Joe Gibbs Racing

Let's face it, folks. These two individuals are remarkably talented, tremendously popular in their fields, and both are about the most unique individuals who are either loved or misunderstood by the fans of their industry.

Now, before Shrub Nation gets all riled up and thinks that this is a shot at their driver, think on the contrary, my friends. NASCAR would probably be all bland and boring if it didn't have racers like Busch out there being himself.

Busch is honest, passionate, and doesn't conform to the standards of what a supposed model driver is expected to be, as he argues with his crew or fights with some fans. Also, he isn't afraid to mix it up with those in the grandstands about shaking things up with the sport.

Busch breaks the mold with the traditional race car driver, especially from the Joe Gibbs Racing stable. While it was the home of two-time NASCAR Cup champion Tony Stewart, who also made his mark with fans in terms of attitude, JGR typically had drivers who were mild-mannered and cool under pressure.

However, that has all changed, particularly during a moment last year at a Nationwide Series race at Nashville when Busch did the unthinkable.

Following his victory at the Music City's famed track, the double-duty racer was about to pull off his most infamous stunt in his seven-year NASCAR career. While most tracks offer a trophy to honor a race winner's successful day in the office, the famed 1.5-mile quad-oval facility offers an electric guitar—a Les Paul, to be precise.

Instead of traditionally handling the guitar as a wannabe rocker following his victory, the Las Vegas native took it to another amp (no pun intended). He decided to smash the guitar into bits on the grounds of Victory Lane, essentially destroying the guitar into pieces.

It's one of the many instances in which Busch has polarized himself with the fans, as some embraced the act as raw emotions after a race. Others condemned the 24-year-old's actions and deemed it as disrespectful to the track and the folks who work at the guitar company.

Regardless of the stance, the flashy and sensational NASCAR star made a statement:

Got beat by, got beat by, oh you got beat by Kyle Busch! He's no ordinary racer. Ky-Ky-Ky-Kyle Busch Ky-Ky-Kyle Busch!

He doesn't give the typical sponsor praising speeches or stick to the status quo of the ideal driver, who pretty much stays out of trouble by not saying much. No sir, that wouldn't be Kyle Busch.

Meanwhile, the music world has a Kyle Busch of its own with 23-year-old Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, otherwise known to the masses as Lady Gaga. Like her NASCAR counterpart, she has a tremendous amount of talent, transcending her peers by her extravagant costume, sound, and her demeanour.

Her songs are catchy, with songs reminiscent of the New Wave era fused with a touch of pop ballad tones, making her accessible with the MTV-generation of fans to morning talk show's audiences of the young and old.

It doesn't matter if it's a song about a Spanish lover or a somewhat pensive melody. Gaga's voice is definitely incredible, much in the way that Busch's skills behind the wheel are amazing when he races in any level of NASCAR. Looks and behaviors aside, both 20-somethings are stars in their own walks of life.

Although Busch's antics far pale in comparison to the glamorous and often fashionably-loud New York City singer, the two young icons are known to make memorable impressions whenever they perform on their respective stages.

Although it was probably one of her more subtle appearances on-stage, last weekend's Grammy performance opener with Elton John certainly reminded people about her talent and quirkiness. Initially wearing a very unique green leotard-like outfit, all the bells and whistles of a Gaga show were there.

Complete with all the special effects and paraphernalia liken to a circus, Gaga's performance at the opener, at least from this NASCAR fan's perspective, could not help but allude to my thoughts on "KyBusch." Regardless of his amazing skills, it's almost expected that he'll be the talk of the town for polarizing reasons.

"Shrub" makes it clear that he doesn't care what the fans think of him, even if it alienates him from the Gordon or Earnhardt Jr. camps at the track. He'll either puzzle you or make you just stand up and applaud him for his actions. Witness:

Following a controversial late-race tangle with the popular NASCAR driver at Richmond in May of 2008, the crowd at Darlington, SC let the youngster have it during driver's introduction. Chorus of jeers and taunts showered the Joe Gibbs Racing talent, no matter the location around the famed super speedway. Talk about a "Bad Romance."

Any other individual would either crumble or claim that the crowd didn't bother them, having to take the supposed high road amidst the hostile environment. If you're Kyle Busch, however, those are equally as pleasing as cheers following a win.

How did the young man relish the reaction of fans from the stands? Simple.

He taunted them back and embraced the booing, dismissing it as much as Lady Gaga's oblivion to some critics and music aficionados labeling her as a deviant musician.

We almost expect Busch to do something outrageous just as much as Gaga's extravagant wardrobe at any public event, be it an award ceremony, a red carpet photo shoot or a concert.

Whereas Gaga wears designer clothing that looks like it's from the Star Trek universe, Busch is almost expected to do something memorable, as well as saying some biting or, if you're in his fan base, inspirational to say. Regardless of your take on the young man, he's not going to care.

If anything, that No. 18 Toyota Camry will only be stronger and run with the leaders all season long. You don't have to be his biggest fan, but you'll probably follow Busch til you love him, having and eating M&M's candy.

