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Super StarWe have seen a lot of Toyota bashing and whining on these pages all year. I wasn't here last year, but I wonder if the anti-Toyota outcry was quite as loud when Toyota wasn't winning. Or, is most of the blubbering because Kyle Busch is winning races that their favorite driver can't win? They aren't man or woman enough to admit that Busch is beating their drivers through skill and guts, so it must be the make of car. They paid off NASCAR, their engines make too much horsepower, cry me a frickin' river.
It never gets old, does it?
Busch started the season hot, and he's stayed hot all year. Some of you can't believe he's still the man to beat every week. So you started attacking him personally. His ears are big, he's mean to his crew, nothing's ever his fault, he won't appologize, he's arrogant, wah, wah, wah. He kept on winning, and none of the above has any effect on his driving skills, by the way. Damn! It must be the car. Yeah, Toyota's engines---that are the SAME SIZE as everyone else's---make too much horsepower. Just another rumor, probably started by the Ass in the Hat.
So, I did some research on Toyota's supposed advantage. The only advantage Toyota has is that Kyle Busch is driving for them. The numbers are below. Some of you Clemson and Va Tech grads may need to get a 12 year old to help you figure them out.
Who's number One?
Toyota has 5 total wins with Kyle. Only 2 if they didn't have Kyle. I moved Tony Stewart up from 2nd place at Atlanta to account for a Toyota win if Kyle hadn't been racing. Without Kyle, Dodge goes from 2 wins to 3. Chevy stays at 3, and Ford goes from 3 to 5 wins. Two out of the other three makes would have more wins if Kyle Busch had never been born.
There are four manufacturers in the NASCAR Cup series. The regular season is halfway over. Wouldn't it be fair if all four makes had around 25% of the top five finishes so far? There have been 65 top five finishes to date. Toyota has 17 of them, or 26%. Take away Busch's 9 top fives and big, bad, Toyota only has 12%. Top 10s are similar. Toyota 22% this year with Kyle, 12% without him.
It isn't Toyota folks. It's a one man gang named Kyle Busch that's ruining your NASCAR season. It's probably going to get a lot worse for you fans of other drivers before it gets better. As a not-so-great American once said, "I feel your pain." So sit back and enjoy the show the kid's putting on. It doesn't happen every year.
http://slam.canoe.ca/Slam/Motorsports/2008/05/16/5593146-ap.html