Kyle Busch Still Has A Long Way To Go

Last Sunday’s Goodys Fast Pain Relief 500 from Martinsville Speedway is a reminder of how far Kyle Busch still has to go before he is championship material.

Don’t get me wrong, the kid can drive. He’s got talent. He’s got the wins. But, what’s lacking is the consistency.

Sure, Steve Addington and the No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing team deserves some of the blame. But, Busch is still lacking the maturity to become Sprint Cup champion.

He’s come a long way from his Hendrick Motorsports days. Back then, it was no foreign sight to see Busch wrecking because of too-aggressive moves.

I’m sure you all remember the now-infamous incident when Busch’s left the track while his team fixed his race car. Dale Earnhardt Jr. limped the Hendrick car around the track, which you could say led to him signing with the team, and Busch being released.

It is this same immaturity that rears its ugly head every once and a while. And, so long as that is there, Busch will not win a championship.

When Busch wins, he usually does so in dominating fashion. On those days, few cars can keep up with him. It’s like he’s Superman. But, if that’s the case, his Kyptonite is patience.

Anything can frustrate Busch, which leads him to make mistakes like he did Sunday.

When Busch has an ill-handling car, or a mechanical problem, he lacks the patience to figure out the problem and still get a win, or salvage points.

Jimmie Johnson showed why he is a three-time champion on Sunday, battling an ill-handling car and managing to come back and win the race.

Busch has yet to do that week in and week out, and until he does, he may be NASCAR’s winning-est driver, but he won’t be Sprint Cup champion.

Johnson Muscles His Way To Victory In Goodys Pain Relief 500

Jimmie Johnson bumped Denny Hamlin out of the way in the closing laps of the Goodys Fast Pain Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway and held on to win.

Hamlin was very diplomatic about the incident, saying he was “honored” being on the racetrack with Johnson, and the other leaders. He said that it was just short track racing, and that he would have done the same thing.

Top 5: Johnson, Hamlin, Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, and Clint Bowyer.

Ryan Newman, Mark Martin, Dale Earnhardt Jr, AJ Allmendinger, and Jamie McMurray rounded out the top 10.

Notables: Kevin Harvick (12th), Juan Pablo Montoya (13th), Jeff Burton (15th), Bobby Labonte (16th), Kurt Busch (18th), Kasey Kahne (19th), Matt Kenseth (23rd), Kyle Busch (24th), Carl Edwards (26th), Greg Biffle (28th), and Brian Vickers (33rd). 

Give a call to Michael Waltrip Racing. Michael Waltrip (13th), Marcos Ambrose (14th), and David Reutimann (20th) all finished in the top 20. Reutimann ran well and stayed on the lead lap for most of the race. A late-race incident with David Stremme led to a Reutimann spin, which put him a lap down.

Also, Stewart Haas Racing deserves a call for finishing with both cars in the top 6. Stewart finished third, while Newman finished sixth.

Kyle Busch did not like the handle of his car, and he got frustrated early. He drove into the corner a little too hard a spun. He collected Scott Speed in the crash. Busch lost two laps and never recovered. Speed finished 76 laps down in 39th.

Gordon On Pole For Goodys Fast Pain Relief

NASCAR Sprint Cup qualifying for the Goodys Fast Pain Relief 500 from Martinsville Speedway was set by owner’s points due to rain. Jeff Gordon was awarded the pole position because he is the points leader.

Top 5: Gordon, Kurt Busch, Clint Bowyer, Kyle Busch, and Carl Edwards.

Kasey Kahne, Tony Stewart, Denny Hamlin, Jimmie Johnson, and Matt Kenseth will start sixth through 10th, respectively.

Notables: David Reutimann (11th), KEvin Harvick (12th), Jeff Burton (13th), Greg Biffle (18th), Dale Earnhardt Jr (19th), and Ryan Newman (27th).

Will Not Start: Sterlin Marlin, Tony Raines, Dennis Setzer, and Derrike Cope.

Hendrick, Earnhardt Jr Defend Eury Jr

After Dale Earnhardt Jr’s slow start to the season — one top 10, 19th in points — the team and crew chief Tony Eury Jr are starting to hear more and more criticism.

When Earnhardt Jr signed on with Hendrick Motorsports, people expected greatness. After one full season, people expect Jr to have adjusted to his new team and for the wins to start coming. But, that hasn’t happened thus far this season.

Instead, Jr has run in the teens, and hasn’t seriously contended for a win. As a result, Jr Nation has been calling for Eury’s head.

Ironically enough, Jr, not Eury, was not the one who made mistakes in the Daytona 500. And, faulty parts were to blame for the team’s poor performance in the Auto Club 500. So, maybe Eury is not to blame for the team’s struggles. Still, he gets the criticism because Jr Nation believes he is the weak link.

Dale Earnhardt Jr spoke out on behalf of his embattled crew cheif, saying:

The guy I feel bad for is Tony Jr. He gets criticized so bad. Everybody in this room…knows how smart of a guy he is, certainly knows he’s a good mechanic and a solid crew chief. … I’ll take the fall. I’d rather be crucified than him. Every time I read in the paper that people are on his case I feel like I’m sending my brother to jail for a crime I committed.

And now, the man himself — Rick Hendrick — did the same:

Right now Tony Jr. is our guy. I’m 100% behind this group. I have no intentions of making any [personnel] changes. … I have all intentions of making it better. These guys are working their butts off … and I have to believe in the next few weeks we’re going to see some real success out of that crowd.

The team met for three hours to discuss their performance and to try to figure out ways to improve. And Jr himself has vowed to workout more and diet better.

Time will tell if these were steps in the right direction, but it is a positive sign to see that the team, and the driver, are doing everything they can to get better. For now, that will have to do for Jr Nation.

ESPN, the AP, and the Los Angeles Times also reported on this story.

Earnhardts To Drive For RWR

Rick Ware Racing has announced that Kerry and Jeffrey Earnhardt will drive its Chevys for several races this Nationwide season.

Kerry is the son of the seven-time Sprint Cup champion, and half-brother of Dale Earnhardt Jr. Jeffrey is the grandson of Dale Sr.

RWR fields that No. 31 and No. 41 Chevys in the series. The No. 31 will be the focus of the team, with the No. 41 running on a part time basis.

Jeffrey was, and still is, a developmental driver for Dale Earnhardt Inc. DEI and RWR formed an alliance, and DEI will provide some Chevys to RWR.

Jeffrey is slated to drive  at Dover International Speedway, Chicagoland Speedway, Watkins Glen International, Circuit Gilles Villeneuve, Michigan International Speedway, Atlanta Motor Speedway and Lowe’s Motor Speedway.  Jeffrey may also race at Iowa Speedway and Auto Club Speedway, but those would have to be switched for other races to keep Jeffrey eligible for Rookie of the Year in 2010.

Kerry Earnhardt will run “several” races for the team, making his debut with the team at Texas Motor Speedway. He is also expected to run at Talladega Superspeedway and Atlanta.

In addition to the Earnhardts, Stanton Barrett, Derrike Cope, Travis Kittleson, Tim Brown and Tim Andrews drive for RWR.