(WOMR file photo)

Every since the, now infamous, Kyle Busch-Ron Hornaday incident at Texas Motor Speedway back in November, I have been trying to understand why the brothers Busch seem to be at the crux of almost every controversy in NASCAR these days.  As their tenure in NASCAR lengthens Kyle and . . . → Read More: The Apple Does Not Fall Far From The Tree!]]>

(WOMR file photo)

Every since the, now infamous, Kyle Busch-Ron Hornaday incident at Texas Motor Speedway back in November, I have been trying to understand why the brothers Busch seem to be at the crux of almost every controversy in NASCAR these days.  As their tenure in NASCAR lengthens Kyle and Kurt seem to be more entrenched into their attitude of “NASCAR entitlement”, kind of “us against the world”. 

I have difficulty trying to understand Kyle’s childish behavior and negativism towards the press when he has not won a race.  Yet, on his winning nights, he is Mr. Personality.  To me a sure case of either, multiple personalities, Jekyll and Hyde, or more likely, “us against the world” mentality.

Likewise, I have been pondering many of the same questions in regards to Kyle’s older brother, Kurt.  For most of the 2011 season, Kurt’s radio transmissions from the race have made the headlines on ESPN weekly.  This year Kurt has been noted more for his “radio meltdowns” than for winning races!

However, the ultimate “meltdown” came at Homestead in the final race of the 2011 season.  That profanity laced attack on ESPN’s Dr. Jerry Punch was the straw that broke the camel’s back at Penske Racing!  Kurt was summarily dismissed from his very lucrative contract at Penske Racing after his tirade.

As race car drivers, the brothers Busch are extremely talented young men.  Nevertheless, they both are very intolerant, impatient, arrogant, rude, crude, and socially unacceptable!  Both brothers have had a very difficult time working with crew chiefs.  Poor Steve Addington received a double dose of the brothers Busch, once at JGR with Kyle, and last year at Penske with Kurt.  He has since resigned from Penske and is now taking on another steep challenge with Tony Stewart!

Both of the Busch brothers have had run-ins with local law enforcement agencies, as well.  Back in 2005, Kurt had a brush with the law at the fall race in Phoenix on a Saturday evening. He was apparently pulled over on suspicion of driving while intoxicated and cited for reckless driving while leaving the Phoenix International Raceway.  The Maricopa County Sheriff’s Deputy that pulled Kurt over stated that he was “argumentative and uncooperative”.  That led to Jack Roush to immediately terminate the 2004 Sprint cup champion with two races left in the season!

Kyle’s problem occurred earlier in 2011 when he and his wife decided to take a like “joy ride” and test out the new Lexus.  Ol Kylie was clocked doing 128 MPH in a 45 MPH zone!  I think that might be just a little excessive, and for most drivers that would justify the police officer cuffing the driver and escorting him downtown to the “pokey”!  Kyle did not suffer that consequence, however.

How can these two brothers constantly be in hot water?

I think that I have come up with a possible reason!  I remember reading an article that Rebecca Gladden, a member of the NASCAR citizen’s media corp, had written back in November of 2011 titled, “The Keys to Understanding the Busch Brothers”.  Ms. Gladden wrote that back in 2008 she read an article written by Raygan Swann, and therein lies some very interesting insights to the Brothers Busch.

In that article Mr. Swann explains that back in 2008 Gayle Busch, Kyle and Kurt’s mother, was to participate in the Mother’s Day festivities at Darlington Raceway, and would be introduced to the crowd with both of her sons, Kurt and Kyle.

According to the article, Mrs. Busch was concerned because the previous weekend, Kyle was involved in a crash with Dale Earnhardt Jr. at Richmond. “There will be a lot of hurt feelings this weekend, it will be very hard on me walking across the stage in front of Junior Nation,” she said, hinting at her disdain for Earnhardt Jr.’s fans.

Then, Gaye Busch continued: “I’ve always told Kurt and Kyle to keep their chins up and let it roll off their shoulders, get used to it. Sorry my boys weren’t born in the South and sorry they win.”

So ladies and gentlemen, there you have it in a nutshell as to why Kurt and Kyle act the way that they do, and the reason that they have the “us against the world” attitude!  Their attitudes were well formulated by their parents!  It appears that their intolerance, arrogance, and their “us against the world” attitudes were cultivated and reinforced right from the get-go at home!

