Wednesday, April 01, 2009

Hamlin, Busch deal disasters differently

Sometimes you wish these guys wouldn’t make it so easy.

Sunday afternoon Denny Hamlin loses a race at Martinsville that he dominated after getting contact from the guy, Jimmie Johnson, who winds up beating him. Hamlin gets out of the car and calmly and patiently answers questions.

Hamlin is not happy about losing. In fact, he’s fed up with it. But he behaves as an adult, expressing clearly both his frustration and his determination with his comments.

A day later, Kyle Busch is leading the weather-delayed Truck Series race when he gets rapped in the rear by Kevin Harvick.

Harvick eventually wins the race while Busch, because of a clear-cut error he made in running over the pit-road commitment line, has to serve a penalty and finishes 17th.

When the race ends, Busch parks his truck and climbs out. He sheds his helmet and HANS device, dumping it on the bed of the truck, and then proceeds to jog down pit lane while other trucks are still coming off the track. He hops pit wall, crosses the race track, jumps the outside wall and runs off into the parking lots.

It wasn’t just a tantrum, it was tantrum as grand gesture. He didn’t literally pull down his driver’s suit and his skivvies, but he still did what my dear, departed mom once characterized as “showing his fanny.”

Busch didn’t have to say a single word to any reporter following the Truck Series race. He could have simply waved off every television, radio and print reporter – it happens all the time. Or, he could have simply said he felt like he wasn’t raced fairly and left Harvick to answer his own questions about the end of the race.

It’s not impossible to behave as a professional after a disappointing outcome. Hamlin demonstrated that. What Busch demonstrated was something else altogether.

34 comments:

Anonymous said...

Well, he could have pulled an old Tony Stewart and shot off at the mouth and then NASCAR could have sent him to anger management classes, would you like that better? All 12 people that watched the rain delayed truck race could give 2 cents about what Busch did after the race. He finished 17th, why would they want to grant an interview to someone who finishes 17TH? Did they interview Bodine who got put in the wall? No, where did he go after the race? Who cares he finished 18th...
Don't you have anything any more exciting to report than this?

Anonymous said...

There's a difference between being competitive and being obsessive. Young Kyle is obsessive about winning every race...which will never happen. He then takes his disappointment out on others who did nothing to deserve his wrath. If he were still in school, he would get low marks for "plays well with others". He needs to show as much class as he does talent.

d00ber said...

Kyle Busch... Meh. He's a punk.

Anonymous said...

KB has every right to act like he wants and was not obligated to speak to anyone following the truck race.

And I have every right to think that he is a spoiled rotten silver spooner whose parents did a poor job of raising him.

Anonymous said...

Contrary to what the last poster wrote, I think this is an exciting and appropriate story about the contrasts between two very different drivers. One, whose parents taught him to behave like a grownup when life doesn't go his way, and the other who probably could benefit from some kind of class to develop some maturity. Bush's parents should be embarrased of their progeny. If I still behaved like that at his age my Daddy woulda worn me out and no amount of money in my bank account woulda stopped him.

Anonymous said...

So let's turn the tables and say it was Dale Jr. who stomped off and didn't talk to reporters.... Oh wait, Dale Jr. would never be in a position to win, sorry.

Mike said...

Anonymous, you clearly don't get it on so many levels, but we'll stick to the obvious one. This isn't Poole's race story, it's a blog post. That said, as a reader, would you really feel informed if you read a race story that didn't include quotes from the guy who led the most laps before being taken out by contact and then penalized on pit road with 10 laps to go? Or is that simply unnecessary words because he finished 18th? I guess you're the same one who enjoys reading about a game-winning field goal, but says "who cares about the guy who intercepted a pass for a touchdown and then recovered the onside kick that retained posession that led to the field goal because, well, he didn't kick the pigskin through the poles. Clearly he didn't matter in the outcome of this game." You're an idiot. If there is any uselessness in Poole's blog entry, it's your baseless (and anonymous) criticism.

Anonymous said...

Who would you rather have behind the wheel of your racecar, Denny or Kyle? I'd take Kyle everytime.

Anonymous said...

Wow Mike, you have a last name or should we just call you Mike Anonymous??? Big smoke blower.
And if I'm an idiot, why are you writing about football on a race blog? Wipe the druel off lippo.

