Even Stewart full of praise for Kyle Busch

I received an e-mail this past week after writing a few good words about Kyle Busch. The e-mail suggested I get a new line of work if I believed Busch was a better driver than Dale Earnhardt Jr. (The words used were a bit more colorful.) The writer said Busch is out of control and is always on the verge of wrecking.

First, it’s always great to hear from readers, and in this case, the e-mail more than made my point, even though I wasn’t comparing the driving ability of the two. There is a reason Busch is off to a phenomenal start, and pure talent is just part of it.

There are only a handful of drivers on the Sprint Cup circuit who consistently are willing to take chances. That short list includes Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon and Busch. And while those chances can often work against a driver, over the long haul those guys are the ones who are most likely to improve their position the most during a race.

For Busch to be mentioned in that company at just 23 years old says it all. Yes, he’s often on the edge of disaster, and, yes, he’s still quite immature, but when talent does meet maturity, Busch will be winning often.

Just listen to Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Stewart, a guy whose personality and driving style most mirrors Busch’s and a driver who has clashed more than once with the Las Vegas native. Though Stewart has reasons to play nice with Busch, Smoke isn’t someone to throw compliments around if they’re not warranted.

“That kid loves racing more than anybody I know,” Stewart said this past week. “He’ll run three races a weekend, if the trucks are here, and not even think twice about it. I know people think he’s a little rough around the edges, but I see a lot of talent in him. He’s a great teammate. The test session we had at Atlanta (last fall) — just talking with him and working with him — I knew right then he was going to be a strong asset to this team.”

Sure, the season is just two weeks old, but Busch has easily been the early story. He’s started six races this year, two in each of NASCAR’s major series, and he’s finished in the top four in each. He’s first in points in the Sprint Cup and Craftsman Truck Series, second in the Nationwide Series. He would be leading all three if Stewart hadn’t won the first two Nationwide races.

There was ample reason to believe a pairing with the volatile Stewart and the often-brash Denny Hamlin at JGR wasn’t the best option for Busch, simply because of the potential for a personality meltdown. However, Gibbs’ return to lead the organization is just what Busch needed, and if Stewart actually decides to be a mentor, the situation is perfect.

Former championship crew chief Larry McReynolds, a Fox Television broadcaster, believes the same thing.

“I have said for the last couple of years that he very well could be the biggest and best talent we’ve got in our garage area,” McReynolds said of Busch. “The biggest thing I’ve said about Kyle, and this is a great problem to have, is someone needs to keep some tension on the chain and explain to him, ‘Don’t give me 110 percent, just give me 100.’ I honestly believe Joe Gibbs and J.D. Gibbs and that group can be the very ones to do that.”

Busch so far has been more than a willing pupil, something he always wasn’t at Hendrick Motorsports. He’s toned down the cockiness (sure ly a Gibbs influence) and is letting his talent show on the track.

Meanwhile, the man who replaced Busch at Hendrick, Earnhardt Jr., is off to a not-so-strong start, though certainly not of his own doing. Maybe the biggest difference between Busch and Earnhardt this season is pressure. There is little pressure on Busch to do anything more than make the Chase, but Earnhardt is shouldering the pressure of proving he can perform with Hendrick equipment.

So as Earnhardt tries to shrug off a slow start, Busch is being asked if he’s a legitimate title contender. Whether he is or not, Gibbs has to be loving his latest investment.