Kyle Busch met with the media Friday at Dover and wasted little time weighing in on the recent split between Dale Earnhardt Jr and Tony Eury Jr. Busch told the assembled media point blank "it's never Junior; it's always the crew chief." The quote, along with others, stirred the pot in the "Busch Vs Junior" rivalry and once again showed that Kyle Busch has yet to give up the grudge he has towards the sport's most popular driver.
The question has to be asked; what is Kyle Busch's deal with Dale Earnhardt Jr?
We all know Kyle has animosity towards Dale Jr for being the reason he was forced out at Hendrick Motorsports and ended up at Joe Gibbs. His actions and candid quotes make him seem more like a jealous ex-boyfriend or a disgruntled postal worker rather than NASCAR's most talented driver. Kyle Busch must be Dale Jr's biggest fan because every chance he gets he lets the world know how feels about Junior and how absolutely consumed he is with driver 88's every move.
The feud between the two didn't start last year at Richmond; it actually goes back to the 2007 season. After being caught up in an earlier wreck during the Samsung 500 at Texas, Kyle Busch figured the car was totaled and decided to skip out early on the last part of the race. After Kyle was nowhere to be found, Junior was asked by members of the 5 car to hop in and finish the race for Alan Gustafson and company. The ironic thing about it is that Busch was the reason Junior was available in the first place. Busch got into the back of Junior and spun him out while he was trying to avoid Tony Stewart's spin in front of him.
The simple gesture sent the stock car world, the media, and Internet into a frenzy. A few months later Dale Jr announced he was leaving DEI at the end of the season. With Dale Jr now a free agent, Rick Hendrick opened the bank and made room for him at HMS. The move signaled the end for Kyle Busch at Hendrick and built the groundwork for Busch's grudge towards Junior.
Since then Busch has never missed out on an opportunity to bash or criticize Dale Jr. Even after his win earlier in the year at Bristol, Busch found time to call out Junior and his loyal followers. Busch made the comment that he would rather win races than sell the most souvenirs or have the most fans. The quote, intended to rattle Junior and his team, went unchallenged and stirred the fans and media up more than anything.
Even though Kyle Busch has won 9 more races (than Junior) since switching to Joe Gibbs Racing, Busch would love nothing more than to go head-to-head with Dale Jr and beat him. The only problem with that is Dale Jr and company has not been able to get to that level and be as competitive and as fast as the 18 bunch. To fill the void of an absent on-track rivalry Busch uses the media to beat down Dale Jr. He may think he is like Dale Earnhardt Sr on the track, but in reality he is more like Darrell Waltrip off of it when it comes to his mouth.
Look, we all know Kyle Busch has a world of talent. He drives with intensity and has one thing on his mind at all times and that is to win every race he enters. On the flip side, it's a shame to watch someone with so much talent and ability be so consumed with a driver who could care less what he thinks or what he does.
Kyle Busch needs to be careful what he wishes for. If this thing with Dale Jr turns around and he starts winning races and championships before Busch does it could hinder his career and perhaps his legacy. If his approach and tactics backfire, Kyle Busch might be known as the driver who woke the sleeping giant rather than the driver who won races and championships in all three of NASCAR's top divisions.
2 comments:
You nailed it - Kyle is simply jealous. No matter how much he wins, he just can't seem to pickup enough fans to take his mind off of Jr. Kyle says the boos don't bother him, but anyone with kids will recognize his rants for what they are - simple, green jealousy.
"On the flip side, it's a shame to watch someone with so much talent and ability be so consumed with a driver who could care less what he thinks or what he does."
Nail on the head.
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