Fans may complain of his "rowdy" behavior and the way he carries himself on the track. When he wrecked NASCAR's most popular son from a legendary stock car family, there was absolutely no cries for sympathy for Earnhardt, Jr. by Busch.

Maybe these two will have their paths cross together in Las Vegas. Perhaps these two will have a conversation that basically touches upon what's said here. NASCAR might puts its creative energy to use by having the New York City enigma show up to sing the National Anthem.

As crazy as this pairing sounds, in actuality, the duo are often parallel in my perspective. Besides their uniqueness, the one thing that these two truly share in common is their love for a career.

Then again, if you're Lady Gaga or Kyle Busch, their profession is no career. The day that singing or racing becomes less of a natural thing, don't expect either to be around much with fans and the media.

Instead, both will live up to their reputation as puzzle pieces that never seem to fit into the big picture. That said, they are liken to constellations of the skies—so complex, yet easy to appreciate given some time.

Audiences may not embrace either young stars as readily and easily, but one thing is for certain:

Without them around, just how pedestrian would the auto racing or music industry be? To each, their own.

For NASCAR fans, the offseason can often be like a long, drawn out winter for warm-weather fans longing for that summer sun.

At first, the holidays pass by with some inklings of what was a great year, with discussions and reflections about the season that was with upsets, sentimental victories, controversies, and moments shared by various people across the world.

Suddenly, that anticipation grows and the wait for any NASCAR race becomes a test of patience.

How much longer do we have to wait for a race?

Well, there's publications and clips online that provide that respite during the waiting period. However, once those recap shows and preview magazines are viewed and digested, enthusiasts all reach a boiling point, arriving at one question:

When are we going racing?!?

Saturday night's NASCAR Toyota Showdown at Irwindale, Calif. was the scene of the sport's technically first event of the racing season, which kicked off with some of the sport's finest talents in its regional divisions going for the win and bragging rights.

Stock car racing's raw, young stars duked it out on the half-mile asphalt at Toyota Speedway, with action reminiscent of yesteryear's icons in their war-battled mounts of the race arenas.

Points were not on the line nor was patience in this 225-lap event that had its share of bruised sheet metal and egos.

The field featured familiar faces like '09 Raybestos Rookie of the Year winner Joey Logano, former Dale Earnhardt Inc. driver Steve Park, and two-time defending Showdown winner Matt Kobyluck, who all had terrific performances in this Saturday night spectacular.

Representing some of the future stars of the NASCAR top three series included Martin Truex Jr.'s younger brother Ryan, who won last year's Camping World East championship; Candace Munzy, a racer from the NASCAR Whelen All-American Late Model Series; as well as Sergio Pena, a member of the Drive for Diversity program.

With three segments of racing (two 100-lappers and a 25-lap sprint), the action was like Talladega or Daytona in a cereal bowl, as drivers negotiated around the short half-mile speedway in three to four-wide formations.

Unlike the racing that is a fixture in the top three divisions, there was no holding back during every lap of the event. There was no complaining of racing grooves, with drivers going in about any lane that didn't have grass or a wall on it.

Sure, there were some multi-car accidents and paint trading, but the event lived up to its billing as "The Daytona 500 of Tomorrow's Stars." Every driver, no matter if it was a Cup veteran or fresh face, wanted this race added to their resume.

Leading the way for most of the night were Logano and Pena, who drove like veterans as they traded paint and paced the field throughout the night. Both drivers had stout mounts in the 225-lap contest.

Challengers in Truex and Jason Bowles tried valiantly to race up to the front of the field but were ultimately unsuccessful in their bids for victory.

Bowles finished in 11th position, which had to be a bit disappointing for the defending K&N Filters Pro Series West champion.

As for Truex, his night was rather forgettable in his NAPA Toyota, coming from 30th position to the top 10, only to crash late in the going to place 26th. Fumed at first, Truex eventually settled down and thanked his fans and sponsors via his Twitter.

Toyota Speedway's race was not about who led the most laps or about saving up equipment, unlike the Sunday shows that'll be served up this season in NASCAR.

Instead, it was about delivering to the fans, who waited it out these past two months, with racing that was daring, bold, and ultimately exciting.

No matter how the Showdown was followed, be it through Twitter, on the tube, or at the facility's grandstands, it was a delight to watch for some old-fashioned stock car action that was produced by the field filled with various stories and backgrounds.

Pena nearly stole the show with his amazing performance, starting from the pole alongside Cup sophomore Logano, keeping the 20-year-old in his sights from his No. 4 Freightliner Chevrolet.

Leading some laps and running in the top five during the entire race, the 16-year-old high school junior impressed fans with his stellar showing in what will undoubtedly mark his name with Cup, Nationwide, and Truck team owners in the coming years.

However, when it was all said and done, Logano's No. 25 Home Depot Toyota Camry was just too much for Pena and the rest of the field, as the Connecticut native came home with yet another checkered flag from Irwindale.

