have employed entirely different strategies under the old format. Nevertheless, perception is often reality, and many fans perceive Busch to be NASCAR's first made-for-TV champion.

Even fans who were ambivalent about the new points system have to wonder whether the final outcome justified such a radical overhaul. One reason cited for the change was Matt Kenseth's anticlimactic 2003 title win. Kenseth had already locked up the championship heading into Homestead with an insurmountable lead over second place Jimmie Johnson. Kenseth won just one race in the entire season, while Ryan Newman, who won eight, finished a distant sixth in points.

Matt Kenseth won the championship with consistency, and in the end, Kurt Busch did as well. The 97 driver finished the season with 3 wins, fewer than second place Jimmie Johnson with 8, third place Jeff Gordon with 5, or fifth place Dale Earnhardt, Jr., with 6.

If one goal of the new points system was to reward winning over consistency, it failed to deliver.

Busch also found himself in the unenviable position of competing against four drivers with subplots more compelling than his own. For Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon, a win would have helped heal the heartbreak for those affected by the Hendrick plane crash tragedy, including themselves. Veteran driver Mark Martin was a sentimental favorite with over 20 years of Cup racing and no championship to show for it. And Dale Earnhardt, Jr., arguably the elite series' most popular driver, has had more than his share of challenges to overcome, including the serious burns suffered in a racing accident earlier this year. For Junior, a Cup title would solidify his standing as a driver independent of his famous father's long-reaching shadow.

Johnson and Gordon are handsome and polished; Earnhardt Junior, charismatic and appealing; Martin, humble and respected.

As for Busch, his quirky speaking style and lack of natural charm have made it difficult for fans to warm to him. He has been criticized, at times undeservedly, for being arrogant, immature, and an all-around smart aleck.

To his credit, Busch acknowledges his shortcomings and has taken steps to overcome them. He has learned to smile more, whine less, and think before he speaks.

"I need to do my job as a champion to lead Nextel into their second year," Busch explained after securing the title. "This is definitely a bullet point in my career that will help some of (the fans) realize that I'm not such a bad guy."

Kurt Busch has vowed to do whatever it takes to win over fans and represent NASCAR in a positive light as it's first-ever Nextel Cup champion.

The ongoing struggle between Busch and the fans may continue for some time, but judging by this young man's ability to achieve the goals he sets for himself, my money is on him.

The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN. Although we may not always agree with what is said, we do feel it's our duty to give a voice to those who have something relevant to say about the sport of auto racing.