Sunday, November 22, 2015

Kyle Busch wins NASCAR championship

Quick story: I've always been a Kyle Busch fan and a couple of years ago I was cheering for him at the Sprint Cup race in New Hampshire.  During driver introductions, I waved my #5 Kelloggs Frosted Flakes baseball cap in the air and I was virtually the only person in the crowd showing support.

And I understand: Kyle was a bit of a jerk.  All right, he was a big jerk.  In that same race, he was dumped by another driver (Juan Pablo Montoya, if I remember correctly) and the crowd cheered.

But this year was a year of transition for Kyle.  First, he broke his leg at the Daytona 500 and missed the first eleven races of the season.  Then his wife gave birth to his son, Brexton and - in my opinion - he became a changed man, somebody who had perspective on the important things in life.  In a classic comeback story, he worked his way back to gain enough points and wins to make the Chase.  Then tonight he held off a charge by last-year's winner Kevin Harvick to win his first Sprint Cup championship.

Congratulations, Kyle.

Extra - I think this Fox News update echoes a lot of what I said:
The title is a sweet reward for Busch, who has made huge personal and professional gains over the last several years. Known as one of most talented drivers in the sport, his temperament often got in his own way. But he has mellowed with marriage, gained perspective after the Daytona wreck, and was determined to be on his feet in the delivery room when wife Samantha delivered their first baby, a boy born in May — right after Busch returned to the race car and celebrated his 30th birthday.
By the way, that kid was so funny in Victory Lane tonight.  Slobbered all over a microphone.

1 comment:

Roger Bournival said...

I think the transition from punk driver to champion happens enough - look at Tony Stewart or even Montoya, for that matter (maybe because I didn't care much for Montoya in F1 or Indycar, and even if he didn't win a NASCAR championship, eventually I grew to respect him as a driver).

Nowadays, Brad Keselowski's kind of a punk, and he'll turn out the same way - eventual champion.