The Hub-Bub Over Busch-Keselowski

Kyle Busch dumped Brad Keselowski on his way to a Nationwide series win last night.

And Busch even admitted it in post-race interviews.  Now, some are claiming Busch was too aggressive and should be penalized.  And maybe he should.  I'd guess Nascar flipped a coin in the trailer and it came up roses for Busch.  On the other hand, Keselowski drives like he owns the place at nearly every track - maybe the powers that be decided he deserved what he got.

So much for consistency in policing the on-track retaliation.  That, of course, is Nascar.

What I am most impressed with is that Busch felt comfortable enough to admit he dumped Keselowski.  And that Keselowski felt comfortable enough to say he was planning retaliation.  The truth is, anyone watching the tape can see it was retaliation and anyone with half a brain knows there will be payback by Keselowski on Busch.

The bigger issue is whether Nascar really wants to go this way.  Is it OK if the retaliation happens at Bristol as it is a short track with lower speeds than a speedway?  What happens if, a couple weeks from the Chase cut off, the two get into someone trying to make the Chase?  Or if someone in the Chase already is injured to the degree he can't drive?

Smacking down their talk won't really prevent these things from happening, just the drivers from talking about them.  Perhaps having it out in the open is enough to alert everyone involved to watch out for these two on the track.

I'd like to propose another option.  Why couldn't the fans decide who is at fault?  Put it to a vote using email addresses, so 1 vote per person - vote for the person who is at fault.  Driver at fault (the Loser) pays $100,000 to a charity of the Winner's choice.  Heck, let the fan vote account for 40% of the vote, give another 40% to the other drivers and owners and 20% to Nascar.  This way, the score is settled and everyone can move on without feeling that the other guy got away with something.  And, a few charities would be made a lot richer.

Carl vs. Brad: As the Wheel Turns

By now, the majority of the American public has heard about the dust-up between Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski. In fact, I heard about it again this morning on a radio station that has Never played a Nascar report. The host's clear unfamiliarity was apparent to anyone who had ever watched a race.

But, the fact that this station was discussing Nascar was significant. If Nascar's no-holds barred approach was designed to get finishes and races that the general public would talk about, it worked. Brilliantly.

Does anyone doubt that next week a few more eyeballs will be on the TV as the series heads to Bristol? Hopefully, Keselowski and Edwards will be pitted near each other and will have to ride in the same truck for introductions. That would be Nascar's dream scenario.

So, what should Nascar do to Edwards for deliberately dumping Keselowski?

First, I think there are two villains in this situation. Both Edwards and Keselowski were wrong. Keselowski has been a repeat aggressive driver in both the Cup series and the Nationwide series, including prior to the Atlanta race. He reaped what he sowed.

Edwards is also a repeat offender. His passive aggressive possibly-roid rage has involved several Cup drivers. It's time to crack down on his behavior.

So, what to do. First, Keselowski should be put on probation. Let him know if there are any further aggressive driving incidents, he will be "parked." Second, give him to Mark Martin as a student. Make him spend time learning how to be a gentleman driver from the best.

Edwards should be "parked" for six races. However, I would modify the traditional method to this: After missing completely the first race, Edwards would start the next five races and at the first pit stop, would be pulled out of the car. That way, Edwards gets the points, but doesn't actually race. The other driver would also qualify the car, so Edwards would start at the back of the pack for each race.

Otherwise, I would suggest Nascar let these two settle it the old fashioned way - jello pool on the front stretch of Charlotte. Tickets would cost extra, and imagine the TV rights...

Daytona 500 Predictions

I'm not big on predictions, because, well, generally, I'm not great at it. However, with a new season, I thought I'd give a shot at picking Daytona 500 winner and up the odds by choosing a new contenders.

1. Kurt Busch - Kurt runs well at both Talladega and Daytona. He regularly runs in the top 10 and has an average finish at Daytona of 17. The question is whether the Penske camp has made changes that will help Busch run more consistently. More importantly: How is Dodge helping (if at all) . If he can avoid a wreck, he may be able to pull it off. On the flip side, Busch's temper and impatience could get the best of him. And if things don't go well this year, I predict there could be a new driver in the Penske #2.

2. Tony Stewart - Stewart is a master at the plate tracks. This does not always translate to a win. If he doesn't win at Daytona soon, that monkey will have jumped off Dale Earnhardt's back onto Stewart's. Don't despair, Tony will comfort himself with his two Brickyard trophies. (It makes him crabby to mention the loses at THE 500 - Indianapolis, so don't. No _really_, don't).

3. Greg Biffle - Biffle's teammate Matt Kenseth won last year, and the Fords have really made strides at the plate tracks. Biffle has won at Daytona during the July race, so he knows how to run and win at Daytona. Biffle needs to pull off a win to keep his boss happy.

4. Pick a first time Daytona 500 winner. Face it; anything goes at a plate track. Sometimes being a strong contender at plate tracks works against you, as drivers look to help some (sucker) they think they can ultimately get around. This means someone like Juan Pablo Montoya, AJ Allmendinger, Reagan Smith, or Brad Keselowski.

5. Worse case scenario, pick a Chevy. They have won five of the last seven Daytona 500. For an even better shot, pick one owned or helped by Rick Hendrick. I.e. 5, 88, 24, 48, 14, 39.

What happened to the Young Guns?

Take a quick look at the top four in Nascar Sprint Cup Standings:

1.  Tony Stewart

2.  Jeff Gordon

3.  Jimmie Johnson

4.  Kurt Busch

What do they all have in common?  

They are former Champions.

They all are in their 30's.

They have all been in the series for several years.

So where is all the young talent?  The rookie class is not fairing well.  Joey Logano is back in 21st place, while Scott Speed is stuck in 35th and Max Papis is in 42nd.  And in fact, I would not call either Speed or Papis a young gun - both have racing success in other series before jumping to Nascar.

Kyle Busch is relatively young, but his tenure in Cup has been so long it doesn't feel right calling him a young gun.  Kasey Kahne has been around several years as has Denny Hamlin, Carl Edwards, and Brian Vickers.  Brad Kesolowski may be the one bright spot on the horizon, but where is a seat for him to take over?

So where are all the up and comers who are supposed to be the next hot thing?  Is the Buschwacking phenomenon finally showing the Nascar nearsightedness?  Or are the old hats just hanging on better to their rides?