Do you remember the old adage, “The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree”?  Well, here is proof positive that old saying is still alive, well, and neatly cultivated within the Busch Family!

What are your views regarding Kurt, Kyle, and their “us against the world” attitude?

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

(photo courtesy Kyle Busch Motorsports)

Kyle Busch has learned from the mistakes he made last season and he is ready to make a fresh go of it in 2012. Busch said during Monday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Media Tour he knows he can’t continue to . . . → Read More: The New Kyle Busch?]]>

(photo courtesy Kyle Busch Motorsports)

The 2012 version of “The New Kyle Busch”

Kyle Busch has learned from the mistakes he made last season and he is ready to make a fresh go of it in 2012. Busch said during Monday’s NASCAR Sprint Cup Media Tour he knows he can’t continue to display the kinds of emotional actions that led to so much controversy, and one might add, much more trouble last year.  Therein lies the reason for the 2012 version of the old version of “The New Kyle Busch”!

“I’ve got fans all the time that tell me they don’t want to see me change,” Busch said. “I’ve tried to keep that, but ultimately, it’s not going to work. If you keep getting in trouble, you’re not going to be here very long. I’m trying to change something.”

Although Joe Gibbs Racing management hasn’t officially commented on Busch’s limited Nationwide Series schedule this season, which will see time spent in both a Kyle Busch Motorsports entry, as well as a JGR ride, but no truck series starts, it is speculated sponsor M&M’s also had a say in the decision. Busch insists he has support from his race team, sponsors and most importantly his family and friends that have helped him work through the situation and concentrate on moving ahead in his life both professionally and personally.

Are we ready for the Busch brothers teamed together?

Ol Kylie will team with his brother “Potty Mouth” Kurt at KBM this year in the Nationwide Series. “I was feeling pretty good about our ownership chances in Nationwide, that’s going to be hard to beat,” J.D. Gibbs said about the Busch brothers pairing.” Joe Gibbs said he wasn’t in the discussions of Kyle racing for his own team. “I will say that I was not in that meeting or we would not be doing this,” Gibbs said. “These two (Busch and J.D. Gibbs) got together and somehow we are now racing against him.”

As for the day when KBM might be elevated to a Sprint Cup operation, Busch sees it down the road because of all the current complications associated with such a move. “That’s obviously something I look forward to doing,” Busch said. “The Cup side is kind of difficult just due to the constrictions that NASCAR puts on all of us with me driving for Joe Gibbs Racing. Essentially I could have one team, but if JGR ever went to four teams I would have to shut mine down so that makes it tough.”

As long as ol Kylie drives for JGR, or for that matter any Sprint Cup team, bringing KBM to the Sprint Cup level would count against his owner towards the maximum of four race teams.  Thereby, complicating the issue of elevating KBM to the Sprint Cup level while still driving for another race team.

Backed themselves into a corner

So for you die-hard Kylie fans who love “the bad boy image” of Kyle Busch, think about what just happened to his role model, big brother Kurt!  Big brother was summarily fired from his second race team!  Kurt did find employment with Phoenix Racing for 2012, not exactly a Roush-Fenway Racing or a Penske Racing caliber team.

It is my opinion that the Busch brothers are very edgy with their “us against the world”mentality.  That attitude has caused both brothers some problems with their car owners and sponsors.  Witness what happened to Kurt at the end of 2011, proof positive of the Busch attitude being problematic!  Additionally, the JGR/M&M’s difficulty, M&M’s removing sponsorship from Kyle for the last two races of 2011, only goes to fortify the thought that “the bad boy” image can only go so far before that attitude categorizes you as a persona non grata in the sport!

What are your thoughts on the teaming of the Busch brothers at Kyle Busch Motorsports?

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

 Kyle Busch Motorsports announced that it has signed a multi-year agreement with Monster Energy Company as primary sponsor of the team’s #54 Monster Energy Camry in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Team owner Kyle Busch, the all-time race winning driver in the history of the NASCAR Nationwide Series, will share . . . → Read More: KBM Announces Their 2012 Schedule]]>

(photo courtesy KBM)

 Kyle Busch Motorsports announced that it has signed a multi-year agreement with Monster Energy Company as primary sponsor of the team’s #54 Monster Energy Camry in the NASCAR Nationwide Series. Team owner Kyle Busch, the all-time race winning driver in the history of the NASCAR Nationwide Series, will share driving duties with his brother Kurt Busch, the 2004 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series Champion. Kyle will drive the season-opening race at Daytona International Speedway and the subsequent four races through California before splitting the balance of the season with Kurt.