Unlike his victory in 2007, when he scored the win as a fresh-faced 17-year-old, Logano's triumph in this year's event may boost some confidence for the second-year driver when the Sprint Cup circuit hits up the Daytona International Speedway in preparation for the season-opening Daytona 500.

Joe Gibbs Racing's investment has to be tickled to death about his win and about his chances to contend and perhaps capture the Great American Race in his regular ride.

Also, the victory was a sort of redemption for the youngster, who was black-flagged from the win last year after a late-race tangle with Peyton Sellers.

Pena established himself as a talent that has the potential to become a young phenomenon in the NASCAR circuit, as he drove his Revolution Racing machine in one piece, showing signs of maturity and guile at a young age.

He raced hard, not afraid to push the limits of his Chevy, but he ultimately brought his car home in nearly perfect condition. Certainly, Pena has a lot to be proud of and he has probably won his share of fans with an outstanding showing at the half-mile.

So for racing fans whose hunger has been satisfied for now, they may want to go on a diet starting in February.

Daytona is almost here and Speedweeks 2010 will certainly provide plenty of appetizers and main courses that will leave any stock car enthusiast with plenty to savor in the coming weeks ahead.

Whether you're a new addition to the series or an old-school fanatic who lived through the dynasties of an Earnhardt, Petty, Waltrip, or Gordon, Saturday night's race reminded us why we devote hours to our TVs and days at the track for these weekend rituals.

Nobody was stroking it for a good finish nor were fans turned off by commercial breaks. Instead, the only noise from fans were cheers and glee about a race that makes Daytona worth the two-month wait.

At least for one night, NASCAR flashed back to its rowdy days and produced a race that has set the bar high for the upcoming championship season that lies ahead.

It was the sport 20 years ago, with drivers, who weren't even born yet, showing us how racing is really done with competitiveness and guts.

Prior to the start of the 1995 NASCAR Winston Cup season, team owner and famed NFL coach Joe Gibbs and his team were seen as something of a novelty act.

After all, he was just a good old Christian boy pursuing a lifelong dream of immersing himself in the world of motorsports.

Sure, the three-time Super Bowl-winning legend found some success with driver Dale Jarrett, who won a pair of races (including the 1993 Daytona 500) and a fourth-place points finish. Good, but still miles behind Chevrolet elitists like Richard Childress Racing and Hendrick Motorsports.

Still, the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Chevrolet unit and its critics had to wonder: Were they for real or just a link for NFL fans to identify or occasionally watch stock car races on Sundays?

Little did anyone know at the time, but as a result of the death of Davey Allison, as well as the near-fatal crash of Ernie Irvan during the summer of '94, a domino effect took place in the sport. While subtle at the time, its ramifications were felt soundly in the later years.

Jarrett, who chauffeured the bright/dark green and black Luminas since 1992, decided to part ways with Gibbs and crew chief Jimmy Makar for a career-making ride with Robert Yates' famed but tragic No. 28 Texaco-Havoline Ford Thunderbird and head wrench Larry McReynolds.

Although he would face tremendous scrutiny and criticism for not immediately producing like Allison and Irvan, Yates' acquisition of the talented Jarrett would prove fruitful as a long-term investment with race wins and the 1999 Cup trophy.

With Jarrett's departure, all eyes turned to the Joe Gibbs Racing camp, who needed a driver for its single-car operation. It had a sponsor, a competent crew chief, and a solid pit crew. Now, it just needed someone to urge their machines to victories and consistency.

Enter into the stage a wide-eyed Texan who happened to be an underrated leadfooter whose aggression was matched with a cunning ability to drive with brilliance and calculation.

A relative young gun, this '93 Rookie of the Year runner-up just needed a legit chance to show fans that he was, indeed, a racecar driver.

That 31-year-old sensation was none other than Bobby Labonte, the often-flashy younger brother of "Texas" Terry. Diligent, hard-nosed and often hot-tempered, Labonte was given his chance of a lifetime when he signed on-board as the driver of the No. 18 Chevrolet Monte Carlo.

Everything that the young gun needed was at his disposal.

Horsepower?

You betcha.

A crew chief who could match as well as harness his temper?

10-4.

A car owner who'd back him up even with a busted radiator?

Been there, done that.

While Yates found success following the '95 season, Gibbs' investment in Labonte proved to be successful right away in that 31-race campaign. That wasn't to say that the road to a Top 10 points finish and victories that year weren't without their problems.

All in all, Labonte totaled six DNFs, with half of his trips to the garage area because of accidents. Sometimes, engine reliability was an issue, as well as equipment just not holding up for the No. 18 unit.

Like the case of Jeff Gordon and Ray Evernham in their early years, Labonte and Makar needed some time before their chemistry truly flourished into one of the best in the sport. Growing pains are often experienced by the sport's top drivers and crew chiefs in coming to a common ground with communication and teamwork.

Still, what this duo compiled in 1995 is remarkable considering that the young Texan was on the verge of a breakthrough season.

How does a three-win season sound, including a sweep of the two summer races at Michigan and an epic Memorial Day weekend 600-mile triumph at Charlotte Motor Speedway?

