Tuesday, June 17, 2008

Short, but not too sweet.

Something has been bothering me since Saturday afternoon's Craftsman Truck Series race from Nashville. With three laps to go, Kyle Busch spun Ron Hornaday, and as a result dropped Hornaday from the points lead. Hornaday was justifiably angry, but most race fans should know that the incident is very similar to many other racing incidents in the series, whether Kyle Busch was there or not.

We know that "you get raced the way you race," and we have seen Hornaday give what he received from Busch many times. Nobody means to spin another driver out, but the idea is to get the lead driver just loose enough to move him out of the way. Most drivers in the Craftsman Truck Series, excepting Johnny Benson, have, like Kyle Busch, been a little over-exuberant in making such a move. In other words, Kyle Busch wasn't the first one to make such a move, and he won't be the last.

What strikes me as odd, though, is how many people have made such comments on the forums as "Schrub is going to get his a** kicked by someone in the Truck Series,"
and "he doesn't care what happens to the other drivers or who they are."

Hornaday is my favorite driver in the Truck Series, but he is no "Mr Clean." Just last year, there were many fans criticising him for being a "dirty driver," but in reality, it is his aggressiveness and lack of fear of reprisal is part of what has made the CTS so exciting to watch.

Why is Hornaday suddenly the good guy after Kyle did to him what Hornaday has done to so many others? Is all it takes to suddenly become the most popular driver is to get spun out by the Schrub?

I'm no psychologist, so I can't answer those questions, but I would like to think there is much more to liking or not liking a driver than that.

14 comments:

Maruth said...

I agree with you 100% people just hate Kyle Busch because he was like Jeff Gordon a few years back, extremly successful, I guess that must be a bad thing in life...being succesfull?

Anonymous said...

There's a real fine line between agressive drivers and Kyle Busch. Getting someone loose while racing for the lead in the closing laps of a race is one thing, but Busch does this sort of thing while racing for 3rd or 4th ... like the way he just drove into Benson at Martinsville.

Cheyenne said...

Kyle Busch is successful? How is that? I wouldn't exactly call him successful.
Kyle has an "I don't give a sh*t" attitude. He has no concern for others on the track. He is a me, myself, and I person. His brother was and at times still is. And God almighty, so is his mother.
I'm not bashing Kyle but I sure do wish he would straighten up his act and watch his mouth at the same time. Maybe if he made himself more likeable people would take to him better.

RevJim said...

I would consider winning ten races in three different series during one season a success.

RevJim said...

Tim, he did that sort of racing. If you have been watching him lately, he seems to be learning and doesn't seem to be doing that any more. The incident with Hornaday may have been due to misjudgement, or retaliation, which is something all drivers do whether they admit it or not. (ie Todd Bodine).

Anonymous said...

"Kyle Busch is successful? How is that? I wouldn't exactly call him successful."

Que? What races have you been watching?

Anonymous said...

Jim ... agree to disagree. That's the same way that they were talking about Kyle earlier in the year - about how much he'd "matured" and whatnot, and then bam! He was putting anything he could into the wall. The reason Kyle hasn't seemed OVERLY agressive as of late is because his cars haven't been the most dominant on the track in some of these races like they were before.

A three week stretch with only wrecking one guy does not in itself constitute maturity.

Anonymous said...

I wouldnt too!

well why do you think he is successful?

RevJim said...

car marketing--he leads the Cup series in drivers' championship points for one...

Cheyenne said...

There is a difference between being a success and being successful. Being a success ~ anyone can do that. It doesn't last long. I can be a success at anything I choose for the moment. Now being successful...that lasts a longer time. Being successful can last a lifetime if you do everything right. Being a success can last, say, a day...a week...a month, but not a lifetime. Do you know/see what I am trying to say here? I want to see many more years under Kyle's belt before I will call him successful. And just because he is at the top of the points doesn't make him successful. He could be called a flash-in-the-pan at this point in his career. He could topple this weekend, and if not then next weekend, right out of the points lead. A successful person can hold their head up high...can Kyle? Now, let's see how many more comments this can trigger for those that want to defend him against my thoughts. This may sound a little condescending, but really, it's not. It is my opinion, and you know what they say about those...

Anonymous said...

Actually, the only difference between being a success and being successful is that one's a noun and one's an adjective.

RevJim said...

Cheyenne, I really love that you continue the conversation here--that is very important to me because I like you and your blog. Thank you very much for putting up with me even after I disagree with you.

Cheyenne said...

Tim Zaegel ~ Yeah, I went through English class too. Whatever. No one can convince me KB is to be put on a pedestal at this point in his career. Look what has happened to his brother. If I don't like someone, I plain don't like them. You can have him, he's all yours.

Anonymous said...

lol ... hey, I don't really care for Kyle anymore than you do. But, for the sake of not being biased - I'll say that he's been quite successful.

As for his brother, I'm sure Jack would consider his Cup Championship a success.