The team’s goal will be to capture an Owner’s Championship in its inaugural race season, similar to the Owner’s Championship accomplished by KBM in its first full season in the Camping World Truck Series in 2010. The development of this duo as teammates fits perfectly for primary team sponsor Monster Energy, who forgoes traditional forms of advertising and instead seeks brand exposure through the use of Extreme Athletes. With Monster Energy looking for increased presence across the NASCAR fan base, the company identified the Busch brothers as the drivers that best fit its family of Monster Energy Team Athletes.

To complement the driver lineup, and ensure a strong competitive advantage, KBM brings industry veteran and winning crew chief Mike Beam into the fold as the #54 Monster Energy Camry team leader. Beam is a long-time fixture in NASCAR who has accomplished career victories across all three major touring series. At an early age, Mike became a successful contributor towards a variety of competitive racing organizations including Petty Enterprises and Roush Fenway Racing.

This announcement is very interesting!  With the new KBM entry into the Nationwide Series, it will combine the efforts of two of the most polarizing, and talented young race car drivers in the NASCAR Sprint Cup garage.  However, both brothers exhibit a very volatile, unfettered, and at times extremely unfocused attention span!

In light of this past season’s peculiarities, when both brothers ran afoul with the media, their sponsors, and at times with their car owners, it is worth keeping an eye out for just where these two brothers lead this race team!  KBM could possibly take the Nationwide Series by storm, just as was the case when KyBu entered into the Camping World Truck Series just a few short years ago.

What are your views on KBM’s entry into the Nationwide Series?

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

(WOMR file photo)

Phoenix Racing announced Monday that, in addition to running the complete NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule with Kurt Busch, they will field the #1 Chevrolet in a limited amount of NASCAR Nationwide Series races.  The first of the those Nationwide races will begin . . . → Read More: Phoenix Racing Announces Nationwide Schedule]]>

Kurt Busch's new Sprint Cup ride

(WOMR file photo)

Phoenix Racing announced Monday that, in addition to running the complete NASCAR Sprint Cup Series schedule with Kurt Busch, they will field the #1 Chevrolet in a limited amount of NASCAR Nationwide Series races.  The first of the those Nationwide races will begin with the NNS race at Daytona in February.  Phoenix Racing is planning to run all the major NNS races, and are actively seeking sponsorship to that end.

“Everyone at Phoenix Racing is excited about competing on the Nationwide circuit this year,” said Steve Barkdoll, General Manager of Phoenix Racing. “Our Nationwide Series team is a proven, winning organization and we’re looking forward to Busch continuing the tradition. This is a great opportunity for a company to partner with a top-notch program.”

With this latest announcement, it is now known that KuBu will be in the driver’s seat of Phoenix Racing’s Sprint Cup car, as well as in the Nationwide Series car with James Finch, as well.   Therefore, the rumor of KuBu driving a Kyle Busch Motorsports Nationwide car is now moot.

It will be very interesting to see how long this new driver/owner relationship will endure!  Can KuBu control his radio tirades?  Will KuBu be able to keep his razor-sharp tongue zipped this year?  Hmmmmmmmm…….

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

(photo courtesy Alam Marler)

It was revealed that Kurt Busch and  James Finch have struck a deal that allows Kurt to become the driver of the #51 Phoenix Racing Chevy in 2012!

“I’m very happy to join Phoenix Racing and after entertaining a lot of quality offers, there’s no better place for . . . → Read More: Kurt Busch Lands With Phoenix Racing]]>

(photo courtesy Alam Marler)

It was revealed that Kurt Busch and  James Finch have struck a deal that allows Kurt to become the driver of the #51 Phoenix Racing Chevy in 2012!

“I’m very happy to join Phoenix Racing and after entertaining a lot of quality offers, there’s no better place for me,” said Busch, winner of 24 Sprint Cup races, as well as the 2010 NASCAR Sprint All-Star Race, the 2011 Gatorade Duel, the 2004 Cup title and the 2011 Budweiser Shootout. “We’re going to run the full schedule together, and we’re going to have fun doing it.

