Joe Gibbs Racing

Kyle Busch is arguably one of the best drivers to participate in the three elite NASCAR series.  He can drive the wheels off a truck, Nationwide, and even a Cup car.

Yet there is one more arena where the younger Busch excels.  He is one outstanding thrower of temper tantrums.

To date, Busch has pitched one by completely calling out his crew on the team radio for pit road errors.  There have been other tantrums where he has violently thrown off his racing gear into the car and stormed off, refusing to make any comment.

There has been at least one recent occasion where Rowdy made his disgust and displeasure known by parking his car in one of the turns and abandoning it for his crew to retrieve.

But there was no better temper tantrum thrown by Busch than this past weekend at the Martinsville Kroger 250 Truck race. 

Busch had been vying for the lead until some tight racing with Kevin Harvick led to damage to his truck.  He proceeded to try to correct this damage by rubbing the truck against pit road wall.

The only problem was that he went past the commitment cone, which resulted in a pit road violation as called by the NASCAR officials.

This put Busch well back in the pack and he finished a miserable seventeenth.  This was especially hard to swallow given that the car and driver had been in contention for the race win.

So, what was Busch's reaction to this latest problem on the track?  

He threw one of his best tantrums to date, getting out of the car, dramatically throwing his gear through the window, and running down the entire length of pit road.

He continued his sprint along pit road even with the rest of the truck field coming in to get to the garage.  He then jumped over the pit wall, crossed the race track, dodged the portable stage which was being towed, and hurdled the wall out of the track.

Amidst a few boos and heckles from the crowd, Kyle then disappeared, most probably making as quick an exit as he could from Martinsville Speedway property.

This tantrum was great television.  The post race coverage captured it all, with further video replays of the long run home available right on nascar.com.

And that is why Kyle Busch must continue to pitch these spectacular temper tantrums when things do not go his way.  In fact, here are ten reasons why Kyle Busch must continue to throw his hissy fits.

1.  Busch's temper tantrums are his best form of exercise.  His long jog out of the race track at Martinsville probably sufficed for an entire week of cardio for this young athlete.

2.  In addition to Busch's run, the repeated throwing of all of his race gear, helmet, gloves, shoe guards, etc., into his car provides a wonderful upper body workout and is great for his strength training.

3.  Busch's repeated screaming at his crew, whether via the race communications system or in person, helps to insure that his lung capacity remains at optimal capability.

4.  Busch has made it clear that he embraces the "villain" persona.  His temper tantrums ensure that place in all race fans' hearts.

5.  Parking his car on high banks or in the turns and abandoning it in the heat of anger serves dual purposes.  It enhances Busch's car control and it ensures his crew members get the work out that they so desperately need.

6.  If ever parents needed a role model for their children of a sore loser, Busch serves as the prime example and epitome of that designation.

7.  Busch's tantrums also serve as the perfect antidote to the sugary sweetness of his primary race sponsor M&M's candy.

8.  Busch's tantrum at Martinsville enabled all fans to fondly remember one of the best movies ever, Forrest Gump.  Run, Kyle, run!

9.  Busch's temper flare ups are critical to the success and fitness of the media.  Without his little fits, there would be nothing to talk about in all of the daily talk shows and the media contingent definitely needs the workout they get by chasing after him when he is in a snit.

10.  Kyle Busch's outstanding tantrums shine like a beacon of hope for every two year old out there that needs some inspiration to really pitch that perfect big one.

Kyle Busch, you are indeed every NASCAR fan's best hope for remembering that there is no perfect driver and that every young man needs to get those fits out of his system, with the hopes of someday, just someday, growing up.

But until that time, keep those trantrums coming, Rowdy!

As expected, this race came down to the same players many expected: Jimmie Johnson, Denny Hamlin, Tony Stewart, and Jeff Gordon. Where do these guys stack up on this week’s winners and losers at Martinsville Speedway?

Winners

Jimmie Johnson

Everyone was wondering, what was going on with Jimmie Johnson? Apparently all they needed was to come to Martinsville and that set them straight.  They struggled early with the handling of the car, but they used early cautions to work on the car and slowly made their way to the front.

