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Gifts For Her!
2008 NASCAR Tickets & NASCAR Schedule
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The Greatest American Anti-Hero Posted:0535hrs
By Greg Engle,Editor, Cup Scene Daily Snidely Whiplash, Lex Luthor,Dick Dastardly, Captain Hook…. and Kyle Busch?
Indeed he seems to have slipped in line to join some of NASCAR’s drivers fans love to hate. He wasn’t exactly the most revered driver during his tenure with Hendrick Motorsports and this season he’s done little to improve his standing among the NASCAR Nation. After a late race tangle with Dale Earnhardt Junior at Richmond a few weeks ago, clearly incidental and unintentional contact, Busch nearly needed an armed guard to leave. Since then the chorus of boos for Busch, already loud to begin with, has grown into a roaring crescendo. But if the fans disapproval troubles the 23 year old, he certainly doesn’t show it, and he’ll be the first to say it doesn’t really bother him. Busch isn’t about to tie Nell to railroad tracks or steal Superman’s Kryptonite. He simply goes out and does what he gets paid to do, win races. And since he’s joined Gibbs Racing, after a quiet stint with Hendrick, he seems to have found his groove. He’s winning races and leading the point standings. “I don't care. I'm here to race,” Busch said after winning last weekend at Darlington. “I'm here to win. If I win, it just makes 'em more upset and crying on their way home.” He’s become something that NASCAR and every sport needs, the anti-hero, the bad guy, the villain. Like the days of old, Busch is drawing attention to himself and to the sport and a time when it could use it. --(Cont'd From Front Page)--
Four time champion Jeff Gordon, who has ‘enjoyed’ his own boos over the years said the attention Busch is drawing to himself is good not only for the sport but the villain role could end up being good for Busch.
"I don't think anybody sets out to be a villain,” Gordon said this week. “I think that nobody wants boos. But what you do want to do is stand out. You want to do it by winning races, being competitive out there, and sometimes you might ruffle some feathers along the way.”
It harkens back to the days of Dale Earnhardt Senior and Darrell Waltrip or Cale Yarbrough and Bobby Allison or David Pearson.
"He definitely has that personality that could be the villain,” Gordon said. “In a different way than, you know, certainly not a Dale Earnhardt Sr.-type of way.”
"I think that he's young,” Gordon added. “And sometimes he says things that don't always go over well, and sometimes on the racetrack, his aggressiveness, you know, can get him in trouble. But those same things allow him to have great success."
The fact is that after flat and low ratings last year so far this season TV ratings are up. Whether that is a direct result of Busch or if he’s simply one part is arguable, but one thing is for sure; fans are buzzing and Busch keeps on winning.
And with comments like his post race ones at Darlington last weekend, he’s certainly enjoying the black hat and cape.
“By the way, somebody threw a beer can at me,” Busch said after winning last weekend. “Next time just make sure it's full so I can enjoy it out there, all right?
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