“It’s going to be old-school racing, where we show up, race hard and go for the win. And if we don’t win, we’ll go back to the shop, work hard and do it all over again next week. That’s the way we all started racing, and it’s great to get back to that.”

James Finch, owner of Phoenix Racing, completed his 20th year as a NASCAR team owner in 2011. His Spartanburg, S.C.-based team has won 13 NASCAR races, the most prominent of which was the April 2009 Sprint Cup Series race at Talladega Superspeedway.

There also seems to be some talk in the hub of NASCAR racing, Charlotte, that Kurt may also be lining himself up to run some races for his brother’s Nationwide team, Kyle Busch Motorsports in 2012, as well.

“All we want to do is win,” Finch said. “Winning is why I’ve been in racing for as long as I have, but NASCAR is a very competitive sport, and winning – especially at the Sprint Cup level – is hard. But now with Kurt Busch as our driver, we have a shot to win every week. He’s a past champion and he’s proven he can win everywhere. Our sponsors are looking forward to Kurt representing their brands.”

Phoenix gets its engines and chassis from Hendrick Motorsports.

“We have excellent equipment and a hard-working group of guys who want that trophy at the end of every race. Kurt’s the guy who can deliver it to them,” Finch said.

It is quite interesting that James Finch offered KuBu a job driving for his race team.  When the story broke that KuBu had been “fired” from Penske, Finch was quoted in saying that “he would not pay Busch to drive his car and listen to his s**t”!

Well, I guess that Finch has changed his tune! He is going to pay Kurt to drive his car. Likewise, and this we all know this to be true, it is going to be a miracle if Kurt can keep his sharp tongued, cynical, and sarcastic opinions to himself!  So if all the prior logic falls into place, it would appear that Finch will be listening to KuBu’s s**t!

Nevertheless, it is going to be very interesting to see what kind of primary sponsorship that Phoenix Racing can arrange.  For most of Finch’s Sprint Cup races, his car is self sponsored, that is the Phoenix Construction Company.

Therefore, unless Finch secures some major sponsorship, Busch will be driving for a marginally underfunded race team, i.e., a second tier race team.  His chances of winning races in 2012 will be very slim, again, unless Finch secures some big dollar sponsors.

Do you think that James Finch can do what neither Jack Rousch nor Roger Penske could not do?  So far neither classy car owners were not able harness, and re-focus, all of Kurt Busch’s talent and energy, and redirect it positively!

Could this be the beginning of Kurt Busch’s slide down the  long slippery slope to obscurity?

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

It has just been confirmed by Joe Gibbs Racing that they have given Greg Zipadelli his unconditional release!  Those rumors had been flowing throughout the garage area in the final races of the Chase this year.  The release from Joe Gibbs Racing paves the way for Zippy to . . . → Read More: Greg Zipadelli New SHR Director of Competition]]>

(WOMR file photo)

Breaking News:

It has just been confirmed by Joe Gibbs Racing that they have given Greg Zipadelli his unconditional release!  Those rumors had been flowing throughout the garage area in the final races of the Chase this year.  The release from Joe Gibbs Racing paves the way for Zippy to be hired, and announced later today at Stewart-Haas Racing, as the new director of competition.  This reprises the very successful relationship that Tony and Greg had for ten years at Joe Gibbs Racing, where they combined for two Sprint Cup championships.  Granted, Zippy will not be in the capacity of crew chief for Stewart, nevertheless, Zipadelli will actually have a greater influence company-wide in his capacity of the director of competition for SHR.

Additionally, the garage word is that Zipadelli will be Danica Patrick’s crew chief, at least for the 2012 Daytona 500!

In the wake of this monumental shake-up at Joe Gibbs Racing, it is reported that Jason Ratcliff, the crew chief on the JGR #18 Nationwide team, will be announced later today as the replacement for Zipadelli, as the new crew chief on the JGR #20 Home Depot Toyota driven by Joey Logano.

To the average race fan, these transactions could almost resemble a multi team, multi-player trade in the NFL, MLB, or the NBA.  Now check this idea out!