Johnson’s bold move to take the lead from Denny Hamlin nearly took them both out, but great drivers know car control. Johnson took the lead for good, and gave Hendricks Motorsports their 18th victory at the paperclip track.

Points: Fourth

Denny Hamlin

Once again, Denny Hamlin led the most laps, but couldn’t close the deal.  He looked like the one to beat until Johnson said otherwise.

Hamlin, who has said he is tired of not winning, has been outshined by teammate Kyle Busch, but it was Hamlin who was the star of Joe Gibbs Racing this weekend.

Points: Fifth

Tony Stewart

Many questioned whether Tony Stewart could take an organization that struggled to stay in the top 35 last year, make them contenders weekly.

Boy, were we wrong. Stewart might not have led a lap, but he did stay in contention all day long. A strong third-place finish backs up that organization battle cry that they will be a contender.

Points: Seventh

Jeff Gordon

No, he didn’t win this week but once again he led laps and was up front all day long. The team fell behind on adjustments and struggled with lap traffic. Another top five finish for this team allowed them to pad the point lead.

Although it will mean nothing come September if they don’t have any wins. This team will get wins, they like Hamlin need to close the deal.

Points: First

Dale Earnhardt Jr.

Well finally he is on my winners list. This team didn’t look good early on, but they came down pit road made some adjustments throughout the race made their way into the top 10.

This was probably the best race we have seen this team run in a long time. We will have to wait until Texas to see if the meeting they had this past week has changed anything.

Points: 16th

A.J. Allmendinger

A.J. Allmendinger has no sponsorship after May. He managed to qualify for the first five races this season on time. Only Tony Stewart did that, today Allmendinger ran within the top 15 for most of the day.

He stayed on the lead lap, and had good pit stops. A strong ninth place finish just might make Allmendinger the sleeper for not only a win this year but to make the Chase, if they can find sponsors.

Points: 15th

Losers

Roush Fenway Racing

They must be glad to see Texas next week. In the last two weeks they have led zero laps and only Jamie McMurray had a top 10 finish. They will definitely have to get to work on their short track program before we head to Richmond in May.

Since Matt Kenseth’s back-to-back wins early on, this organization has looked mediocre at best even with drivers in the top 12.

Points: Carl Edwards-Eighth, Jamie McMurray-22nd, David Ragan-29th, Greg Biffle-23rd, and Matt Kenseth-12th

Kyle Busch

Kyle Busch has never denied how much he struggles at Martinsville and Sunday was no different. The team could never get a handle on the car and after spinning out and taking Scott Speed with him (he did accept responsibility for the incident) he never rebounded finished two laps down.

A 24th-place finish has Busch happy to leave Virginia and head for Texas.

Points: Sixth

Aric Almirola

He started 37th and finished 37th. This team has shown no improvement. For an organization searching for sponsorship they are not giving potential sponsors a lot to hope for.

Sunday they struggled with handling and tire issues, four of them to be exact. With no top 20 finishes this year this team is stumbling out of the gates.

On top of that, he will have to qualify on speed coming to Texas. This team needs a turnaround if they hope to even qualify for races.

Points: 36th

Scott Speed

Joey Logano is not the only rookie this season. Scott Speed carries high expectations himself this season. There are talks of the US F1 team wanting Speed to move from Cup to F1 in 2010. Speed and Red Bull Racing has yet to comment.

They have bigger things to focus on in 2009, Speed is struggling at the track, a 39th on Sunday did not help, and he did lead the race but was caught up in Kyle Busch spin out and had tire issues.

Now they are sitting on the outside looking in on the standings. They need to turn this ship around or RBR needs to contemplate a driver change to get them out of the cellar.

Points: 38th

Final Lap…

There are a couple drivers who nearly made the list. Marcos Ambrose followed his strong run at Bristol with a 14th-place finish. Ryan Newman had a strong run coming home sixth; if this team can string together some good finishes they could make the chase.

On the other hand, Casey Mears looked good early on but faded to come home 21st. Kurt Busch also struggled somewhat today with a 18th-place finish.

