Wes Walk : Special Update - Kyle Busch

5.7219 in reply to 5.7218

h t t p://motorsports-soapbox.blogspot.com/2007/05/quit-cutting-on-shrub.html

Recently, some of the so-called “experts” have begun to wonder aloud whether Hendrick should dump the Shrub, opening a spot on his Nextel Cup superteam for the eminently available Earnhardt, Jr.

That, racefans, is nothing short of hogwash.

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I tremble to think what my life would be like if the national media had chronicled my comings and goings at age 22. I was immature, hedonistic, self-centered and rude, just like 99% of the 22-year olds in the world. I made my youthful mistakes under the merciful fog of anonymity, stumbling through one misadventure after another without having to worry about someone taking notes and reporting my misdeeds on ESPN. I said and did some incredibly stupid things, paid the price for that stupidity, and (usually) learned from my mistakes. In time, I emerged a mature, thoughtful adult, or as close to one as I have been able to come.

Kyle Busch will do the same.

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Make no mistake about it, once Busch discovers the maturity to match his immense talent, he will win races. And Rick Hendrick will have a third Nextel Cup champion in his stable. A champion named Busch, not Earnhardt.


here is my response (in agreeance) to this article:

As a competative 22 year old myself, I can understand all of the actions Kyle has made. There are moments in my life that I would not captured on camera, and there are times where I come across very well.

I'm extremely competative in my line of work, and if things aren't going right then I get mad and walk away from situations to prevent my intense motions from getting in the way. When I cool down, I'm more than willing to move on and/or discuss the situation.

Kyle is no different other than the fact that he has cameras pointing at him X amount of hours a week and people poking microphones in his face. Yes Kyle can be a bit of a hot head, but so can I and when put in certain situations so can everyone else. And one of the reasons Kyle has that reputation is the same exact reason that is going to land him a championship. He is driven (no pun intended) and he is passionate about what he does, and to me, that only spells success.

So he declined a few interviews, snuck away from the media, he's thrown his headset... if you think about the reason behind all of that is because he's emotionally invested and cares about the win - which is what racing is all about right?

People tend to focus on that instead of the charitable, funny side that Kyle has shown us - not to mention the newly founded Kyle Busch Foundation that seems to have been overlooked. People also forget that he's being compared to people who are in their 30's 40's and 50's who are married, some with children and have been racing in the Nextel Cup series long before Kyle got started. Jeff Burton is a remarkable guy, but he is years beyond Kyle you can't TRULY compare the two with eachother on a maturity and life experience level. Kyle is exactly where he should be at age 22, and if anything he's more mature than most of the guys I deal with day in and day out.

People also mistake his drive for arrogance, and that also bugs me. Hey, Tony Stewart is a phenomenal driver who has added a lot of spice to the sport, but I garantee you that you won't be hearing Kyle rattle off the word 'retirement' even in the heat of the moment, because that word doesn't exist in the land of Kyle Busch yet. The kid wants to win, and he'll do what it takes to get there. Let him grow and let him learn, give him the respect and the support he deserves and he'll become one of the best race car drivers of his time.