Darian Grubb is terminated from SHR and lands a job at JGR as Denny Hamlin’s crew chief.  Greg Zipadelli works to secure a release from his contract so that he can take the job of SHR director of competition.    All the while, Steve Addington had his fill of Kurt Busch and his vile rants, resigns from Penske Racing, and gains employment at SHR as Stewart’s new crew chief on the #14 Office Depot/Mobil 1 Chevy.

With these two “new hires”, Addington and Zipadelli, is Stewart-Haas Racing now the new Joe Gibbs Racing?

So far it has worked out for everyone except Kurt Busch.  It seems that KuBu is still working with a sports psychologist, trying to harness his anger and direct it towards more positive results, and all the while desperately looking for some kind of gainful employment for the 2012 race season!  There are rumors of a possible hook-up with Richard Petty Motorsports for Kurt.

This off-season is anything but OFF!

Stay tuned for more of “the silly season”!

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

(WOMR file photo)

The latest rumors out of Charlotte is that Richard Petty Motorsports is in discussions with Kurt Busch to drive the flagship car for RPM, the #43 Best Buy Ford.

RPM currently fields cars for AJ Allmendinger and Marcos Ambrose. On Tuesday, the Sirius Speedway radio show reported . . . → Read More: RPM Courting Kurt Busch?]]>

(WOMR file photo)

The latest rumors out of Charlotte is that Richard Petty Motorsports is in discussions with Kurt Busch to drive the flagship car for RPM, the #43 Best Buy Ford.

RPM currently fields cars for AJ Allmendinger and Marcos Ambrose. On Tuesday, the Sirius Speedway radio show reported that RPM was considering Busch for the #43 Ford currently driven by Allmendinger.

RPM co-owner, Andy Murstein, considers Busch “a great talent” and believes the former Penske Racing driver “will find a home sooner, (rather) than later.”

“Kurt’s issues are far less severe than what other athletes have done in other sports,” Murstein told FOXSports.com Tuesday. “Those athletes have all received second chances and Kurt will too. He wasn’t caught running a dog-fighting ring, he wasn’t caught with a handgun in a club, he wasn’t using performance-enhancing drugs, and unlike his brother he wasn’t even letting his temper get the best of him to cause a wreck.

Obviously, Andy Murstein seems willing to take a huge chance on, the loose cannon that Kurt Busch has become.  It would also seem that the sponsor for the #43 Ford, Best Buy, is also willing to take a chance on the sharp tongue that has become the trademark of the brother’s Busch, in particular Kurt.

However, Murstein did not specifically address a possible move by Kurt Busch to RPM, and likewise RPM is still trying to get Best Buy signed for the 2012 season.  Nevertheless, the signals seem to point towards the possible joining of Kurt Busch and RPM for the 2012 race season.

Now what will happen to A.J. Almendinger, the present driver of the RPM #43 Best Buy Ford, if RPM moves forward with their attempt to secure the services of Kurt Busch for their #43 Best Buy Ford?  Will they, RPM, outright release the Dinger?  Will RPM try to secure sponsorship for  a third team?  The questions abound!

Just when it was widely thought that Kurt Busch had shot himself in the foot, loosing his ride at Penske Racing, there appears to be actually a couple of race teams left, in the Sprint Cup garage, that might offer Kurt Busch a job driving their race car for 2012!

Everyone deserves a second chance, however, by my calculations this would be Kurt’s third chance.  First was his initial opportunity with Roush-Fenway Racing, which he let his mouth runaway with his opinions about Sheriff Arpaio at Phoenix.  Then Roger Penske rescued Busch’s racing career and tried to cultivate a more urbane Kurt Busch, an obvious failure!

Will wonders never cease to amaze me?

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

(WOMR file photo)

We all remember the temper out burst in the Camping World Truck race at Texas where Kyle, under the yellow flag, pushed Ron Hornaday down the back straight, and then summarily stuck . . . → Read More: You Are Fired!]]>

(WOMR file photo)

Kurt Busch was not to be out done by his little brother’s on track activities at Texas.

We all remember the temper out burst in the Camping World Truck race at Texas where Kyle, under the yellow flag, pushed Ron Hornaday down the back straight, and then summarily stuck Hornaday, nose first, into the retaining wall.  That little outburst got ol Kylie “parked” for the weekend.  Additionally, M&M’s removed their sponsorship from the JGR Sprint Cup car for the remaining two races of the year.  The sponsors for the JGR #18 Nationwide car, Z-Lines Designs, requested, and Joe Gibbs Racing complied, replacing ol Kylie for the final two races, as well.  Those sanctions were pretty severe!

