Just when people begin to wonder what boneheaded maneuver Kyle Busch could possibly accomplish next, he goes and raises the bar, or lowers it, depending on one's perspective.
During last week's race at Texas Motor Speedway, Kyle Busch's in-car camera caught him making an obscene gesture at a NASCAR official which was broadcast live on the air.
Busch made the gesture in retaliation for getting a penalty as a result speeding on pit road. Instead of going one lap down, he was penalized an additional two laps and his race was pretty much over at that point.
Something like this comes as no surprise because Busch has a history of flying off the handle. Last Tuesday, NASCAR fined him $25,000 and placed him on probation until December 31st. Still, he made excuses for his actions.
"I accept NASCAR's penalty and realize what I did during Sunday's race at Texas was inappropriate," he was quoted as saying in an AP article on espn.com. "Even in my relatively short time here in NASCAR, it's pretty obvious to everyone that I wear my emotions on my sleeve. Sometimes that passion has allowed me to find that little something extra I needed to win, and other times it's made me cross the line. Sunday at Texas was one of those days."
What makes the entire situation completely ridiculous is that the official that Busch expressed his displeasure toward likely had nothing to do with the decision to penalize him. Besides, he was penalized for speeding and there is no one to blame for that but himself. Busch was the one in the car with his foot on the pedal.
Perhaps Kyle Busch should take some advice from self-help writer Napoleon Hill. "Self-discipline begins with the mastery of your thoughts. If you don't control what you think, you can't control what you do. Simply, self-discipline enables you to think first and act afterward."
Kyle Busch should develop the ability to think before he acts. Such an action is completely inappropriate when one realizes that children of all ages were watching the race on television, possibly even children who admire Kyle Busch and want to be like Kyle when they grow up. Yet on the other hand, why would anyone want to be like Kyle? Regardless, people in the public spotlight have to be responsible for their actions.
"I lost my cool, plain and simple," Busch was quoted as saying in an AP article on espn.com. "It's not acceptable, and I know that. I apologize to NASCAR, its fans, all the partners who support Joe Gibbs Racing, and all the people who work so hard to give me a racecar that's capable of winning races every week. All of those people deserve better from me, and I owe it to them to keep my emotions in check."
Despite being an incredibly talented racecar driver, Busch often leaves people wondering what he was thinking. While he did apologize, the entire situation should never have occurred.
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