(photo courtesy RacinToday/HHP Alan Marler)
After Saturday night’s race and major flareup by Kurt Busch towards two different journalists, it may be that Mr. Kurt Busch needs a booster shot from none other than Dr. Jimmy Spencer!
After a run-in with Jimmie Johnson on the track at Richmond last Saturday night, Busch took out his frustrations on a couple of reporters. He had to be “restrained” when NASCAR.com’s Joe Menzer asked a question about his deal with Johnson, and later grabbed a quote sheet from AP reporter Jena Fryer and tore it up.
For those race fans that may have missed the little tussle between the very disrespectful potty mouth of Kurt and the right cross from “Mr. Excitement”, Jimmy Spencer, a few years ago, ponder this:
For those who have forgotten (including, apparently Kurt Busch), in 2003 Spencer socked Busch in the nose amid a similar tantrum. That attitude adjustment seemed to do wonders for Kurt’s decorum in ensuing years, except for Busch’s reference to his boss Roger Penske as “dude” in one of his radio rants. Obviously the attitude adjustment has apparently worn off!
Busch’s crack about Jimmie Johnson being a “five-time chump” who won his championships only because he had superior equipment was a childish and cheap shot. However, he’s entitled to think and say whatever he wants, and there’s nothing like an old-fashioned drivers’ feud to spice things up.
There likewise was nothing wrong with Busch’s beating and banging with Johnson on the track. It shows passion, emotion, creates excitement, and NASCAR needs a lot more of that in it’s races.
But Kurt should direct his tough-guy act toward his rival racers, and if he’s going to rant at the media, he should at least rant consistently. Don’t suck up to TV, then jump the print people when the camera’s turned off. That is just plain childish and extremely immature!
After conducting a mild-mannered post-race TV interview, Busch raged at Menzer for asking essentially the same question that the TV guy asked. Witnesses said the confrontation almost became physical.
It appears that the senior Las Vegas Weasel is starting to feel the pressure of the Chase! Sometimes drivers race better when they are angry or have a chip on their shoulder. However, some drivers crack under that same pressure and do something that is stupid, childish, and/or fail miserably in the goals that were set forth.
We shall see how Kurt Busch performs starting Sunday at Chicagoland.
PS I think that I just heard the PA system request Jimmy Spencer’s presence in Kurt Busch’s garage!
TIL NEXT TIME, I AM WORKING ON MY REDNECK!