Fast forward to the last race of the season, at Homestead-Miami Speedway.  Kurt Busch experiences a mechanical issue that forces his team out of the race in the very early stages of the race.  As the ESPN pit reporter, Dr, Jerry Punch is waiting to go live for this interview with Kurt, Busch erupts into a profanity lace tirade that is directed towards D. Punch.  NASCAR found that Kurt’s behavior was out of line and issued a very hefty Christmas fine of $50,000!

After the fine was posted, the sponsors, the race team, and even ol Kurt himself, went into “max damage control”.  Corporate apologies, as well as personal apologies were flying all over the media, from Penske Racing, Shell/Pennzoil, and even Kurt Busch.  At the NASCAR banquet last week, word got out that Kurt was consulting with a sports psychologist to deal with his anger issues.  Consulting with a sports psychologist was, obviously, a bargaining chip in an attempt to try to save his job at Penske Racing.  Or could it be a way to try to show perspective team owners that he is salvageable/employable?  Hmmmmm…….

For the last couple of years, Kurt has been very critical of the Penske Racing performance, especially on the race radios.  This year his racing commentary has been great fodder for the media, since he is very critical of all who put the race cars on the track each and every week for Penske Racing.  He has gone through three crew chiefs in the last four years.  Just last week his 2011 crew chief, Steve Addington, resigned from that position, and took a similar position at Stewart-Haas Racing.  Addington’s previous position was at Joe Gibbs Racing as the crew chief for another highly opinionated Busch, Kyle.  So it was widely known that Addington had all that he could take of the “mouth cancer” of the Busch brothers, resigning after just one season with Kurt!

The Official Penske Racing Announcement:

Penske Racing announced today that it has reached a mutual agreement with driver Kurt Busch to end its driver/race team relationship, effective immediately. The team will evaluate its options for the driver of the #22 Sprint Cup Series car in the future while Busch will seek new opportunities with another race team. “I appreciate the victories that Kurt has brought Penske Racing and our sponsors over the past six years,” said Roger Penske. “While I am disappointed that Kurt will not be racing for our team in the future, both Kurt and I felt that separating at this time was best for all parties, including our team and sponsors. I wish Kurt the best in his future racing endeavors.”

Kurt Busch’s official statement:

“I am grateful to Penske Racing for six very productive years,” said Busch. “Together we won a lot of races -16 in all. Leaving a great organization and a lucrative contract is not easy, but it’s an important step for me and allows me to take a deep breath to work on things that can make me a better driver and a better person. I want to personally thank Roger Penske for the opportunity that he has given me.”

Additional Penske Racing comments:

Penske was out of the country and unavailable to comment directly. But Bud Denker, a senior vice president for Penske Corporation, said the split was best for all parties. “Kurt had some concern with our performance,” Denker told ESPN.com. “Obviously, we had concerns with his on and off the track behavior. We agreed to take the high road for both of us. We agreed that separating at this time was best for all parties, including Kurt and the sponsors.” Denker would not comment on whether Penske Racing had to meet any financial obligations to Busch, who had several years left on his contract. But he said “we have no further obligations, financially or contractually.” Denker said while Shell Pennzoil was consulted in the decision, “it was ultimately our decision.” “It’s important for people to understand the nature of what we’ve done,” Denker said. “It’s a mutual separation. Kurt came to the conclusion and we have as well that it’s time to move on. Kurt has been a terrific driver for us. He’s a friend. We have been working with problems and issues in the past. It’s well documented by everyone. As we looked at 2012 and beyond it was time to move on based on that incident at Homestead.” Denker said it was a difficult decision, noting Busch has done a great job promoting sponsors for Penske Racing.

That is a nice way of saying, “YOUR FIRED”!

Another interesting thought:

One of the criteria Shell/Pennzoil had when it signed with Penske Racing last season was to have a championship-caliber driver. That prompted the move of Busch from the #2 Miller Lite car to the #22. Denker said Busch’s replacement “may not be a championship driver right now,” but said Shell is behind anybody they choose. He acknowledged that David Ragan, who won at Daytona in June, might be a possibility. Ragan remains under contract with Roush Fenway Racing, but he doesn’t have a ride for 2012 because he lost sponsor UPS. Initial inquiries, multiple sources said, have been made. “It could be David, it could be others,” Denker said. “We have not started that process yet.”

