2008 Preseason No. 7: Kyle Busch

No. 18 M&M’s Toyota

2008 Spin
Sometimes it’s hard to believe that Kyle Busch is only 22 years old and that he’s been racing full-time in NASCAR’s elite series for only three seasons. With four career wins, 51 top-10 finishes, over 1,500 laps led and two out of three years making the Chase, Busch has impressed critics with his abilities behind the wheel.

Now, those talents get put to the ultimate test. How much of Busch’s success can be credited to the superior equipment at Hendrick Motorsports will be determined in 2008, as he leaves HMS, the only home he’s known as a Cup competitor, for Joe Gibbs Racing.

Busch is not only joining a new team, but will also be driving a new car, as Gibbs transitioned from GM to Toyota over the offseason. It remains to be seen how well Busch’s personality will blend — or clash — with new teammates Tony Stewart and Denny Hamlin, as all three have been accused of not playing well with others.

“With a new team, you have a comfort level that you have to work on gaining back,” says Busch, in a somewhat surprising reference to conditions at HMS, where he often seemed the odd man out. A good relationship with Stewart, in particular, would go a long way, as both are cut from the same tempestuous mold.

At JGR, Busch will benefit from the security of a multi-year contract and the proven management skills of Gibbs and his son J.D. But the biggest unknown will be the cars themselves; Toyota went winless in its 2007 debut.

Busch would love to be the first Cup driver to put a Toyota in Victory Lane in 2008, just as he did with the Car of Tomorrow last season. But just as important is his desire to make a fresh start at Gibbs and change the perception many fans have.

“I’ve done a pretty good job of showing them the wrong person, so I don’t blame them,” says Busch. “But maybe we can turn that around some.”

With only two DNFs last year and 97.1% of attempted laps completed, he has clearly been working on growing up on the track. While the immaturity off it won’t go away overnight, having an ax to grind goes a long way towards fixing what ails you.

Opposing Crew Chiefs’ Take
“Kyle will step his game up, and that will make the whole team even better. Reliability in the (Toyota) motor department is the real question mark. … I really like Kyle. He has as much natural talent as any racer who’s come along in a long time, but he’s got a lot of growing up to do. Maybe Joe (Gibbs) can do some things for him that Rick (Hendrick) couldn’t figure out. … It’ll be easier over there because Gibbs lets them run as renegades. He can get them in line when he needs to. At Hendrick, Kyle was being compared to two polished people (Jimmie Johnson and Jeff Gordon). That was hard on him.”

Fantasy Stall
Looking at Checkers: Kyle’s youthful exuberance (read: aggression) has paid off well on the short tracks.
Pretty Solid Pick: On big tracks where there is plenty of room to move, Busch could thrive.
Good Sleeper Pick: Fast, intermediate tracks suit his style, but he also finds trouble there.
Runs on Seven Cylinders: Not many places.
Insider Tip: The smaller the better. Of his four wins, only one is at a track larger than a mile.

For more in-depth driver news and hard-hitting features, order your 2008 Athlon Sports Racing Annual here.