The smell of ashes from the burnt bridges in his early days still linger...
Seemingly with all the talent in the world and a whole career ahead of them...
Racing fans divided on him; either you love the guy or you hate him, there is (apparently) no middle ground...
No matter where you stand, you cannot question his commitment to driving the car the minute he pulls the visor down to start a race...
You think I'm talking about Kyle Busch, don't you?
Well, you'd be wrong...try Michael Schumacher instead.
Michael made his debut at Spafrancorchamps for the old Jordan team and qualified seventh...a feat made even more incredible considering he'd never driven the track before despite living quite close by. His clutch blew on the first lap and he had to retire but the wheels were in motion regarding his future as Benetton left no stone unturned and managed to wriggle Michael away from Jordan for the next race.
Did Eddie Jordan feel bitter about it? Well, considering that the only car from Michael's F1 career that he doesn't own just happens to be a 1991 Jordan, you would have to think he does. As for the fans being divided on 'Schumi', that's a rather easy one to explain as his track etiquette was rather questionable at times; Adelaide 1994, Jerez 1997 and Monaco 2006 for example.
It does sound rather familiar to Kyle though, doesn't it?
The split with Roush as he joined Hendrick. The fact that Jack said "hell no!" when asked if Kyle could possibly rejoin the Roush-Fenway stable last year. On the track he appears too impatient and takes risks that would make even the most hardnosed racer think twice before attempting something similar while off it he portrays an air of arrogance with some of his actions and comments (winning at Bristol, leaving the track which led to Dale Earnhardt Jr getting his first taste of a HMS Cup car). Yet, despite all that, he still made the Chase amid the flurry of anticipation (and expectation) about Dale Jr taking his ride for 2008 and ended up fifth in the standings, his highest in his three full seasons.
'Shrub' is currently riding the crest of a wave in all three series, something he mentioned before this weeks race in Atlanta to which he quipped that he wasn't a bad surfer but we'll have to wait and see how long he can ride this one out.
So why the comparison to Schumacher? Well, Michael too was regarded as a 'bright young thing' in the early 90's and look where he sits in the F1 rankings after retiring at the end of 2006; 7 times Champion, most career wins, most career points and most career poles.
And while Kyle certainly won't be able to boast those stats in the NASCAR history books when he calls it a day, I reckon we should just enjoy watching this guy race the way we'd love all the drivers to...hard and flat out the whole day.
Nice blog, Tez. You draw some interesting comparisons between the two drivers. And I love your last paragraph. Sit back and enjoy, I reckon this guy is gonna be winning plenty more races.
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So why the comparison to Schumacher? Well, Michael too was regarded as a 'bright young thing' in the early 90's and look where he sits in the F1 rankings after retiring at the end of 2006; 7 times Champion, most career wins, most career points and most career poles.
Tez...good stuff here. I think way too much is made of Kyle leaving a wrecked piece of junk at Texas, and Jr getting in with 9 laps to go and circling the track at half speed. Just wasn't that big of a deal. I doubt he got a feel for an HMS car in that clunker.
Great job Tez. Kyle is a flat out racer, I couldn't beleave he bump with Jarrett on the last lap so far in front. The head lines could have been Kyle checker or recker had the checkers waving and recked. Instead he made history and great for him and the team. cheers
Rowdy is only 22 and he may be able to beat all the records... the youngest Cup driver to win at ATL, first Toyota win for Cup... up next, first driver to lead points in all three series.
He just young enough to be ####.y... but that isn't always a bad thing.
The great thing about the comparison to Schumacher is that Busch will still have the ability to race well into his 40's and be relevant. While Michael could still drive F1, he wouldn't be the dominant force in that series anymore. F1 is a young man's sport.
Certainly an unusual comparison of the two drivers. I would think Kyle does have a bright future in front of him. As he matures, He might loose the cockyness but he deffinitely has the courage and talent.
Cheers everyone. I suppose I just get a bit frustrated with all the hating the bloke has to put up with. I mean, as Lori pointed out, he's only 22 and was thrust into one of the best rides available when he joined the Cup series....so I don't think it's that hard to understand that he felt he had to prove himself due to that.
Forensic; I was a bit miffed on the Jarrett thing too. Maybe Dale's spotter didn't tell him that Kyle was using the low line so he just thought "well, he'd be going high by now so I'll stay low."?
moseby; yep, and I also know that in any given F1 race there is really only 5 or so cars capable of winning which isn't the case in NASCAR, lol
Kyle has not earned that yet. Will take years Michael is fitting for the love him of hate him aspect. The man is a great driver and will be a legend....Nice post.
Good post Tez. While Kyle does show tons of talent and potential for being a big success in NASCAR, I'm not sure if he'll stay on top to give him equal footing with Michael Schumacher.
I still remember when Michael Schumacher was just getting started in F1, and now his era is over. I remember when F1 came to Indianapolis for the first Formula One race in the US in 2001, and all the fans wearing red and showing their support for the Ferrari driver.
Whether Kyle Busch will ever obtain the tremendous fan support that Michael got during his career remains to be seen.
hey tez. i'm glad you made mention of this blog in the comment on another. i would have never read oherwise. it's a good comparison, and honestly i never have been a fan of either driver. but while i never knew much about schmumi the part that bothers me about kyle is not his driving ability. i know he can drive a car, like 42 other guys any given sunday. what bothers me is his seeming refusal to learn from his mistakes. his young age has nothing to do with what 5 years of maturity should be. he continues to back it into the wall and race the tires off of his equipment. these are rookie mistakes in my humble opinion.
Tez is a rare creature; an Australian who was living in New Zealand before moving to Canada. He's also a Civil Engineer who is hoping to spend his Monday to Friday sitting in front of a computer surfing the inter...uh, working hard for an Engineering Consultant or Contractor when he finds a job. His heart is torn between his two loves; F1 and NASCAR.
Due to his high interest in those, his blogs will likely focus on them with the occasional foray into sports that don't get much (if any) mention on this website. All blogs and/or comments will more than likely have his usual dollop of sarcasm and general Aussie spin on them.
Amazingly, he also managed to score 2 MiB nominations on consecutive days (August 5 & 6, 2007) after announcing he had been keeping track of them...he's considering hiding under his bed as a result.