The search is on to find a replacement driver for the Penske Racing #22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge.  Who will that be?

Likewise, Kurt Busch is going to be in the “max I need to find a job mode”!  He has many obstacles to overcome.  First and foremost is his volatile temper and his inability to channel that energy into a more positive force.  It is only 82 days until the beginning of the 2012 season and the Daytona 500.  Additionally, it appears that all of the good race teams have their driver lineups secured for 2012.  Therefore, it looks unlikely that KuBu will be able to worm himself into a competitive ride for the 2012 at this late date!  However, you just never know who will be willing to take on this liability?

Maybe Kyle Busch will hire his brother to drive the KBM #18 Camping World Series truck?

What are your thoughts on Penske severing ties with the 2004 Sprint Cup champion, Kurt Busch?

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

(WOMR file photo)

This is the first of a series of articles reflecting upon the 2011 NASCAR season.

It has been a few years since there was such a contentious relationship between a driver and the media.  The last time that a driver and members of the media had a difficult relationship . . . → Read More: NASCAR, Drivers, And The Media]]>

(WOMR file photo)

This is the first of a series of articles reflecting upon the 2011 NASCAR season.

It has been a few years since there was such a contentious relationship between a driver and the media.  The last time that a driver and members of the media had a difficult relationship was the infamous problem that occurred between the current Sprint Cup, Tony Stewart and a photo-journalist.

Stewart got physical, shoving the journalist, breaking some of his equipment, and causing a big stir!  NASCAR responded by requiring Stewart to attend “anger management” classes.  Stewart’s sponsor, Home Depot, got involved in the situation, as well, and fined Stewart $50,000 for his “anger outbreak”!  Additionally, Home depot required Tony Stewart to attend anger management classes to try to come to gripes with his temper.  That was the first time in NASCAR history that a sponsor had fined its own driver for “bad behavior”!

That incident embarrassed Stewart, his teammates at Joe Gibbs Racing, as well as his sponsor, Home Depot.

This year there has been a never-ending tale of verbal abuse, “mouth cancer”, that Kurt Busch has spewed over the radios aimed at his crew chief, pit crew team, and even to his owner, Roger Penske.  The KuBu hostilities erupted most recently at the season’s closing race at Homestead-Miami Speedway.  ESPN’s pit reported, Dr. Jerry Punch was on the receiving end of Kurt’s F-bombs, additional profanities, and one big M-F bomb lobed as in-coming to Punch while waiting to be interviewed!

Both Kurt Busch and his employer, Penske Racing, have been very busy this year issuing apology after apology for Kurt’s tirades.  However, issuing apology after apology for the same bad behavior starts to get very old, and is starting to fall on deaf ears.  Busch’s boss, Roger Penske, is the ultimate class act in racing, and in business as well, and you can bet he is starting to get tired of this repetitive bad behavior that he is having to deal with from KuBu.

Meanwhile, Kurt’s kid brother Kyle the shrub, was suspended by NASCAR for a race weekend because of his actions on the track.  His Sprint Cup car ran its final two races without primary sponsor M&M’s.  The company opted out because of Kyle’s behavior.  When a sponsor does that, it’s the ultimate warning signal to a race team!

The Busch brothers are extremely talented and when they can control their temper they’re pleasant company.  But I’m tired of excuses for their blowups – that they’re fiery, intense and competitive.  That kind of excuse doesn’t really cut it at this level of competition.  All the drivers are intense and competitive, or they wouldn’t have made it this far in their career!

No driver was more intense, fiery, and  competitive and Dale Earnhardt, Sr., Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison, and ol DW, Darrell Waltrip.  Nevertheless, these greats were never embroiled in such confrontations with reporters.

Sure, dealing with the media can be a pain in the you-know-what.  It’s often inconvenient, the questions get tiresome and drivers aren’t always in a chatty mood.  But it’s part of the job!  Without media coverage no sport, pro or amateur, can survive.  That’s particularly true in a sponsor-driven sport like NASCAR.  Companies don’t spend millions of dollars to advertise their product on a race car because the board members like the smell of burning rubber.  They do it for the exposure.  When that exposure turns sour and negative, sponsors become uncomfortable.