If Al Jardine was the rhythm guitarist that gave The Beach Boys their sound from 1963-'98, Labonte was the racer who urged JGR into the forefront of a true stock car powerhouse team.

Jardine was something of a quiet presence, but when he was heard, his killer vocals brought fans to their feet at home and at concert venues, along with his friends Mike Love and the Wilson brothers in Brian and the late Dennis and Carl.

The same could be said for Bobby Labonte, to a degree or so. His unpolished yet cunning style evolved throughout the late 1990s, as the aggressive racer began to emerge as a constant threat for race victories and eventually Cup titles.

Soon, the wins became reachable, with Labonte developing a knack at venues like the Atlanta Motor Speedway, Charlotte Motor Speedway, and Michigan International Speedway. That unharnessed need for speed was prevalent at NASCAR's big track stops, finding comfort in the plate tracks at Daytona and Talladega as a reputable drafter.

Gibbs' investment paid off so much that he decided to defect from the Chevrolet camp following the relatively decent 1996 campaign and switched to Pontiac's banner for the '97 season. By flocking to Pontiac, the Gibbs team became the flagship operation for the somewhat underrated manufacturer.

Sound like a theme?

From 1997 to 2000, the one driver who constantly improved and developed himself as a dark horse championship contender was the man behind those Interstate Batteries Pontiacs.

Almost mirroring his '95 campaign, Labonte's first half results in '97 were not all that spectacular. Still, his finishes were strong enough to keep him within the Top 10 points.

Then came the fall of that year, and fans saw the true ascension of Bobby Labonte, the title contender. He nearly won the October 500-miler at Charlotte, coming home in second place.

Another runner-up finish at Talladega the following Sunday saw the 33-year old suddenly thinking: "I'm close to winning races on a consistent basis."

His worst finish down the stretch was a 23rd at Phoenix, but who was really worried, anyway? Atlanta was on the horizon, and despite a reconfiguration that year, it was still Bobby's House.

Sure enough, he delivered on race day, coming from a 21st starting position all the way to a victory on that bright Sunday afternoon. Much like his victory at the season finale the year before, Labonte pulled through in the clutch for a "W" in the season stats column for him and Joe Gibbs Racing.

Starting in 1998, Labonte honed his consistency game, which in turn, saw him rising in the points tally to a sixth place finish, with a pair of wins, 11 top-fives and 18 top-10s.

It got even better in '99, when he finished the year as the championship runner-up, with five victories, 23 top-five results and 26 top-10 showings. Those numbers had the words "future Winston Cup champion" staring at the No. 18 crew's face for the 2000 season.

Indeed, he would make good on his potential and improvement, capping off a Winston Cup-banner year with four checkered-flags, 19 top-five finishes, and 24 top-10s in 2000. That is the kind of devotion and teamwork that Gibbs invests into a brand of philosophy he believes in, be it in the gridiron or stock car stadiums of America.

Just imagine if JGR passed on Labonte during the last portion of 1994. Considering the free agent pool, with the likes of Lake Speed, Kenny Wallace, and Dick Trickle—who were all respectable drivers—how would this team's future look without Labonte in the picture?

Would Tony Stewart's career have started and peaked because of his time with this organization?

Or how about Denny Hamlin and Joey Logano? Would they ever receive their opportunities in big league stock car racing?

Today, it is Toyota's flagship team, stacked with young talent all across the board. Makar has become a well-respected manager for the team, while Gibbs has the help of his son J.D. in running the organization.

Labonte's career may have faded several degrees, but the union between he and Gibbs speaks volumes for a team that was almost laughed at by the stick-and-ball fans from day one in late 1991.

Now, in 2010, it is a powerful team that has the makings of upsetting the Hendrick Motorsports dynasty in the unknown, exciting decade of racing that lies ahead.

In a little over a month, the Daytona International Speedway will be filled with over 50 NASCAR Sprint Cup teams ready to start a new season.

The competition will be intense as every driver attempts to qualify for the season-opening Daytona 500. More preparation will go into this race than any other during the season. Two weeks of practice, a qualifying session, and two 60-lap qualifying races just to set the field means a lot of action in the garage.

As the season draws near, I thought it would be an appropriate time to begin looking at some of the drivers to watch out for leading into the 2010 campaign. This is not a prediction of who will be making the Chase, or will be winning the championship. Instead, it's looking at some drivers who will greatly improve from the 2009 season.

When I think of a guy to watch out for in 2010, the guy at the very top of my list is Kyle Busch. The 2009 Nationwide Series champion had, by his standards, an off year.

Despite four wins, including a sweep of Bristol, the driver known as "Rowdy" did not put himself in championship contention.

Some questioned whether him running the full Nationwide Series took away from his commitment to the Cup car, but I don't think that was the case. I believe he just proved that he was human, and couldn't win every race he was in.

As he enters 2010, Busch looks to not be racing the entire Nationwide schedule, putting more focus on his Cup effort. But, that championship is going to give him a lot of confidence when the season begins.

