I blogged during last season's Chase that I was convinced that Jimmie Johnson would never lose another Cup race. He was that good and that dominant. Now I'm blogging about the same thing, but it's about Kyle Busch instead of Johnson.
I know Busch is the sport's new villain, a role he relishes and feeds off of, and I know a lot of fans love to hate him. But if you're a true NASCAR fan, you have to appreciate what this kid is doing. He has been brilliant in every level he's raced this season. He has ten victories this season in the sport's top three series, including a leading four Cup wins.
I'm predicting he'll win every Cup race the rest of this season (I'm only half kidding...he's been that good).
"I just want to win everything, man," Busch said after winning the Best Buy 400 at Dover Sunday. He won Sunday's race by four seconds! Do you realize how big a lead that is on a one-mile track? His lead was 6 seconds for most of the final 73 laps. That is domination re-defined. Race fans, you're seeing something special this season in the #18 Toyota Camry for Joe Gibbs Racing. You can hate the driver, but don't hate the accomplishments and talent.
With that said, I must admit, Sunday's race was less than exciting. After the big wreck took so many drivers out of contention, it turned into a bit of a snoozer. Only a handful of cars finished on the lead lap, no one had a chance to catch Kyle Busch and there was only one legitimate pass for the lead when Carl Edwards passed Greg Biffle. (Speaking of Biffle, the rumor mill says Biffle with re-sign with Roush Fenway Racing and that Jamie McMurray is out of the #26 car at the end of this season...and that McMurray's sponsor, Crown Royal, will move to Biffle's #16).
Some other observations. There were a lot of empty seats at Dover for Sunday's Cup race. By the end of the race, half the stands were empty. After Junior's day was ruined in the early multi-car crash, Earnhardt nation lost interest and left early. And enough people hate Kyle Busch that they didn't want to sit around and watch him turn in another dominating win.
But I also think there's a bigger factor at work at race tracks across the country and it's the economy. If you've ever been to a NASCAR race anywhere, you know how expensive everything is, from lodging and food to race tickets and merchandise. Let's face fiscal reality, we can't afford to gas up the RV and drive to a race. I think NASCAR is already feeling the negative effects of fuel and food prices and a sour economy.
Regular readers of my blog know that I'm a Jeff Gordon and Hendrick Motorsports fan. So, I must point out that three of the four HM drivers are currently in the top 12 in points (Earnhardt-3rd, Gordon-6th, Johnson-7th).
Sunday was especially sad for me because it was Fox Sports' last NASCAR broadcast of the season. I like their broadcast team and production better than any other network. I admit that this season's coverage felt a little tired at times (the gopher cam was neat the first few times I saw it...but then it all looked the same no matter what track he was burrowed-in...it was over used). I also have a personal bias toward Fox because pit reporter Krista Voda is a former colleague and friend. I'm so proud of her work and success. I'll miss seeing her every weekend on Fox and Speed.
Looking ahead to an upcoming blog entry, will Cup racing really come to Kentucky Speedway?
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