This was the first race this season where qualifying was rained out and so were practices. We saw somewhat the effect it had on some drivers throughout the race.

In Texas, we should see the usual suspects (Edwards, Busch, and Johnson), but don’t be surprised to see Gordon, Kevin Harvick and even Kurt Busch up front.

Next, on to the Lone Star State…

On the 25th anniversary of car owner Rick Hendrick's first victory in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, Jimmie Johnson, driver of the No. 48 Lowe's Chevy Impala, captured Sunday's Goody's Fast Relief 500 at Martinsville Speedway.

The victory, which comes at the same facility in which Hendrick got his first trip to the Winner's Circle with driver Geoff Bodine, was your typical Jimmie Johnson triumph: steady progress all race long, helped by a final pit stop that leapfrogged Driver 48 to a prime spot for the win.

For a while, it appeared that Johnson was going to take the Goody's Fast Pain Relief 500 in anticlimactic fashion.

With the Lowe's team reeling off a lightning-fast pit stop for the three-time defending champion with just under 40 laps to go, the race was Johnson's to lose.

But perennial front runner Denny Hamlin, the pride of Chesterfield, Va., was not about to hand over the victory at the 0.526 mile track without a valiant challenge, and some help on a restart from teammate Kyle Busch, who was off the pace.

Hamlin would get around Johnson with over a shade of 40 laps remaining in the race, aided by teammate Busch, who held up Johnson.

The top-five drivers, consisting of Hamlin, Johnson, Tony Stewart, Clint Bowyer and Jeff Gordon, would remain the same for the remainder of the event.

With just under 15 laps left, Johnson tucked on the inside lane beside Hamlin, forcing him to the higher line and taking the lead and ultimate winning move of the race.

Johnson's first win of 2009 and his sixth career victory at the Virginia short track boosts the No. 48 team from ninth to fourth in the points standings, 142 markers behind teammate and points leader Jeff Gordon.

Clint Bowyer's stout and seemingly unnoticed fifth place gained him one spot in the rankings, now running second in the championship race.

Rounding out the rest of today's top 10 finishers at Martinsville were Hamlin, Tony Stewart, Gordon, Bowyer, Ryan Newman, Mark Martin, Dale Earnhardt Jr., A.J. Allmendinger, and Jamie McMurray.

NASCAR heads to Texas Motor Speedway next weekend for the Samsung 500, a track that has usually been the house of Roush Fenway Racing.

Carl Edwards, who struggled home to a 26th place finish in the 500 lapper at Martinsville, swept both races at TMS and looks to rebound from his down day on the short track.

NASCAR Sprint Cup rookies Joey Logano and Scott Speed are hanging onto a spot in the top 35, but that's about it. No poles, no wins, no top-fives and no top-10s. Yes, they are rookies, but we expected much more out of these rising superstars.

Logano was destined for greatness, or maybe the preseason hype led us to believe he was. With all that talent and teammates like Denny Hamlin and superstar Kyle Busch, he should be in the top 12 by now.  

So what's the problem?  

It's not his car. Joe Gibbs Racing provides excellent competitive cars. Logano's teammates are currently seated fourth and eighth in the points. 

It's not the talent. We all know of Logano's accomplishments. His first Nationwide Series win came in only his third start—where he also received the pole. In fact, he started 19 Nationwide races and received a total of three poles, five top-fives, and 14 top-10s.  Prior to that, he was the 2007 Camping World Series East Champion during his first (and only) year.

It's not his crew chief. Greg Zippaldelli spent 10 years as crew chief for the two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion Tony Stewart. During Smoke and Zippy's rookie year alone, they won three races.

Possible problem? It could be the pressure of following in the steps of Stewart. Driving the No. 20 Home Depot car that has so much history. Just judging by Logano's past performance, I would say that is very unlikely.   

I'm going to chalk up his season so far, by saying that there are so many competitive drivers out on the track in this level of NASCAR. Drivers that are hungry, drivers that are experienced, and drivers that feel they have something to prove.  

Logano will struggle this year, but just maybe, with some help from his team and luck from the NASCAR gods, he may become a champion in about five years.