I don't expect a repeat of 2009; I expect a season like 2008.  Many wins, a Chase berth, and a championship contender. The entire M&M's team will be on top of their game, and the No. 18 Toyota will be out front quite a bit, as would be expected from Rowdy.

Although Busch may be the driver from Joe Gibbs Racing that gets a lot of the attention, teammate Denny Hamlin was very vocal about his expectations in the next few years.

Following his win at Homestead, Hamlin said that in the next couple of years, he and his team would win a championship. That is a very tall order considering he must dethrone a four-time champion.

But, look for this team to be extremely competitive in 2010. The lone representative for Gibbs in the Chase had a lot of misfortune come his way.

This is a team wanting to prove they can win a title, and I believe they can.

The final driver on my watch list has a lot of questions heading into 2009. Questions about success, struggles, and being a contender were answered after 36 races. Now, the question is if can he follow up with another successful year.

That driver is Tony Stewart.

A new two-car team was a major risk for Stewart, but he adapted very quickly to his new responsibility. He and teammate Ryan Newman both made the Chase, with Stewart winning four races as well as the All-Star Race.

If anyone can knock off Jimmie Johnson as the Sprint Cup champion, it is "Smoke." He's got the same equipment as Johnson, but Stewart has been able to show that he can be competitive and consistent the entire season, not just the Chase.

It was Stewart who won the Chase in 2005 before Johnson began his stranglehold on the title. He knows what he needs to do to win it.

As we embark on a new decade of NASCAR Sprint Cup competition, I believe these are the ones who are to be watched the most. Each has their own things to prove, but each has the same goal: to become a champion.

After signing autographs at Sound and Speed, Denny Hamlin flew commercial to Los Angeles yesterday. He said it was a "reality check."

Kelly Bires spent New Years eve at Wisconsin Dells.

Colin Braun celebrated at Times Square.

Bobby Labonte is back from hunting in Texas.

David Ragan is vacationing in Jamaica.

Aric Almirola and Justin Lofton have been skiing and snowboarding near Boone, NC.

Juan Pablo Montoya is getting ready for testing this week.

Today is the Newman's sixth wedding anniversary.

NASCAR television personality Riki Rachtman, has been seeing a doctor for his back and bronchitis.

Rachtman is at the Carolina Panthers game, to see his first ever NFL game.  It is the coldest game to have been played in Bank of America Stadium.

Meanwhile, Kenny Wallace is comfortable in the Edwards Jones Dome.  He is watching the St. Louis Rams.

Digger made an appearance in Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel. Finally, a reason to see the movie!

Michael McDowell has been helping with the Nationwide team's move to Mooresville. McDowell is also pricing cars to add to the fleet.

Joe Gibbs Racing has released the 2010 Home Depot showcar schedule. It can be found on their website.

ARCA driver Leilani Münter's brother-in-law Bob Weir, was monopolized with a Grateful Dead Monopoly board game. Weir is the Dead's guitarist.

Jesse L. Medford's Facebook Fan Page for instant access to new articles. Also, if you have anything interesting that you think would fit in one of my columns, please send me a message.

Three races. Three cowboy hats. That's what Kyle Busch was gunning for this weekend. In the end, he barely missed the bulls-eye, coming up a little short on his third shot. 

After winning the Winstar World Casino 350 truck race on Friday, then dominating the O'Reilly Challenge Nationwide race on Saturday, all that stood between Busch and history was the Dickies 500 Cup race.

The bit of history he was aiming at—to become the first driver ever to win a race in all three of NASCAR's major touring series in the same weekend at the same track.

Busch bagged his 16th career victory Friday night in the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series, leading the most laps (54-of-147) in the process.

He dominated again during his 29th career victory Saturday afternoon in the NASCAR Nationwide Series, again leading the most laps (179-of-200) in the process.

Sunday, Busch seemed poised to finally finish off the elusive triple-win he has attempted so many times in his short career.

Busch started fifth and as in the previous two days, he dominated the race, eventually leading the most laps (232-of-334).

After the smoke from the victor's donuts had cleared, however, there was a Busch in Victory Lane—but it wasn't Kyle.

After pitting on Lap 269-of-334, Kyle was leading and trying to conserve fuel when he ran out on the backstretch on Lap 331.

"I'm out! I'm out—coming to you!" he radioed to his new crew chief Dave Rogers, who replaced Steve Addington on the pit box after last Sunday’s race at Talladega.

He coasted around to pit road, took on a splash of gas, and headed back out to finish 11th, while his brother Kurt, who pitted two laps after Kyle on Lap 271, took home the trophy, the cowboy hat, and the six-shooters.

All in all, it was still an impressive weekend for the younger Busch brother. He brought his total visits to victory lane in the NCWTS and NNS this year to seven and eight, respectively, and to 19 across all three series.

Kyle led over two-thirds of all the laps run for the weekend (465-out-of-681) on his way to bringing home his 60th and 61st career victories across all three major NASCAR touring series. 

Considering he had only led eight laps in his last eight Cup races—four each at Martinsville and Talledega, and none in the six races before that—this was quite a promising start for Busch and his new crew chief. 

