Opinion: Jimmie Johnson and Kurt Busch Make Something Out of Nothing

Days later it is still the majority of talk around the NASCAR world, Jimmie Johnson vs. Kurt Busch. Five-time vs. the champion that is often forgotten about, or Hendrick pretty boys vs. hard nosed racer.

Whatever you want to call it, there’s no denying that Johnson and Busch are quickly becoming a classic rivalry.

[media-credit name=”CIA Stock Photo” align=”alignright” width=”223″][/media-credit]Sunday in Pocono the two again made contact, adding to the long list of disagreements they’ve had in the past. In Pocono it appeared to start after Johnson swung a left to block Busch who was attempted to pass him. Busch went back at Johnson and the two hip-checked each other until Busch prevailed for third place.

After the checkered flag all eyes were on the two as Johnson quickly went to Busch’s No. 22 to express how he wasn’t pleased with the 2004 champion’s actions. The two started screaming at each other and left Pocono with their own versions of what had happened.

Here’s one more: rubbing is racing and five-time has forgotten that.

Johnson called Busch a crybaby and said he’s always taking shots at him. In response Busch made it known that he’s always been the one who has come out with the short end of the stick when he’s around Johnson. To that, it certainly seems the case.

So, when Johnson said on Sunday that Busch started the whole incident it was head shaking. In the heat of the moment any driver is going to be frustrated and believe that he did no wrong, but for Johnson to claim he would never wreck someone to pass him, that was more than confusing.

“He’s good for running his mouth,” said Johnson. “He can keep running it. I’ll shut it for him.”

Of that there shouldn’t be any doubt. History often repeats itself with these two.

It was Johnson who sent Busch wrecking last year in Pocono. It was Johnson who sent Busch into the tire barriers last year in Sonoma and it was Johnson who knocked Busch into the wall at Chicago in 2009.

And yet some still wonder why Busch has so many names and insults for Johnson. If there have been incidents where Busch has either instigated Johnson or run over him it seems they either were quickly forgotten about or not caught on tape. As such, Johnson is having a hard time not looking like a Busch bully.

This past weekend Busch nailed it on the head when asking why he and Johnson couldn’t race each other hard. Not only is it their jobs but Busch said it puts on a good show for the fans.

“If a five-time champion doesn’t know how to race, forgive me,” said Busch. “I was racing hard … we were racing hard. I think that’s what we saw on TV and exactly that’s what should be reported.”

Johnson though doesn’t seem to agree. Perfect example was last year in New Hampshire, another race the two went at it. While racing for the lead and the win they traded paint and bump and runs, no harm no foul. It was great racing on the one-mile track; it seemed to be how they were supposed to race each other on that type of track.

Except when Busch applied the bumper to Johnson to take the lead it didn’t go over well. “My thought process was ‘Wreck his ass,’” said Johnson afterwards. He went on to win the race after deciding to pass Busch clean. Things should have ended there, but the two just can’t seem to stay away from each other.

If Johnson was going to “wreck his ass” over a simple bump and run it falls into place with Jeff Gordon’s comments from last year. Gordon said Johnson wants to be raced differently than everyone else; something that Busch would never do to any of his 42 other competitors.

Clashing commence. Busch races hard as does Johnson and when the two get together the cameras better be ready. Unfortunately it took away from Brad Keselowski’s victory at Pocono, which he did with a broken ankle. Popular and praised for a few hours before the dissecting of Johnson vs. Busch started again on Web sites and talk shows.

Attention is still on Johnson and Busch, especially with the announcement today that they will both be in this weekend’s Nationwide Series race at Watkins Glen. Add in some road rage to another hot feud, on top of it being in a race where they aren’t racing for points, don’t be surprised if they are the top story again on this weekend.

At the same time, don’t believe that Kurt is St. Busch. He’s ruffled his own feathers in the series and has his own haters, think Jimmy Spencer and the 2002-2003 seasons. It also doesn’t take much to send Busch over the edge and make his team radio a perfect fit for late night on Comedy Central.

But when it comes to he and Johnson it’s hard to find Busch in the wrong. Just like on Sunday when what happened shouldn’t have become the issue that it has. They way they raced each other is what racing is about, what people want to see and what they get paid to do. Neither should forget that.

It shouldn’t have carried over onto pit road or into the media. No one should care that they’re racing in the NNS this weekend. Instead battle lines are being drawn and opinions are being formed on who was right and who was wrong.

If drivers are going to start having problems with what happened on Sunday then racing isn’t going to last much longer and neither will the fans interest. It’ll become the non-contact sport those accuse Roger Goodell of trying to make the NFL.

That’s why after Sunday it’s important for everyone to apply what Brad Keselowski said of his victory to the entire sport: man up and race.