Kurt Busch still lets the ‘Wild Man’ loose

By Carlos Mendez

McClatchy Newspapers

Kurt Busch didn’t have a winning car Sunday at Martinsville, but he still was the talk of the race.

He spun out Jeff Gordon, knocking the No. 24 driver’s title hopes flat.

A little reminder of days gone by when the “Wild Man” of racing used to be the talk of NASCAR.

“I got all kinds of reviews on that in the garage area and with the race fans,” Busch said Wednesday as he got ready for the weekend at Talladega. “I got some good support. Of course, there’s been some criticism, too.”

But that’s OK. If anybody is used to criticism, it’s Busch, who was once known for his short fuse as much as his talent. He’d get into scrapes with other drivers and feud with his team, even as he was winning a championship for Jack Roush in 2004.

But that was years ago. When he joined Penske Racing in 2006, Busch seemed to mature. He became a team-minded driver, taking pride in helping Ryan Newman win the Daytona 500 in 2008.

He let his experience work for him a year ago at Texas Motor Speedway, when his fuel management led to a win at the Dickies 500, his first Sprint Cup victory at Texas Motor Speedway.

Still, it was kind of fun to see the Wild Man back in action last weekend. The have-at-it-boys attitude was made for him, wasn’t it?

“It’s been interesting,” he said. “Normally, NASCAR is sitting there looking over your shoulder, making sure everybody is doing what they’re supposed to be doing … I think it’s been exciting all the way around for everybody, not just the racers, but the fans, TV, the sponsors. Everybody’s really into the action this year.”

Trouble is, Busch isn’t really a part of the action. He’s ninth among the 12 Chasers, 277 points behind Jimmie Johnson. So he’s not going to make that up.

“I expected more guys to be in contention at this point,” he said. “It seems those three — Kevin Harvick, Denny Hamlin and Jimmie Johnson — have definitely broken away from the pack. I expected more guys to be in the mix, but those guys have separated themselves.”

But he likes the season he’s put together — with wins at Atlanta and Charlotte and poles at Las Vegas and Michigan.

Next week, he’ll be back at Texas Motor Speedway, where his last two starts make him optimistic. Not only was there the victory last November, but also a top-five in the spring.

“That was the first race with the spoiler, and it made a big difference as far as feeling the immediate impact of it,” he said. “It will be good to go back there. With the notes we have, we’re definitely shooting for the stars.”