The long time Dale Earnhardt Sr fan in me makes me reflect back on the good old days when there were racing rivalries and those rivalries were not just words that were shown on or even off the track.
Everyone tuned in to see what Darrell Waltrip, aka “Jaws,” or Earnhardt Sr., aka “The Intimidator,” would do. Those drivers didn’t get these nicknames for no reason. They were the kind of drivers you either loved or hated, but you had an opinion on them, one way or the other.
With that said, Kyle Busch stands out with that type of personality. Busch may be cocky, but through his wife Samantha, we can see his softer side. We need more drivers like Busch to make this sport more interesting. I now find myself partly watching to see Busch drive the wheels off the car, get into a track scuffle, or cause an “accident” with someone, because Busch is a “no holds barred” type of driver. With Busch, what you see is what you get and I may never own up to it, but I like that.
Looking back, I like drivers with attitude. I like drivers that push the envelope such as Kevin Harvick and Tony “Smoke” Stewart. The sport needs more of what made the sport so popular years ago when everyone flocked to the tracks each weekend.
Both Jimmie Johnson and Matt Kenseth are good drivers, both deserve the 2013 championship, but they are like vanilla ice cream. It’s okay, but not anything there. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but for a sport to thrive you need flavor. You need some sprinkles on that ice cream. So yes, I am a closet Busch fan for being the type of driver NASCAR used to have. This is something the sport needs more of.
I look at the “cookie cutter” tracks today and there are a lot of empty seats. Even the outcome of the race is predictable. So why spend hard earned money to see what you already know is going to happen? NASCAR needs to take a look at what made them big because what they are doing now, is not working.
I like Busch because he is not predictable. You love him or you hate him, but you feel something and I can’t say that about too many other drivers.
As I sit in my Dale Earnhardt Jr gear, watching the season wind down to a vanilla ending, in my pocket are a few M&M’s.
Sorry Michelle, but I have to go with Jj. we don’t need a spoiled lil rich whinner. I give him credit the boy CAN drive a race car, but he is not repeat NOT gods gift to nascar. He is doin better but and I know you will agree he is not perfect. No matter what anyone says its a team sport and he is just one part of it. If the guys back in the shop don’t make everything perfect and he wins well then he whines about it. As a former racer you take the good days with the bad and move on down the road. But still luv ya!!! lol
Christian drivers can be hard to be neutral on, but the reasons are different today. Trevor Bayne said some love it or hate it thing about the way he is.
You must be referring to the times he doesn’t finish a race, gets out of his car, rips/jerks (your choice) the communication wires out of the car, takes Hornaday out of a truck race, gives officials the bird, stomps off to his hauler and sucks his thumb.
Or maybe the profanity that spews out of his mouth with he dresses down his pit crew after a less than perfect pitstop.
If that is the chocolate, strawberry and peanut butter ice cream you want, I’ll take vanilla.