And what about superstar Speed?  

In 2007, Scott finished third in the ACRA/REMAX Series, taking home three poles and four wins. Add that to his career in the prior five years that included 16 wins in such series as Formula Mazda, GP2 ,and Formula Renault. Team Red Bull has been sculpting this driver for years to eventually move up into the big time series of Sprint Cup.  

So what is happening?

Could be the car. Team Red Bull has become more competitive over the past year, but no where near the caliber of Hendrick, Gibbs, or RCR.

Could be the talent. We've seen superstar drivers that have moved from other series into Sprint Cup and with little or no success such as Dario Franchitti, Max Papis, and Patrick Carpentier. It is possible that Speed's talent lies in another series.

Could be the crew chief (but not likely). Jimmy Elledge has the experience to be a crew chief, although he is not as well known as Chad Knaus, Steve Latarte, and Steve Addington. In 1997, he was car chief for Dale Earnhardt, Sr. and worked side-by-side with Larry McReynolds as Earnhardt finished fifth in the points. He has experience at RCR and most recently in 2008, serving as crew chief for Juan Pablo Montoya for the first part of the season. 

It's possible that Speed needs a different team. I know he has a loyalty to Red Bull, but unless they step up to a more competitive level, Speed may always be "mediocre". 

We may never know if it is his talent or his team holding him back from accomplishing a possible championship.

Fortunate for both of these guys, they have several years to show their talent. And all us NASCAR fans will be watching to see what these rookies will do.

Being a huge "Rowdy" fan, even I am becoming confused on who the real Kyle Busch is. Is he this arrogant punk kid that laughs when he laps down the most popular driver in the series, or is he the kind-hearted, generous man that donates money and his time to people in need?  

I think back of the first time I met Busch. It was during the spring Nationwide race at Nashville Speedway in 2008. I was excited to be down in the "fan zone" area with the opportunity to meet some of the best drivers in the series.  

Some drivers detoured away from the fans, while others stopped to sign hats, shirts, and pose for pictures from fans who had been waiting for hours just to see them.  

I sat back and waited, just for that one opportunity to get a picture of Busch.  

You see, like some other fans, I saw the potential in him. I knew that his career would skyrocket. I knew that someday, he would be in a position to be almost untouchable by his fans, much like Dale Earnhardt Jr. is now. And there he was.

He was running late for qualifying and when he came buzzing by the fans, there was a mixture of people yelling for him to stop and sign autographs, and those booing him for being, well just Kyle Busch! 

He could have kept going, not looking back, but he paused for a moment just to tell everyone he'd be back. A lot of fans didn't believe him, mainly because some of the other big name drivers never returned. But about an hour later, he appeared.  

Busch started on one end of the long line of fans and worked his way to the end. I know, because I was at the end.  

Those same fans that cursed him earlier, were reaching out for autographs and pictures. The generosity was there that day. The appreciation of the fans and his understanding of what they meant to the sport.

Fast forward to his interview after the race at Bristol this weekend.  

Talking trash about Earnhardt, Jr., talking about how he likes to "play the part" and how he doesn't want everyone rooting for him. It makes me think that maybe everyone hating on him is getting to him.  

I think Busch has just conceded that he will be the bad guy forever. He has won races, he has proved to be one of the most competitive drivers ever in the sport, and yet the fans don't give him a break.   

He has shown kindness and it goes unnoticed, but being the bad guy gets him attention. 

With a little more maturity on his part and time for some of the fans to let up, maybe we will see the true Busch shine through. 

I know I'll be there when it happens, rooting for him each step of the way.

For all the fans out there who think Joey Logano is out of the woods right now, you have another thing coming.

Yes, Joey will race at Martinsville Speedway this week, but that's all he is guaranteed for. He is still barely in the top 35 and will have to work extra hard at a tough track he has never seen before, expect maybe on XBox.

The 18-year-old, has had a learning curve in his first five races in his rookie season in 2009, and has not been "Sliced Bread" as his fellow competitors called him throughout his racing career.

Logano and crew chief Greg Zippadelli would admit that this week at Martinsville is just as or even more important than Bristol.

