Double Clutchin’-Did Kyle Mean To?
Written by Rocky Kitts · May 4, 2008
Of course I’m talking about Kyle Busch’s crashing of Dale Earnhardt, Jr. in the final laps at Richmond. To answer the above question: Of course he did.
Kyle Busch lost any credibility with me a long time before Saturday night’s bumper car play with D-88. If this were any other driver (not with the last name Busch) I’d be willing to give them the benefit of the doubt. I don’t buy that the car was that loose; it was too much of a coincidence, and even the folks in the booth were having a hard time sounding like they believed that it was an accident. I mean, it just so happened that Kyle got loose, and it just happened to be with the guy that took his ride and his spot? Sorry Pollyanna, there is no tooth fairy, and Virginia there is no Santa Claus. Kyle did what Kyle does. Now that I’ve said that piece, let me make my real point.
I don’t have a problem with Kyle doing it. That’s not the first time that a driver has crashed another driver in his pursuit of trying to win a race, and it won’t be the last time. And as anyone who’s watched the left turn league long enough knows that it comes with it’s own type of payback, maybe not in the next race, but somewhere on down the line, Kyle will find himself on the wrong end of a receipt. Like number 3 said, “You win some, lose some, and wreck some”. Dale wrecked people to win races, he wrecked people to keep them from winning races, it’s part of the game and has been forever. It’s not as prevalent now as it used to be, and that’s why it causes such an uproar when someone does it. That’s just the way this sport rolls. If there’s any justice in any of this, it’s that Busch ended up with Mark Martin on his tail and didn’t get to take the checkered flag anyways. Congrats to Clint, right place, right time. That’s also the way this sport rolls, and no one should be mad at Bowyer for taking advantage of the situation.
The real problem that I have with what happened at Richmond, is that what happened illustrates one of the things that I don’t like about NASCAR, and I know alot of old-timers are with me on this one.
I hate team racing. When Denny Hamlin lost the lead and slid so far backwards that I think he got passed by a Buick; DW and the fellas questioned why he wasn’t bringing the car in. Maybe it’s the cynic in me but I know what I was thinking, and that was, “he’s going to bring out a caution, so that Kyle can have a shot,” and sure enough, that’s what happened. Now, understand that there is no proof that Hamlin thought that way, or that causing a caution was his goal, but because of the team concept that has slipped into NASCAR over the last two decades, and primarily the last decade, it’s hard for NASCAR or Hamlin to make me believe that teamwork didn’t play a part in what happened Saturday night. It’s hard for me to believe that the perfect opportunity to take that race just fell into Kyle’s lap like manna from heaven.
Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe I’ve watched too many episodes of X-Files, I’ve started seeing conspiracies everywhere I turn.
Or maybe Junior got caught in the wrong corner of a double-team with no one to tag.
I know what I think.
What about you?
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[...] that I’ve said that piece, let me make my real point. Read this post in it’s entirety at Fastmachines.com. addthis_url = [...]
i cant stand bush, but in this case i’ll give him the benefit , my real anger is towards hamlin , any other time, and driver, would have, after falling back that fast with a tire going down would have pitted for tires. He stayed out for one reason and that was to get a yellow flag so that his team mate would have a chance. to me this was worse than if bush had taken junior out on purpose.
hamlin has lost all credability with me
ron
My best buddy (and die-hard Jr fan) agrees 100% with you, rmoo. I called him right after the race, and he was furious at Hamlin, not Busch.
Conspiracy theories abound! Could it be that Hamlin had “team orders” to stay out until the caution? Hrm…
I don’t think anyone from JGR “asked” Hamlin for help; but you can’t avoid the suspicion he stopped on track deliberately to help Shrub have a shot at the win.
As for the contact I have to put the blame where I saw it, Junior definitely came down on Shrub. If Junior held the middle line I have no doubt that Kyle would have pulled off the pass. It’s all 20-20 hindsight as the timing was reactionary on both drivers, and as they say it was a racin’ deal.
It’s really plain and simple. I, too, knew Hamlin was going to stay out and go for a yellow. And, NO ONE is going to convince me that the little bast#!d Busch took out junior by accident.
By the way…I like jr., but, I am a Ford and Dodge fan, until the foreigners (Toyota) appear to be ready to win…then and only then will I root for a Chevy.
Nascar has become way too commercialized these days, and none of this is really what the good ‘ol boys had in mind for this sport.
So, in the end…who really cares ?!