Kurt Busch said he knew exactly where he had to be in the 2004 season finale. Credit: Autostock

Busch isn't buying talk of Johnson remaining calm

Cup Series' 2004 champion describes jitters while trying to win title

HOMESTEAD, Fla. -- All 43 drivers for the 2004 Nextel Cup finale were standing next to their cars and crew members with their hats off as the national anthem blared over the public address system at Homestead-Miami Speedway.

Except one.

Points leader Kurt Busch was in the bathroom.

Kurt Busch beat Jimmie Johnson in the closest championship battle in Nextel Cup history. Credit: Autostock

2004 Chase Official Standings Pos. Driver Behind 1. Kurt Busch Leader 2. Jimmie Johnson -8 3. Jeff Gordon -16 4. Mark Martin -107 5. Dale Earnhardt Jr. -138 6. Tony Stewart -180 7. Ryan Newman -326 8. Matt Kenseth -437 9. Elliott Sadler -482 10. Jeremy Mayfield -506 • Complete standings, click here NASCAR TodayDoes Jimmie Johnson have what it takes to win the Cup? NASCAR TodayTop Chase contenders discuss the season finale at Miami Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

"I was so nervous I didn't know it was playing," recalled Busch, who made it to his car in time to be scolded for not taking off his hat for the remaining notes of the anthem.

The nerves settled when Busch got behind the wheel. He went on to win the title by eight points over Jimmie Johnson despite a series of mishaps that included his right-front wheel literally breaking off.

But he laughed on Friday at the notion that Johnson, who leads the standings by 63 points over Matt Kenseth heading into Sunday's finale, is as calm and collected as he's been saying.

"His stomach is upside down," Busch said.

Busch didn't have as much room to relax as Johnson. His 18-point lead heading into the final race is the closest in the Chase for the Nextel Cup's three-year history.

He needed -- or at least thought he needed -- a perfect weekend to win the title.

Busch won the pole and led the first lap to collect a valuable five bonus points.

But on Lap 92 everything changed.

The right-front wheel came off as Busch, who sensed a vibration, headed down pit road. The No. 97 Roush Racing Ford then narrowly missed the wall at the entrance to pit road.

There was near panic among the crew as they waited for Busch to limp to his stall.

"Everything is so distorted," said Busch, who this season moved into the No. 2 Dodge for Penske Racing South.

The biggest break of the incident occurred when the wheel went to the right of the wall and onto the track to bring out the caution. Although he fell outside the top 20 and to third in the standings at the time, the yellow flag kept Busch from going a lap down.

That gave him time to move back through the field and make up enough points to give him the title.

"I was thinking on the way down this morning, what would have happened if there was nothing wrong and I had no issue with the tire?" Busch said. "What if I came in, gave up all that track position, went a lap down and lost it because I was getting too nervous and made the wrong call?

"I had this odd vibration in the car. I had never felt this before. It's the last race of the year, you're leading the points, you have a shot at the championship, you're going to hear weird things."

Kurt Busch missed this year's Chase in his first season driving the No. 2 Dodge. Credit: Autostock

Chase for the Nextel Cup Next: Homestead (Season finale) Pos. +/- Driver Behind 1. -- J. Johnson Leader 2. -- M. Kenseth -63 3. +2 K. Harvick -90 4. -- D. Hamlin -90 5. -2 Earnhardt Jr. -115 6. -- J. Gordon -167 7. -- J. Burton -225 8. +1 M. Martin -273 9. +1 K. Kahne -319 10. -2 Ky. Busch -359 • Complete standings, click here ONE ROUND TO SURVIVE •   Johnson begins title chase from 15th starting position •   Johnson hopes for ordinary weekend to win championship Eye on the prizeJohnson will chase his first NNC title from the 15th starting spot Sign up for TrackPass now BUY THE NEXTEL i836

Busch can remember the right-rear spring he ran in his first Cup race six years ago, but he can't remember much about the rest of the 2004 finale.

"You go into a zone," he said.

Although he knew he trailed Johnson and Gordon, Busch was in the dark about his position in the standings for much of the race after that. Title hopes looked bleak when he was outside the top 20 with about 60 laps remaining.

Everything became clear when the leaders, including Johnson and Gordon, pitted for the final time.

"At that time we figured out exactly what they were going to do," Busch said. "They were going to stretch their fuel to the end. We decided to pit with them, so we were all going to finish 30th together out of gas or we all were going to work our way back to the top five.

"That's when we raced the opposition and didn't race the points."

Busch quickly moved through the field and finished sixth, behind second-place Johnson and third-place Gordon but close enough to win the closest points race in Cup history.

"I just had enough sense and enough quick math in my head to figure out where I was," Busch said. "There were a few cautions toward the end of the race. I could always figure if Johnson passed two cars then I had to pass two cars.

"The closer I got to the front the less cars I had to keep track of. When we were running 15th to 18th and coming up through the pack, and if they got to 10th before I got to 17th, then there was an issue."

Johnson won't have the luxury of starting from the pole. He qualified 15th, four spots ahead of Kenseth but eight spots ahead of third-place Kevin Harvick.

"So they definitely feel different," Busch said. "They feel as though a 63-point lead is definitely a nice cushion to sit on instead of where I was with an [18]-point lead. [Eighteen] is almost nothing. It's almost as if you're just racing to finish in front of that other guy."

But Busch is confident Johnson will feel some of the same nerves that made him late for the national anthem.

"They talk about hearing things," he said. "That's where Jimmie will hear things that are not even there. You hope you don't hear enough to erase 63 points."