Aric Almirola qualified third at Martinsville last season and is sitting 36th in owner points, just out of the top 35.

If Logano makes one mistake at this track it could cost him a race at a tough track at Texas the following week.

The fast, small little over track in Fort Worth, could give Joey some trouble in the new car. Don't forget he finished a dismal 40th in the fall race there last season.

Then another tough track at Phoenix could play trouble for the Connecticut native.

It's going to be a battle for Joey and the top 35 all year, and I feel bad for him, because this could have been prevented.

Bobby Labonte was without a ride for most of the offseason, before settling in with the No. 96 Ford for Hall of Fame Racing.

However, Bobby would have gladly went back to Joe Gibbs Racing.

Gibbs could have put him in the No. 20 for a season, and then have Joey start scot-free with the car in the top 35 with a lot of experience under his belt for 2010. Bobby could have moved to a fourth Joe Gibbs Racing entry.

Instead, Gibbs took a risk, a risk a lot of car owners do. In my opinion, confidence is one of the most important things in NASCAR.

Joey's finishes haven't been good at all in 2009 and you have to wonder where his confidence is.

His Nationwide finishes haven't been that good this season, and it's Greg Zippadelli's job to make sure Joey maintains his confidence.

That could be easier said then done. If it's not done, it could be a disaster altogether.

It is fair to say the Busch brothers have been dominating the 2009 NASCAR season. First it was Kyle in Vegas, then Kurt in Atlanta, and now Kyle again at Bristol Motor Speedway. Busch held off teammate, Denny Hamlin in a green-white checker finish capturing his second victory of the season.

The Food City 500 win will mark his second victory at Bristol, after a disappointing second place finish last summer after leading for 415 laps. This will be Busch’s 14th career win, and his third top three finish of ‘09.

Joe Gibbs Racing had the best day and went 1-2 with Busch in first and Hamlin in second. Fellow teammate and rookie, Joey Logano suffered a blown engine towards the tail end of the race on Lap 494.

Jimmie Johnson, who has never won at Bristol, led until Lap 69 when Busch used the outside line to pass Johnson for the top spot. Busch went on to lead for 378 laps total.

Celebration is becoming familiar for Kyle Busch and the No. 18 car after his two dominating performances both at Vegas and now Bristol. At Bristol, Victory Lane eluded him for the past few races.

Last spring he lost his power steering while leading and was later bumped from the front in August by Carl Edwards. Saturday night in the Nationwide Series race, he led a race-high of 157 laps only to watch his shot at victory slip away after an error by his crew on the final pit stop.

“We should have won here last fall and yesterday, we’ve had so many great cars here too, we just keep messing up on pit road. This place probably owes me a few. There’s a little bit of redemption here, you can never ask a racetrack to pay you back. You just have to keep working on it,” Busch told FOX’s Krista Voda.

Hamlin came close to victory, but no cigar.

“We came up a little short today, but it’s great to get a 1-2 finish for JGR. I can’t thank the team enough. On pit road we were solid all day, had a solid car all day, had a winning car on the long runs just never got it,” Hamlin told FOX’s Matt Yocum.

Roush Fenway Racing saw a disappointing race with only one car in the top 20. Carl Edwards finished 15th while teammate Greg Biffle also suffered a blown engine on Lap 360, ending his day.

Johnson finished in a career-best third after battling with Hamlin on the final laps for the second spot. Johnson and Busch combined have now won 15 of the last 33 Cup races and appear to be two of the most promising drivers for the Cup circuit this season.

Jeff Gordon finished in fourth, but still leads the point standings overall. Kasey Kahne had a strong car all day and finished in fifth after starting in fifth.

After Busch’s impressive performances at both Vegas and Bristol the main question is: can he continue this momentum for the Chase races? After his disappointing Chase finish last year, there is no doubt that Busch, Steve Addington and the No. 18 crew have learned a few things.

The Busch brothers combined have won the last three consecutive races and now their sights are set for Victory Lane at Martinsville Speedway as the field returns to action Sunday, March 29 in Martinsville, Virginia for the Goody’s Fast Relief 500.

