Intimidator or intimidated? Busch rejects both roles

By PATRICK OBLEY - pobley@thestate.com

DARLINGTON — Kyle Busch hears the comparisons and cares nothing for them.

Then, Dale Earnhardt Jr. settled the matter on Thursday evening:

Busch, said Junior, is no Intimidator.

“At least it’s not me doing the comparing and it’s everybody else,” Busch said Friday. “It’s just not what I’m out there concentrating on being. I’m out there concentrating on being Kyle Busch and trying to make sure that I can go out there and compete for wins and win races and compete for championships and win championships.”

The comparisons arose following last week’s incident at Richmond when Busch sent Junior into the wall with 15 laps remaining. He finished second, and Junior didn’t finish at all.

Earnhardt Jr.’s fans already harbored conspiracy theories concerning Busch. Those fans believed Busch harbored ill will toward Earnhardt Jr. after being pushed out of the Hendrick Motorsports garage by NASCAR’s most popular driver.

Jeff Gordon, once Junior’s biggest rival turned teammate, figured a rivalry between Busch and Junior was to be expected.

“I could sense that Kyle would have some hard feelings toward Hendrick, and I think that he feels like he kind of got the raw end of the deal and he might be right,” Gordon said. “I don’t think that should transfer to the racetrack, but you never know with Kyle.”

For Junior’s fans, Richmond was proof of that animosity. E-mails and threats were directed at Busch throughout the week — not that it bothered him.

“I really don’t know and I really don’t care,” Busch said.

Greg Biffle, who snagged the pole during qualifying for today’s Dodge Challenger 500, couldn’t be paid enough to switch places with Busch right now.

“That’s trouble,” he said. “You’ve just got to be careful that you’re not driving over your head all the time and have a little bit of margin. ... I don’t like any fans mad at me, so I try to be a positive, straight-up driver all the time.”

Busch would as soon plow through someone than politely slide by. He’s not on the track to win friends and influence people.

Winning isn’t everything. It’s the only thing.

Get. Out. Of. The. Way.

“I’ve got a different style than most, I guess,” Busch said. “For me, it’s called ‘easy in, hard off.’

“You just get into the corner a little bit easier than most and then get off the corner as hard as you can.”

Jeff Burton has been around for a long time. He has seen recklessness. He has heard plenty of dummies yap when they should keep their trap shut.

In Burton’s experience, the best of the best contain a little of each.

“We’ve always had it. There’s not a time in this sport that I’m aware of that we haven’t had the people that were willing to push the buttons, willing to lay it all out there and not worry about the consequences,” he said.

Then he burst out laughing.

“It’s Kyle’s turn,” he said between guffaws. “But he won’t be one of the first and he won’t be one of the last. Our sport has been full of it and full of them for a long time and that isn’t going away.”

Tonight, Busch will start two rows being Junior. Once again, the Intimidator’s son is in Kyle Busch’s crosshairs.

“It’s between them two,” Kasey Kahne said. “Their situation is a little different than most of ours. I have no idea what either one of them are thinking.”

Chances are, everyone will know by night’s end.

Reach Obley at (803) 771-8473.