Anonymous said...

Amen Anonymous! (The first one) Who cares. All this stuff being written of "how well Denny handled himself" at Martinsville...Who gives a dam? I have seen Denny just call out his race team unmercifully two years ago and ridicule them over "mistakes." If everyone would slow down and really look at the replay yall would find out that it is Denny who caused his own loss. And he said as much barely in some comments afterwards.

I am not down on Denny and both he and JJ didn't do anything wrong at the end. That's what we need in this sport, pushing and shoving, NASCAR has so sanitized this thing that we now have media stories over the slightest of things.

This is the deal: Look at the finish on YouTube or wherever and watch it several times and slowly. Denny arched in that turn in such a way that one might say he gave JJ a shot, but even if he didn't you look at it closely and you will see that Denny did pinch JJ down--nothing wrong with that but he paid a price. JJ drove it in there hard--nothing wrong with that but he nearly paid a price. Denny pinched JJ toward the curb and he had nowhere to go and they bumped and the rest is history.

JJ said as much after the race but I think there wasn't much said about it because he didn't want to rub anyone's nose in it. But Denny plainly pinched him and then got bumped out of the way.

I would like to see more of these finishes and hope Denny gets to bump JJ on the way to a victory this year. But you watch, Denny ain't gonna be so kind one of the days and then yall will be writing he has a bad attitude. Note to media: the modern sports world is full of brats making a lot of money doing their thing. Guess what? The fans love it all the while they are doing it. I wouldn't want to invite Kyle Busch for dinner but damit he is a helluva driver and I love to watch him race. Was Tim Richmond shy or polite? How about Dale Sr? Buddy Baker didn't send flowers when he won or lost. Bobby Allison wasn't the kindest person to work for while he chased 84 victories. DW? Well, you never met a more brash and impetuous racer in your life. Cale was a bull, Jimmy Spencer a bully...Ain't too many Richard Petty's in this world. So who cares about it anyway. Some of that crap is what makes them good. Oh, and Carl Edwards, he is fooling all of you with that "aw shucks" deal. I'll take a line for the Days of Thunder...'he ain't your friend and would crash you anytime to win a race.'

As long as Kyle Busch isn't mean to little children, who cares if he has anger problems? Look at Tony Stewart, classes didn't help him...Just wait till he crashes 3 cars one race weekend. He won't be smiley happy either.

Anonymous said...

If the cameras we're focused on the winner, instead of on Super Busch we wouldn't be talking about this. But because Hornaday gave the race win to his boss on that restart we have nothing better to discuss.

Anonymous said...

More Poole..create a story out of nothing.Poole is so dead set on trying to make us hate Kyle he's going to write everything he hears sees smells or can make up.
I remember when Dale Earnhardt would lose a race..he couldn't be found.He would blow up and pout and run to his hauler.And add everything Anon 2:48 said to this also.HEY OBSERVER!WHY DON'T YOU GUYS HIRE A REAL RACE REPORTER?ONE THAT'S FAIR TO EVERYONE?NOT JUST THE DRIVERS HE LIKES.
PLEASE MR.POOLE!!HELP THE SPORT!!!!
QUIT!

Anonymous said...

Hey Mike.
Please post the following.
YOUR NAME.
YOUR ADDRESS.
YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS.
YOUR PHONE #S.
YOUR BRA SIZE.
Till you do that!Your anonymous too.
Signed
Ralph Sloan

Anonymous said...

There was a NASCAR race this weekend??

Anonymous said...

anon 3:55 hit it dead on. It's not Poole's fault that Nascar is so vanilla right now. He's desperatly trying to find something to write about, Nascar is flat out boring.

Anonymous said...

Why does Nascar have a race at noontime on Monday? Why not start it at 4 or 4:30, maybe a few people would be home to watch it. The teams only had to travel 2 hours to get home and they have a month off.

Anonymous said...

What's the big deal he left the race track maybe he wanted to hook up with his girlfriend ever seen her I would run too.
Somebody needs to get a life.

Anonymous said...

Big deal he left the track maybe he
wanted to hook up with his girlfriend ever seen her I would be running too.
somebody needs to get a life.

Unknown said...