Most drivers in the NASCAR garage enjoy kicking back on a rare off weekend from the Sprint Cup Series, whether it's hittin' the dirt track or hittin' the beach.

But some drivers still have to go to work, as Goodyear does some more tire tests at the historic egg-shaped Darlington Raceway in Darlington, SC.

Denny Hamlin, Elliott Sadler, Kevin Harvick, and Bobby Labonte were at Darlington Wednesday to help Goodyear prepare for the race at Darlington in May.

Though this track is NASCAR's oldest speedway, this year will only be the second event at the 1.3 mile track with the new pavement laid out last winter. This should result in better racing and more of the traditional excitement of Darlington.

Tires tend to wear quickly at this track, and managing the wear is key to winning this race.

So even though these drivers would have enjoyed their time off, they realize that it's crucial to give Goodyear the right information about their tires so that they can optimize tire selection for the event.

With NASCAR's test ban, it also gives these drivers a slight advantage.

"They repaved the track last year and you hated to see it in one way but they did a great job and it’s still the same Darlington," said 2000 Southern 500 winner Bobby Labonte, who has shown surprising pace in his first season behind the wheel of the No. 96 Hall of Fame Racing Ford Fusion. 

"Speeds have picked up, the surface is smoother but the racing is still great and it still means the same thing to win here."

"Well obviously this is a very historic race track that we go to," said Kevin Harvick, who is yet to win at the historic track. "It still has a lot of the characteristics that it’s had for a number of years so to come here and race as a driver in NASCAR, I think that’s something special to everyone in the garage.

"This is an exciting place for us to race at and to win would be really cool. We’ve been close a couple of times and it would be nice to finally win one here."

"This is a place I got to come to as a kid and watch races because it is not far from where I grew up so to come here and have a chance to win this race is a dream come true," added Sadler, driver of the No. 19 Dodge for Richard Petty Motorsports.

"I love that we race here, I’m glad it’s a night race, it’s a great event for us and since we only come here once a year we put a lot of effort into running well here because Darlington is still a huge cornerstone in our sport and represents where we’ve been and how far we’ve come."

Hamlin has won here twice, in the Nationwide Series, and is hoping that his success rubs off on his Sprint Cup Series No. 11 Joe Gibbs Racing team to win the big Southern 500.

"Darlington is a great race track for me, I always run well here," he said. "It’s a great race track, I love running here and it’s got so much history. You hated to see it get paved but they did a great job doing it and it still promotes great racing. It’s a great track with great history and you love to win here no matter what car you are in."

Tickets for the 2009 Southern 500, as well as the Nationwide Series event, are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased by calling the track at 866-459-RACE or online at darlingtonraceway.com/tickets/.

Kyle Busch has been impressive in all three NASCAR Series he has run in during last season, and so far in 2009.

The media, has paid attention.

After the inaugural media poll, Busch took home the top honors as the driver predicted to win the Nationwide Series championship.

Busch edged fellow Cup regular Carl Edwards for the driver title with 446 votes, compared to Edwards' 434.

Busch collected 25 first-place votes, while Edwards had only 19.

Media predicted the owner championship as well, also selecting Busch's No. 18 Z-Line Designs/NOS Energy Drink Toyota out of the Joe Gibbs Racing stable.

The No. 18 beat out the No. 60 Scotts/Save-A-Lot Ford of Edwards by a final vote of 302-268.

The No. 18 received 16 first-place votes, to nine for the No. 60.

Last year's champion, the No. 20 JGR Toyota, finished the voting in fourth. The series' driver and owner championships haven't been unified since 2006.

"It was fun last year just doing the part-time deal, but this year we're excited about doing the full-time deal," Busch said. "Certainly the goal is to win the championship for Joe Gibbs Racing—they haven't had a driver's championship in the Nationwide Series. The first championship last fall was with an owner's championship, so we're trying to get both.

"I think we've got the right equipment and the right guys to make a run at it. I think there are other guys that can challenge Carl and me, but both of us finished in the top two a lot in the end last year and we've both been up there to start the season."