Moreover, he increased his lead in the battle for his first major NASCAR title to 272 points over Nationwide series rival Carl Edwards. And he still holds a 32 point lead over Matt Kenseth in the "first of the rest" race for 13th place in the Cup series. 

His efforts also helped owner Billy Ballew move the No. 51 truck team to within 75 points of Kevin Harvick, Inc.'s No. 33 team, driven by NCWTS points leader Ron Hornaday.

This was the second time this year Kyle came oh-so-close to completing the weekend triple. In February of this year, he won both the NCWTS and NNS races on the same day at the Auto Club Speedway, and finished third in the Cup race the next day. 

Next week Busch will begin his quest anew at a track where he nearly pulled off the triple-win two years ago. In November, 2007, he won both the truck and Nationwide (then-Busch) series races, then finished eighth in the Cup race.

(Photo Credit: Robert Laberge/Getty Images for NASCAR) 

All too often, NASCAR’s most promising young stars fail at the highest level, the Sprint Cup Series. We consider them the best talent, the next Jeff Gordon. Then, they advance to Cup, produce lackluster results, and disappear.

Why? They’re doing it wrong.

Brad Keselowski, however, is doing it right. Allow me to explain.

The problem with the drivers who don’t succeed is coming up to Cup too fast, or not waiting for the right opportunity. We’ve seen this on many occasions.

Casey Atwood was the youngest winner in the Nationwide Series, but came to Cup in 2001 with Evernham Motorsports, a brand new team. Casey and Evernham were going through growing pains together, which never turns out very well. Finally, by the end of the season, they started to get through the growing pains and started running well, but by then it was too late, and Casey got the boot.

In 2002 and 2003, Scott Riggs was racing in the Nationwide Series with PPC Racing, a team that had won the championship with Jeff Green the year before. Riggs had a pair of wins each year, and finished in the top ten in points both years. We all thought Scott Riggs was going to be successful.

Then, Riggs moved to Cup with MB2 Motorsports, regarded as a second-tier team, propped up only by Valvoline’s partial ownership. Riggs had only a handful of good runs, outnumbered by his DNQ’s. Goodbye Scott Riggs.

JJ Yeley was highly touted for a number of years while he was tearing things up on the open-wheeled circuits. He signed a development contract with Joe Gibbs Racing, and ran a few seasons in Nationwide. However, he was moved up to Cup before showing anything special in Nationwide.

After two seasons in Gibbs No. 18 car, he was shipped off to then-Gibbs satellite team Hall of Fame Racing, and was cut loose after half a season. The only time we have seen him around the NASCAR garage since then was when he served as an analyst for one of SPEED’s Truck Series races earlier this year.

And, do I need to mention Dario Franchitti, who jumped straight from an IndyCar into Sprint Cup?

I could list more than a few other names, too: Jacques Villeneuve, Scott Pruett, Patrick Carpentier, Chad McCumbee, Jason Leffler. You can probably name some more.

Fortunately, Joey Logano has the long-term support of his team and sponsor, Joe Gibbs Racing and Home Depot. He intended to race longer in the Nationwide series before coming up to Cup, but Tony Stewart’s sudden departure necessitated Logano’s early promotion. But, even “Sliced Bread,” as in “the best thing since...” has struggled at NASCAR’s highest level.

Brad Keselowski, however, will be different. He has raced in the Nationwide Series for the past few seasons, the last two with Junior Motorsports, one of the best Nationwide teams. Here, he had the opportunity to cut his teeth, develop his skills, his style, and deal with the pressure of racing all year and pleasing high-profile sponsors.

Sure, he could have defected at the end of last year to some underfunded Cup team (it was never publicized, but one would be crazy to think no one offered it to him). He’s run just a handful of Cup races this year, to get used to the car, the longer races, and the higher competition level.

And next year, he will be with Penske, arguably one of the best teams across all forms of motorsports. He waited patiently, realizing he was with one of the best teams in Nationwide, until he had an opportunity to be in a good ride with long-term stability next year.

This is why Brad Keselowski will not fall off the map any time soon.

Other NASCAR Notes

Speaking of rookies, I don’t think there is anyone in line for the Raybestos Rookie of the Year competition next year. The only rookie I can think of is Brad Keselowski, but he has run too many races this year to be eligible. Unless Dexter Bean suddenly figures out how to qualify his car, we’ve got no one. The last time there were no eligible rookies was 1983.

It’s not like there aren’t any qualified drivers, it’s just that no teams have openings. No drivers are retiring, and sponsors are hard to come by to expand.

Also, the way things are looking right now, there won’t be enough Dodge cars to fill their allotment in the Budweiser Shootout at Daytona. The season opening exhibition race used to be for the previous season’s pole winners, but was changed to the top six cars in owner points for each manufacturer, plus the most recent past champion not already included or the seventh car in owner points.

I compiled a list based off what we already know for next season, and Penske’s three cars are the only entries for Dodge so far. Unless Dodge adds at least four more teams, Budweiser will, once again, have to change the rules to have a decent car count.