Kyle Busch is Kyle Busch....everyone that knows him knows that what he did after the truck race is just like something Kyle Busch would do....take off & hide from reporters because he didn't win and he knew they'd be after him. He is still immature and spoiled....someday he might outgrow it....Dale Earnhardt Sr. would get out of his car on pit road and stand there, hoping a reporter would come along so he could blast that s.o.b. Kevin Harvick for hitting him and anyone else he thought impeded him during the race....that was Dale Sr....he would never run and hide because he lost....he'd take a verbal shot at anyone he thought cost him the race and if he himself made a mistake, he would own up to it too after the race to reporters....Kyle is tarnishing his great driving abilities with a childish and immature attitude.

Unknown said...

Kyle Busch is Kyle Busch....everyone that knows him knows that what he did after the truck race is just like something Kyle Busch would do....take off & hide from reporters because he didn't win and he knew they'd be after him. He is still immature and spoiled....someday he might outgrow it....Dale Earnhardt Sr. would get out of his car on pit road and stand there, hoping a reporter would come along so he could blast that s.o.b. Kevin Harvick for hitting him and anyone else he thought impeded him during the race....that was Dale Sr....he would never run and hide because he lost....he'd take a verbal shot at anyone he thought cost him the race and if he himself made a mistake, he would own up to it too after the race to reporters....Kyle is tarnishing his great driving abilities with a childish and immature attitude.

Anonymous said...

Please stop comparing Kyle to Dale Sr.

Holleracha said...

Nobody is talking about the races because their wasn't much to talk about. If the drivers had as much personality as the racing We'd have nothing...

Robbie Mac said...

Hmm. Yes Denny handled the interview properly. I read elsewhere that DW felt he should have gone after JJ. Good for ratings yes well done DW cue the gopher.

Has Denny grown up a bit over the past few years? Seems so. I'm sure in the inner bowels of Gibbs Racing there is a room where the whppersnappers are beat about with a bible or a phonebook with a PR person on one side and a sports psychologist on the other. Maybe not quite but...

Anyway Kyle bolted from the track after blowing a race himself. Mad? You better believe it. Do the sponsors still want you to be interviewed post race? Yep. Are you paid BIG BUCKS to do this? Yep. Suck it up princess.

When Kyle is starting his truck team will he have to smile and be nice? You better believe it baby!

Big Time Racing is a Big Time Business.

BTW I watched the race on Monday. I love the trucks, in my mind it's often the best race of the weekend and Martinsville is the best track I've been to so far in my experience.

Anonymous said...

Kyle is a spoiled, immature baby. Basically a minime of Tony Tantrum. He is also very talented. But that is not going to make him ultimately sucessful in this sport. Don't know why these spoled brats don't just stick to open wheel/Indy. Their basically whine and cheese types anyway and stock cars has never beenwhere they wanted to be. Only here for the money.

Anonymous said...

Anon 12:02
Is that why Kyle has about 6- 8 late models running short tracks in the southeast? Because he loves open wheeled/Indy car? How is he spoiled? He earned his money and he spends it the way he wants, don't you?

Anonymous said...

Yes!Let's please not compare Earnhardt Sr. to Kyle Busch.Because when it comes to driving and personality,Senior wouldn't make a scab on Kyle Bushes Butt.

Anonymous said...

So has anybody ASKED Kyle WHY he ran off? Did he have to go to the restroom or something?

I really don't see the big deal...except that it's Kyle so it MUST be a story of him being a brat.

As for Denny? He completely blew the race for leaving the door open. Why would he throw himself under the bus like he's done his crew? I think he's learning the "PC" game like so many other drivers.

Anonymous said...

Maybe Kyle glanced over at pit road and didn't see any of his crew guys and thought they were with his girlfriend.

Payton said...

I think most race fans are fed up with how much the media praises Kyle Busch. He's an ok driver, but he's nothing special.

How many championships has he won in NASCAR (any division)? 0!! What is his best finish in points in the Cup Series? 5th! How many wins does he have? 14 in 156 starts.

How many championships and wins did Jeff Gordon have in 156 starts? 2 championships and 29 wins!!!

Kyle Busch is an ok driver, but nothing special. If he doesn't kill himself he might win 1 or 2 championships in his career. I just hope he doesn't kill someone else the way he drives.

NASCAR would be safer if he went to F1 racing.

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