August 13, 2008
By Chuck Abrams
Just when people thought they were seeing a sliver of vulnerability in Kyle Busch, he comes back and tells everyone – shut the heck up.
Busch has now garnered eight wins this season and won both road course races in dominating fashion.
And he is not done yet. Busch has not been that good at Michigan (the site of this Sunday’s race) but Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin have been. Now that he is in the same Toyota that Stewart and Hamlin are in, well, I would not put it past him to add to his points lead.
Busch is better than average at Bristol, California and Richmond.
So how does anyone catch him? They don’t.
He will go into the Chase with at least an 80-point cushion over Carl Edwards, unless the wheels fall off over the next three weeks. On paper he did not perform well earlier at New Hampshire (the site of the first race of the Chase) but that was a race where he got into a tangle with Montoya and a race that was shortened by rain. Look for redemption on his mind as the Chase starts.
And then we return to Dover, the site of his fourth win this year.
And then….
Starting to get the picture?
Kansas and Homestead may be his only weak tracks but by the time they roll around to Miami, it may be all over but the celebration. Not that I am wanting to anoint him Cup Champ right now, but there appear to be few chinks in his armor. His two biggest threats seem to be from Carl Edwards and a resurgent Jimmie Johnson. Unless Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Jeff Gordon suddenly find Victory Lane (and frequently) or Jeff Burton and Tony Stewart suddenly leave Mediocre-ville, the only thing that can stop Busch the Younger, is himself -- or one of the other 42 cars that will be racing to pile up around him each week.
And that is the bane of the Chase format. Well, OK, one of the banes. But let’s not go there again. Keeping out of trouble when you are racing 42 other cars that are all running to get the best position they can before the year ends and they lose drivers or sponsorship has got to be nerve wracking.
Let’s face it, this year has been tough on a lot of teams financially and the Top 35 Rule is on everyone’s mind from 25th place on back. No one wants to end the season needing to qualify -- from Day One in 2009. And those maniacs are going to be gunning for each other.
I really don’t expect Kyle to start running for points and drive conservatively. I don’t think conservative in even in his vocabulary. He will race for wins in the last ten races as hard as he has the first 26 races.
And that is not good news for the rest of the field.
Those are my quick thoughts on the week. Let me know yours.
Drive fast, turn left and keep the shiny side up.
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