-David Dubczak

When Joe Gibbs Racing arrived in Dover, Del., they had three great chances to take home the checkered flag. When they left, they had three drivers that have never been happier to head to Kansas.

Sunday at the Monster Mile, all three of JGR’s cars finished outside the top 20 and two of their drivers lost their fight with the monster’s high banks.

Things got off to a rough start on Friday when Denny Hamlin didn’t hide the fact that he didn’t like Dover. As the only JGR car in the 2009 Chase for the Sprint Cup, Hamlin arrived at one of his worst tracks and knowing he had a long weekend ahead of him.

The driver of the No. 11 FedEx Toyota only had two top 10s in seven starts at Dover heading into the weekend.

“I’ll be glad when Monday comes," he told the media on Friday.

From there he went out and qualified in the 13th position. Teammate Kyle Busch, who has had success at Dover in the past, qualified 15th, and rookie teammate Joey Logano went out and bested them both by qualifying 11th for the Sunday event.

Logano was the one that started the party on lap 32; going down the backstretch, it appeared Logano had to check up because of Bobby Labonte in front of him. The chain reaction caused Tony Stewart, running behind Logano, to send the No. 20 car down in the turn-three grass.

Logano’s car then shot back up onto the track and hit head-on in the turn-three wall, collecting Reed Sorenson, Martin Truex Jr., and Robby Gordon. Contact from those cars pushed Logano’s car and sent him barrel rolling about seven times before coming to rest on the apron.

He walked away unhurt but shaken.

“It was the wildest ride I’ve ever been on,” he said. “It just really scared the heck out of me...it started rolling, and I was there thinking, ‘Man, just make this thing stop.’ It wouldn’t. It just kept going and going. It goes to show how safe these cars are. I was fine.”

Logano was credited with a 42nd place finish.

Miles the Monster, though, was just getting warmed up.

Next came Kyle Busch and his No. 18 Interstate Batteries Camry. Busch has been solid at Dover, with two straight second-place finishes back in 2005 when driving for Hendrick Motorsports and a win in the June race last year for JGR.

He seemed to be on his way to another top-10 day as he ran steadily with the leaders for much of the race before Miles struck again.

Just past the 100-lap mark, Busch scraped the wall after having a tire go down that brought him to pit road, causing him to lose a lap. It was the least of his problems, though, as he told his team that the tire might blow again because he felt things were bent on the car.

On lap 207, Busch’s green machine pancaked the right side and rode the wall from turn two, down the backstretch, and into turn three before Busch drove it behind the wall for repair work. He later returned to the race and was caught with speeding on pit road, to which he light heartedly replied “Nahhhhh. No way.”

His day ended with a 31st-place finish.

“We cut down a tire twice today and each time ended up in the wall,” said Busch. “The second time we hit hard enough that we had to go to the garage and fix it. We’ve got to figure out why it happened and make sure we correct it. It’s disappointing for all these guys.”

Not to be left out, the monster must have felt hurt that Hamlin didn’t want to be in his presence, who made no bones about not liking or running well at the concrete mile.

Hamlin never suffered any damage but spent much of the day running between 15th and 20th place and eventually went a lap down, then two. The No. 11 team could never get the handle of their Toyota where it needed to be and were visibly slower than most.

After a long 400 miles, Hamlin could only muster a 22nd-place finish, two laps behind the leaders. Unfortunately for him, the bad day didn’t help his championship hopes. After entering third in points, he left as one of the lowest finishing Chasers and now sits sixth in points, over 100 markers out of first.

The good news for Hamlin and the rest of Joe Gibbs Racing is that they won’t have to see the monster for another year. Unless he haunts their dreams, of course.

It's been a tough last couple of weeks for the Shrub.

After missing the Chase for the Sprint Cup by just eight points back in Richmond, the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota was penalized 25 owner and driver points, and crew chief Steve Addington was placed on probation for the rest of year and fined $25,000.

“The situation was caused when the left front spring became dislodged," Joe Gibbs Racing said in a statement. "This resulted in the left front corner of the car to be lower and resulted in a change to the car’s handling which had to be compensated for during the race. Consequently, the car measured low during post race inspection.’’

Looking to put all the trouble behind him, Busch and the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota headed into Dover International Speedway... and if Busch was looking to rebound, Dover wasn't the ideal place to do it.

While Shrub does have a Dover victory under his belt, his average Cup finish was 15.3 coming into the weekend.

“I'm always confident we have the car capable of going to Victory Lane,” Busch said before the green flag of the Dover 200 Nationwide race. The No. 18 NOS Energy Drink Toyota practiced in the top ten in both practice sessions, and qualified on pole.

There was no doubt Busch had a right to be confident—he finished the Nationwide Series practice sessions fifth and eighth, respectively. But could he get the car into Victory Lane?

With storms brewing just a few miles away, Rowdy led the field to the green of the Dover 200...with no ability to talk to his crew.

“The radio may not work, but Kyle has been shot out of cannon,” ESPN announcer Marty Reid said, as Busch shot ahead of the pack. Within six laps Busch had built a second lead of second place car Carl Edwards.

