Kurt Busch has held the points lead for five straight weeks. Credit: Autostock

Busch enjoys lead, and Johnson likes being the underdog

Back when Darrell Waltrip was winning NASCAR championships, psychological warfare was a big part of his arsenal.

Waltrip would, admittedly, run his mouth about whoever he was battling in the points standings, trying to get under the other driver's skin, trying to rattle his opponents.

Sometimes it didn't work. Often, it did.

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Will it work for Kurt Busch and Jimmie Johnson? Who knows, but the psychological battle seems to have begun between the drivers first and second in the Chase for the Nextel Cup.

Last week, after winning at Atlanta to close within 59 points of Busch, Johnson suggested that he was in the best spot. Being the chaser is better than being the chase-e, as it were.

Friday at Phoenix International Raceway, Busch defended his position as points leader.

Well, OK, the rhetoric was nothing like the rancor between President Bush and John Kerry, but in the corporate world of NASCAR, this is the best we can get.

"I would much rather be in this position, such as when I was with my IROC championship," Busch said. "You could only gain a certain amount of points in a few select races, and it makes it difficult to make decisions.

Jimmie Johnson

"We know that we can take the conservative route and still be able to win races, because that's what we're going to try to do this weekend with our mile setup that we won with at New Hampshire.

"I believe there's more pressure on the second-place guy, to be able to challenge himself, to be able to knock back the third-, fourth and fifth-place guys. We're on the better side of things.

"After three wins in a row and our DNF, from his side, we still have a 59-point advantage. He still has a lot of work to do to still catch us."

"He," of course, is Johnson, winner of three consecutive races and the driver closest to Busch in the points. Once 247 points behind the leader in ninth place, Johnson is making a run at the championship.

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"I like our situation, I like where we are sitting." Johnson said. "I hope if we are fortunate enough to lead another points championship in another season, I hope it isn't until the very end.

"There is a huge burden that comes with being number one. There is a pressure. There is something that comes with that.

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"The 97 still has the lead and they have been very strong and tough, but next week is going to be tough for them, and I would expect them to be able to stand up to the pressure. They have had an incredible team this year.

"But there is some type of burden. For any of you who have seen "Lord of the Rings," it is like that ring that kid carries the whole way. I don't know what it is, but it makes weird things happened."

Well, sure, Busch said, of course Johnson would say that.

Busch (97) has all but avoided the dreaded DNF in 2004.

"If they were in this position, I'm sure they would say that it's tougher to be in second," Busch said. "There's that game that they think they've got to challenge us with, and we know that on the racetrack is where the points are added up."

But Johnson has made up lots of points in the last three races, of which the biggest chunk came last weekend at Atlanta when Busch blew an engine early in the race, while Johnson won.

The engine problem was rare for Busch, and he said he was "a bit confused, perturbed and somewhat astonished" with Atlanta problem. But his confidence in the engines hasn't wavered.

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"I'm very confident with the Yates engine program," Busch said. "It's a breath of fresh air to be able to go to the racetrack each week knowing that we've got great horsepower under the hood, and I know that there's no problem this week."

If there is, Busch could be in deep trouble. But he seems to have the lives of a cat this season - and the physiology, too. Busch has landed on his feet after being turned upside down.

Even with the blown engine at Atlanta, some of his competitors had trouble, too. Jeff Gordon broke a rear-end gear, and Dale Earnhardt Jr. crashed, helping Busch keep the points lead.

And that's right where he wants to be.

"This is still the best seat to be in, with us leading," Busch said. "We've got an advantage that the other people have to overcome, and it's obviously the best position to be in. And that's where we are."