In the Raybestos Rookie of the Year battle, voters believe Penske's Justin Allgaier will overtake Brendan Gaughan. Allgaier drivers the No. 12 Verizon Wireless Dodge, and beat out Gaughan 277 votes to 266.

Allgaier had 19 first-place votes, while Gaughan had 14.

Driver

1. Kyle Busch
2. Carl Edwards
3. Brad Keselowski
4. Jason Leffler
5. Justin Allgaier
6. Brendan Gaughan
7. Mike Bliss
8. Jason Keller
9. Steve Wallace
10. Scott Lagasse Jr.

Owner

1. No. 18 JGR
2. No. 60 RFR
3. No. 29 RCR
4. No. 20 JGR
5. No. 33 KHI
6. No. 88 JR Motorsports
7. No. 16 RFR
8. No. 6 RFR
9. No. 32 Braun Racing
10. No. 38 Braun Racing

Rookie

1. Justin Allgaier
2. Brendan Gaughan
3. Scott Lagasse Jr.
4. Michael McDowell
5. Michael Annett
6. Erik Darnell
7. John Wes Townley
8. Ken Butler III

Note: the quotes in this article are fictional.

1. Kyle Busch— Hometown hero Busch won the Shelby 427 at Las Vegas Speedway, starting from the rear after an engine change rendered his pole win on Friday null. Busch wrested the lead from Clint Bowyer on lap 269, and held on through two restarts to collect his first win of the year.

The driver of the No. 18 M&Ms Toyota celebrated with his customary bow, and added a kiss of the Vegas asphalt, which, he added, tasted like a Roush Fenway engine.

"I don't answer to anyone but myself," says Busch, "so it has to be an extremely important situation for me to kiss some as'.

"It's always a huge occasion to win on your home track, especially in front of fans who watched me and my brother grow up. For me, it was the return of the native son. For Kurt, though, it was the return of the native S.O.B."

"As for a jump to Formula One someday, I am seriously considering it. I welcome new challenges. Besides, who wouldn't want to race in a series in which qualifying actually matters, and one caution is a rarity, much less 14? They don't have debris cautions in F1, except for the occasional streaker, or Nazi sex orgy."

2. Jeff Gordon— Gordon locked his brakes trying to hit pit road late in the race, and his left front tire blew on the subsequent lap. Damage was heavy to the left front of the No. 24 DuPont Chevrolet, but heady work in the pits kept Gordon in the thick of things. He finished a solid sixth and took over the points lead from Matt Kenseth.

"It's hard to pinpoint what caused me to miss pit lane," says Gordon. "It could have been lack of concentration, or possibly lack of sleep. Or it could have been because of one too many viewings of Dale Earnhardt, Jr.'s instructional video on pit stops, called 'Pit Happens.'"

"I feel like this team is ready to break that winless streak. Not winning a race in 44 tries seems like an eternity, which is slightly less than the length of a FOX pre-race show."

3. Clint Bowyer — Bowyer survived contact with Juan Montoya early in the race, then gambled to stay on the track during a late-race caution. The move allowed Bowyer to lead nine laps, but he couldn't hold off the charging Kyle Busch in the end. Bowyer moves up four places in the point standings to second, 18 behind Jeff Gordon.

"When push comes to shove," says Bowyer, "neither Montoya nor I will give any quarter. I'm a strong-willed Kansas native; he's a feisty Colombian. I'm not willing to give an inch; he's not willing to give a kilo. If that comparison sounds forced, it is.

"It was a lot easier when I drove the Jack Daniels car to describe contact with Montoya, when 'Jack and Coke' neatly summed it up."

"As far as our decision not to pit late, this is Las Vegas; how can you not gamble? When you say 'double down' and 'all in' in Vegas, you're not only describing some of the stranger acts that occur in Tony Stewart's hauler, you're also referencing our pit strategy. Sometimes, you have to throw 'caution' to the wind."

4. Greg Biffle—While in the pits late in the race on a green flag stop, Biffle was victimized when the caution flew, dropping him from sixth to 15th on the restart. With the fastest car on the track, Biffle was able to reclaim eight positions in the final 23 laps for a seventh-place finish.