Busch hit lap traffic early, jumping to the high side or diving low to put cars down a lap, and by lap 20 laps just 24 cars sat on the lead lap. By lap 42, the Nationwide Series points leader had padded his lead to nearly four seconds.

On lap 56, Busch became just the second driver in Nationwide history to lead 2,000 laps in a season, the first of course being Series great Sam Ard, who did it in 1984 by leading 2,127.

Sixty three laps into the Dover 200 just 15 cars sat on the lead lap as Busch continued on his blistering pace. Erasing the five second lead on lap 82, Busch came down pit road for a 14.1 second four tire stop stop before heading back on track.

Busch cycled back to the lead on lap 91, and would continue to lead—and put cars laps down—by the time the field hit the halfway mark on lap 100.

Caution came out for the first time on lap 109 for debris, with the leaders again hitting pit road with a 12.9. Once again his crew kept him atop the scoring tower ahead of Edwards, Scott Speed, Clint Bowyer and Ryan Newman.

Choosing the outside line, Busch led the field to the restart on lap 116, again vaulting to the lead. However, a fast No. 29 Holiday Inn Chevrolet of Bowyer caught the No. 18 Toyota, passing him just two laps later.

Busch was unable to capitalize on the lap 125 restart, with Bowyer on the inside pulling away from Busch's Toyota. He and Nationwide points rival Edwards battled nose to tail for second and third before Edwards made the pass on lap 129—Busch attempted the crossover, diving low to the side of the No. 60, but it was to no avail.

“We've got a little bit of radio com on a back up channel. He's a little loose and we made some adjustments on the last stop. If we can get one more stop I think we can get it fixed up,” crew chief Jason Radcliff said as his driver took second place back from Edwards on lap 139.

Lap 150 posed another chance for Busch to take advantage of Bowyer-- the two raced side by side into turn two before the No. 29 cleared Busch, but both had pulled away from the field. He lost second to Mike Bliss with 44 to go.

Busch rested in third until Brad Keselowski passed him on the restart with seven laps to go-- a restart just after Keselowski spun Rowdy's Sprint Cup teammate, Denny Hamlin. After leading 109 laps on the day, just 18 laps from tying Sam Ard's record of laps led in a year, Busch came home fourth.

"(The radio communication hurt) probably a little bit. We gave it all we had today and Jason gave it all he had with the information he had today,” Busch said, going on to say his car got looser and looser throughout the race.

With the fourth place finish, Busch is now 211 points ahead of Carl Edwards.

After that dominant performance in the Dover 200, Busch looked to repeat when he took the green flag for the AAA 400 in the 15^th position.

By the competition caution on lap 25, the No. 18 had picked up just two spots to 13th when they hit pit road. In the midst of two and four tire strategies, Busch took the lap 31 restart in 20th.

After a lengthy red flag after a four car wreck, Busch didn't hesitate on the lap 37 restart, jumping to the outside line, going three wide and ultimately passing eight cars, including David Reutimann and Clint Bowyer, before getting into a side by side battle with Jimmie Johnson for eight, completing the pass as they hit the start finish line to complete 42 laps. Passing Kasey Kahne on lap 65 would send him to sixth.

Rowdy accompanied the leaders onto pit road when the fourth caution of the day came out on lap 86. He gained an impressive four spots on pit road to come out fourth after losing two spots before the caution.

Busch blasted by the No. 16 of Greg Biffle on lap 95 for third, continuing his strong run on the outside. He held his spot in the top five, but began to tighten up and had fallen to seventh on lap 153. He told his crew he was lacking overall grip and wanted an air pressure adjustment in all four tires when the team came in for their next stop.

It wouldn't be soon enough, as Rowdy lost a tire and made contact with the wall, and made his way into the pits as caution came out on lap 163 for his debris. He would restart 21st on the lap 169 restart, one lap behind the leader.

“Don't be surprised if (the tire) blows again,” Busch told his crew. “(Expletive)'s bent.”

And he was right.

Continuing to fight no grip, Busch again made hard contact with the wall on lap 207, and made contact with the wall again as he brought the caution out. Taking off his gloves and putting the window net down, Shrub drove his No. 18 Toyota to the garage. It was, for the second time for Busch in the race, a right front tire.

He had failed to finish two of the last three fall Dover races, and was in position to get his lap back when he brought the fifth caution of the day out. Fifty three laps down in 32nd, Busch returned to the track on lap 263.

With 72 laps to go Busch's woes got worse-- as he continued to run in 32nd, he was caught speeding on pit road and had to make a drive through penalty.

A disappointing day would end for Busch as he finished 31st, 58 laps behind. He would also fall a position in points to 14th, 29 points behind Matt Kenseth.

Thanks to Boston.com, Racing Reference, Jeff Gluck of NASCAR Scene and NASCAR.com for the stats and quotes used in this piece.

For Mark Martin's Lugnut Report, click here. For the Lugnut Reports from Loudon, click here for Kurt Busch and here for Michael Waltrip.