Back in the ’70s, when big sponsor money first began to pour into NASCAR, drivers understood that part of their job was to help promote the sport and its sponsors.  That meant cooperating with the media, which was just starting to seriously cover stock car racing.  The more exposure the sport received, the more sponsors wanted to be part of it, and the more sponsors, the more money for teams and drivers.

Drivers back then were smart enough to understand it. I’m not sure about some of today’s young hot-shots.  Back then the drivers, owners, and sponsors were all singing “Michael Row Your Boat Ashore” in perfect harmony!

These days, I’m always amused when I hear a driver say that all he wants to do is drive his race car and be left alone. Fine. He’s free to go out and race at any of hundreds of obscure little dirt bowls around the country.  He’ll be left alone, and also left without a pay check!  If he wants to play in the big leagues, there are certain big-league obligations that come along with the job.

Some drivers are like other celebrities, they want to bask in the fame and attention when it’s convenient, and turn it off when it’s not.  They don’t want to be “bothered,” or have to do anything they don’t want to do, like deal with the meddlesome media.  Read the last sentence of the previous paragraph!

Maligned as it sometimes is, media coverage is the life’s-blood of the sport.

Roger Penske, Joe Gibbs, as well as other team owners with problem children understand that.  In the wake of this season’s embarrassments, you can bet that they’ll remind their drivers about where their paychecks come from.

What are your views?

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!

(WOMR file photo)

Well folks, Kurt Busch feel very good about himself!  You see ol Kurt “donated” a check for $50,000.00 this week! You might think to yourself , what a philanthropic person ol Kurtie Busch is these days!  As ESPN’s Lee Corso . . . → Read More: NASCAR Gets Into Kurt’s Checkbook!]]>

(WOMR file photo)

Is it truly better to give than to receive?

Well folks, Kurt Busch feel very good about himself!  You see ol Kurt “donated” a check for $50,000.00 this week! You might think to yourself , what a philanthropic person ol Kurtie Busch is these days!  As ESPN’s Lee Corso would say, “not so fast my friend”!

As the story unfolds, Kurt wasn’t willfully feeling the Christmas cheer this week!  No, quite to the contrary.  This $50,000.00 check Kurt wrote might be somewhat painful.  The $50,000.00 is a fine levied by NASCAR, and came as the results of his foul, abusive, and profanity-laced tirade (mouth cancer) while waiting for ESPN’s Dr. Jerry Punch to interview him in the garage area during the Ford 400 at Homestead-Miami Speedway last weekend.

NASCAR determined that ol KuBu, who drives the Penske Racing #22 Shell/Pennzoil Dodge, violated Section 12-1 (actions detrimental to stock car racing – inappropriate hand gesture; abusive language) of the 2011 NASCAR Rule Book.

Quite to KuBu’s dismay, amateur video and audio, a clip of which has made the rounds on YouTube, shows Busch repeatedly cursing Punch.

Check out  the video and you will see that KuBu was BUSTED!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NsaBQq5D4Zg

What is with the brothers Busch?  It would appear that both are afflicted with that contagious disease called “mouth cancer”!

Again I ask the questions:

At what point does the car owners draw the line on risk vs. rewards? How much time does the car owner spend “mending” fences, publishing company apologies, and reassuring all their sponsors that the behavior in question won’t happen again?  It has to be a public relations nightmare, and a full-time job for both race teams these days!

Similarly, at what point do the sponsors, who write the huge checks to Roger Penske, decide that their money and corporate image could be better invested at another race team?  That is to say, is the risks worth the rewards?

Is KuBu approaching the point that his job is in jeopardy soon?  After all, he has just gone through his third crew chief in the last five years with Penske Racing!  There has got to be a common thread here!

Additional thoughts:

Let’s see, during the month of November NASCAR received a $50,000.00 dollar check from each of the brothers Busch for their NASCAR transgressions.  You do remember the ol Kylie/Ron Hornaday incident from Texas?  Is this just a coincidence, or does this speak to their self-centered, childish, immaturity that seems to be a common trait running in both of their personalities?

That is a total of $100,000.00 worth of fines just from Kyle and Kurt Busch.  Could there be a problem here?  Hmmmm……….I’m just sayin’!

What are your thoughts?

TIL NEXT TIME, I AM STILL WORKING ON MY REDNECK!