"In light of the engine trouble that afflicted three of my Roush Fenway teammates," says Biffle, "I'm delighted with our result. It's very uncommon for engine failures to strike this team with such magnitude. As most Roush Fenway drivers can tell you, when we say 'this thing could blow any minute now,' we're usually referring to Carl Edwards' temper."

5. Matt Kenseth—Kenseth's quest for history, winning the first three races of the season, ended abruptly on lap six when his engine expired amidst a cloud of smoke, the first of three Roush Fenway engines to suffer that fate. Kenseth finished dead-last in the Shelby 427, and tumbled two spots in the points to third.

"I've made shorter appearances on The David Letterman Show," says Kenseth. "When I said before the race that 'it looks like we're in for a long day,' I guess I was totally off the mark. I went from making history in Daytona and Fontana to being history in Las Vegas. I've made faster exits in some of my nightmares involving Carl Edwards."

6. Carl Edwards—Edwards' engine blew as the white flag dropped, spoiling a sure top-five finish in Las Vegas, site of the first of his eight Sprint Cup wins last year. He finished 17th, the last car on the lead lap, and holds on to the ninth spot in the point standings.

"I was quite confident I would defend my win here from last season," says Edwards. "That is, until Roush Fenway engines started dropping like me in Kevin Harvick's garage. In the end, I got very little for my effort, except for this t-shirt that reads 'I Ran a Fair Race in Las Vegas, and All I Got Was a Lousy 17th-Place Finish.'"

"As for our engine problems, it's hard to get a straight answer from anyone about what the problem was. I asked our engineering department about it, and they told me to check with our technical support team, which is based in Calcutta, India."

7. David Reutimann—Reutimann leapt into the top 10 of the Sprint Cup point standings, finishing fourth to match his qualifying effort as he took the Aaron's Dream Machine to his first top-five for Michael Waltrip Racing. Reutimann is now fifth in the points, 51 out of first.

"Hey, if you give a Toyota driver two engines," says Reutimann, "he can work wonders with it. I'll drink to Kyle Busch's victory with a 'Kamikaze,' because Japanese engines were going down at an alarming rate."

"Anyway, it's great to take MWR to places it's never been, because who else is going to do it? Michael can't stop talking about my race in Vegas. In fact, Michael can't stop talking ever. You should hear him on the radio during races—he doesn't shut up. That's why the guys on the team call him the 'driver's side air bag.'"

8. Kevin Harvick—Harvick was on pit row when Jeff Gordon's blown tire resulted in a caution flag, leaving Harvick a lap down. In addition, Harvick was busted for speeding while exiting the pits, but was able to battle his way to a finish of 12th in Las Vegas.

"That's what you call a 'double whammy,'" says Harvick. "But I've got to hand it to Clint Bowyer and Jeff Burton, who represented Richard Childress Racing well on the track. I must say that I'm envious of Jeff Burton's appearance on General Hospital. That's why my wife Delana and I have decided to expand our empire into the world of daytime dramas. We're going to call it All My Childress."

9. Tony Stewart—Stewart finished out of the top 10 for the first time this year with a 26th in Las Vegas, his day soured by an ill-timed pit stop and a loose left rear lug nut that combined to leave him two laps down. Stewart dropped four spots in the points, but still sits solidly in eighth place, 80 points out of first.

"We just didn't have Lady Luck on our side on Sunday," says Stewart. "Fortunately, she made it to the hauler just in time for the party, though. She's from Russia. The funny thing is, I'm the one that woke up the next morning with pasties on my nipples."

10. Bobby Labonte—Labonte finished fifth in the Shelby 427, as the No. 96 Hall of Fame Racing entry was the top Ford finisher in the field. Labonte, the 2000 Sprint Cup champion, moved up 10 places in the points to 10th, and is 99 out of first.

"I would be remiss, and in contempt of contractual obligations," says Labonte, "if I didn't mention our sponsor, Ask.com, a leading internet search engine, not to be confused with a similar sponsor of Randy Moss Motorsports, Ax.com."