So, I will take liberty in quoting from my own article because, as I have discovered the past few years, I wrote some really timely stuff.
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February 6, 2006
~ I can’t remember an off-season that had as little news as this past 2005 NASCAR winter break. For several weeks, rather than 25 to 40 pages of news, I felt lucky just to download four or five pages. Things have of course, picked up considerably since testing began at Daytona. One topic however, seemed to really have "legs", and that topic was Kurt Busch.
Hallelujah, praise the Lord and thank the Almighty, apparently an amazing transformation had seemingly enveloped the beleaguered 2004 Nextel Champ and glory be he has come through unscathed, empowered with new insight but still slightly bewildered by all that has befallen him, all in just two short months. ~
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The above two paragraphs of course, refer to his abrupt firing from Roush Racing before the season finished. As you will see, as great a driver as Busch is, emotionally he hasn’t got a clue as to how he ended up in this situation. It certainly isn’t his fault, and as he continues to comment on his predicament we can’t help but feel that he’s less than six degrees removed from Charlie Sheen.
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~ In the past three weeks, no less than 17 articles and probably more if the truth were known, have been written about the new and improved Kurt Busch. Usually they start the same way with reference to his reaction to his suspension following an incident with a police officer in Phoenix last year and the connection it may or may not have had to his signing on with Penske South Racing replacing the retiring Rusty Wallace for the 2007 season. "I was very surprised that it got that personal," says Busch who added, "Maybe I could have done it a different way, but I thought the best approach was to notify Roush early on so they could get their sponsors lined up and do the things they had to do." If I read this comment once, I read it well, possibly 17 times, but the ending was the kicker. "It just kinda gets weird over there every now and then." Gee, I wonder why Kurt? ~
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A few more pertinent quotes and a more accurate picture of the way Kurt Busch was and is, begin to emerge.
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~ Kurt Busch has been on a whirlwind tour getting acquainted with his new team and his new sponsors, bantering with the media, all smiles and reportedly as relaxed as a newborn puppy. With comments such as “I took it all for granted,” “I’m a little older now. I’ve aged pretty quick in the last two months,” and “I’m a little more mature,” continuing on with comments like “All the meet and greet, hand shaking, back slapping, "I’m trying to be more loose, be myself." ~
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This alluded to his opinion that he wanted to let everyone know he really is a great guy now that he’s out from under Jack Roush’s champion-making thumb.
But if nothing else alludes to his high opinion of himself it is the following, when commenting on Roush‘s decision to eliminate Busch‘s #97 in favor of putting his replacement Jamie McMurray in the #26 and whether this should be viewed as a bad thing.
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~ "I actually took it the opposite way. I thought it was an honor to have them retire that number or move it off to the side. We took the 97 from a non-race winner to a contender to a winner to a championship level."
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As I said then, I felt he honestly believed that and considering his demise from Penske Racing after what can only be called his diabolical verbal attacks on his crew chief and crew and just about any reporter within a 20 mile radius. It would never have occurred to him that he may have in fact disgraced the accomplishments achieved in that car. His behavior then and now is virtually the same and that is disappointing.
Therefore I believe I was right.
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As far as my comments on Dale Earnhardt, Jr., I don’t feel I need to refer to the February, 2006 column. It contains no pertinent information to the discussion at hand. It worked at the time, but doesn’t seem to fit my current feelings or opinion.
That said, I am sick and tired of those in the “media” who demonize Dale Earnhardt, Jr. It would appear at times, that nothing he does or accomplishes is viable because there is some mysterious motive or conspiracy behind them. They aren’t even conspiracies on his part, but rather devious plots by NASCAR, the tracks where the races are held and even to other on-track competitors. Even those who don’t follow NASCAR seem to latch onto an opinion about Junior that has no basis other than snide comments they hear.
As an example, I was in my vet’s office a number of years ago, and somehow the subject of racing and Dale, Jr. came up. This man, who is still a dear friend and the finest vet I’ve ever had, popped up with, “Oh, I can’t stand that guy. One of those typical celebrities who grew up with everything. The only reason he’s so popular is because his father gave him the best there was.” I had my back to him clipping the leash back onto the collar of my wonderful Elvis, and I just froze. I took a deep breath, turned around, and stared at him. I looked him straight in the eye and softly said, “You have no idea what you’re talking about.” He stared back, and finally said, “OK, tell me about him.” So I did.
Of course the most ludicrous opinion is that Dale Earnhardt, Sr. “gave” Junior the best of everything. We who know their history and Dale, Sr.’s personality know that wasn’t Dale, Sr.’s way of doing things. If Junior hadn’t proved himself, he wouldn’t have progressed through the sport as he did.
My admiration for Dale Earnhardt, Jr. though, was cemented in the months after his dad’s death at Daytona in 2001. No one goes through what Dale, Jr. went through after the death of a parent. But he grew taller as the never ending tributes were held at every track in the following months, and at Daytona International Speedway in July he won at the very track where his father lost his life. Prior to that win however, he did his job, squashed rumors of every imaginable kind, and put an end to death threats lodged against those who were near his dad when he crashed. All without blinking an eye.
When rumors swirled that his “contract negotiations” with DEI were or weren’t going well, it became known that he didn’t even have a written “contract.” He had been racing all that time on a handshake with his Dad.
Meantime, he started his own race team, lived his own life, did things his usual unique way, and you folks can correct me if I’m wrong, but I don’t ever recall Dale Earnhardt, Jr. being embroiled in scandal or controversy that could be interpreted as “detrimental to the sport of stock car racing.”
He won a bit, struggled a bit and tried to remain loyal to the company that bore his last name until it became apparent it was time to move on.
He signed with the biggest name in NASCAR, giving up a lot of his identity while enduring innumerable jabs as to why he wasn’t running over his competition... all while retaining not only his Most Popular Driver status, but maintaining the largest fan base in the sport.
He sank into a slump as compared to his other team members until on June 17, 2012 he won in dominant fashion at Michigan International Speedway, to the joy of most fans in attendance, whether they normally rooted for him or not. NASCAR Nation went wild.
And the black helicopters began circling.
Accusations of cheating arose. Junior’s car was illegal and NASCAR chose to ignore it and my personal favorite, Tony Stewart allowed Dale, Jr. to pass him. Same old, same old, and pardon me... really stupid. If Dale’s car had been illegal, NASCAR would have found it. But Tony Stewart letting Dale pass him? Oh, OK. Sure. Whatever.
At Indy last week, Dale Earnhardt, Jr. ascended to the number one position in points. He did this by producing great finishes in most of the races this year, and is the only driver on the grid this year to have completed every single lap of every single race. It’s ironic in a way that he took over the points lead from Matt Kenseth after Matt crashed in a wreck unintentionally caused by Joey Logano. If you’ll remember, Matt Kenseth won his NASCAR championship after winning only one race in 2003, under the old points system, amid griping that he won it through consistent finishes.
Upon taking the lead in the points and therefore of course, the Chase, most of the hubbub has been about the boost it will give NASCAR in what is becoming yet another unimportant NASCAR season. To say that NASCAR is suffering through its own depression is to minimize the critical problems affecting the sport. But to hear the current hype, you’d think that the entire sport’s future now rests on the shoulders of Dale Earnhardt,Jr.
Well, if it had to fall on someone’s shoulders, at least the future is resting on the best candidate in the field and I’ll bet he handles it in the same unique way that is simply Dale Earnhardt, Jr.
~Carol
Email: bellestar63@aol.com
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