Notebook: Kurt Busch hoping to repair image

LAS VEGAS -- A lot of great drivers ruffled feathers during their first few years at NASCAR's top level, and Kurt Busch was no exception.

Kurt Busch

Busch regrets his run-ins with Jimmy Spencer, which seemingly generated as much press as his Nextel Cup title did.

Busch, still only 26 years old, says he hopes he can change his image the way Darrell Waltrip did in the 1980s.

Waltrip was famous for his boasts when he entered the sport, which led to a lot of fan antagonism, but Waltrip later went on to win a pair of Most Popular Driver awards.

Busch says he is trying to follow the same path.

"It takes time for things to change and for people's perceptions to widen," Busch said. "I am definitely an easy-going guy that is well-misunderstood.

"It's almost like a fresh start but it will take time for things to change."

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Busch joked that he will try to not to repeat past mistakes.

"I used to go and pick on the roughest guy in each of the series," Busch said. "I probably don't need to do that."

Fennig: Two more years

A trio of over-40 drivers have set their retirement dates, and one top crew chief said on Tuesday that he is looking to do the same.

Jimmy Fennig

Jimmy Fennig, 51, says that he is looking to retire as a crew chief after 2006. The longtime Roush employee has enjoyed a brilliant career, including a Daytona 500 win in 1988 and the title with Kurt Busch in 2004.

"Probably a couple more years and that will be it for me," Fennig said.

Fennig, 51, cited the exhausting 36-race schedule -- plus testing and non-official events -- as the reason for wanting to slow down.

"I would like to be home once in awhile," Fennig said. "Being away from home all these years, you got to sit back and say, 'Time to cut back.'"

Fennig says winning the Nextel Cup championship is playing no part in his plans, but Busch says one thing is missing from Fennig's accomplishments -- a Brickyard 400 win.

"This year and next year might be Jimmy's last couple of years," Busch said. "He now has a championship. He's looking for the Brickyard 400 this year."

Rusty looking at Gaughan for a few races

Brendan Gaughan

Rusty Wallace said on Tuesday that he has some unresolved slots on his Busch Series roster this year, and he hopes Brendan Gaughan can fill the gaps.

Gaughan was Wallace's teammate at Penske Racing last year.

Wallace, who fielded Busch cars under the Rusty Wallace Inc. banner in 2004, says he is trying to add Gaughan to a long list of drivers of the No. 64, including Jamie McMurray, Jeremy Mayfield and himself.

"I've got some races I've got to get filled in yet and I plan on calling Brendan and ask him to do it. I've got that much confidence in him," Wallace said.