Kyle Busch is NASCAR's version of Happy Gilmore

It was a bit reminiscent of that famous scene in Happy Gilmore, the epic Adam Sandler movie about a happy-go-lucky (well, most of time anyway) former hockey player who suddenly found hidden talent as a professional golfer.

In fact, Happy had some anger management issues in the film, now that we think about it -- making the comparison to young Kyle Busch seem all the more relevant.

Anyway, Happy Gilmore hit the ball long and hard right from the start with his unique approach to the golf swing. (He belted it like a slap shot in hockey). It was his putting -- the perfect touch on the greens -- that he lacked.

Eventually he started learning that, too, and then he became almost unstoppable. At one point late in the movie, Happy Gilmore makes a long putt and teases his nemesis, the unforgettable Shooter McGavin.

"It looks like somebody learned how to putt," Sandler's character taunts in a lilting voice.

Well, it looks like somebody has learned how to race on a road course. And in Nationwide cars, Cup "new cars" and Craftsman Truck Series machines as well.

Kyle Busch's latest victory -- in the Corona Mexico 200 at Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in Mexico City (read more) -- was merely his latest triumph in an incredible stretch at the start of the 2008 season. It was his third consecutive win in the Nationwide Series, vaulting him to third in the point standings.

Busch also is second in the Sprint Cup Series standings, where in eight starts he has registered one win, four top-fives and five top-10 finishes. His victory came in the Kobalt Tools 500 at Atlanta Motor Speedway on March 9.

Furthermore, the guy who once was best known as Kurt Busch's younger brother (these days, it's more like "Kurt who?") is the current leader in points in the Craftsman Truck Series. In four starts in that series, he owns two victories and a second.

In his first season for Joe Gibbs Racing -- in his first season driving a Toyota -- Kyle Busch is creating a Happy Gilmore-style buzz about his overall skill level as a driver. Just how good, really, is this kid?

Another question

There is a long way to go in the 2008 season, and Busch has said repeatedly that he plans to focus on his Cup ride. That's the way it should be. His sponsors on that side -- M&M's and Interstate Batteries -- are forking over huge dollars and deserve the lion's share of his focus.

But wouldn't it be cool to see him attempt to contend for titles all across the board? Baseball has its Triple Crown, but no one has ever even dared to attempt to pull off such a thing in NASCAR. The schedules overlap at times, and it's grueling for any driver who attempts to run in all three series even on those weekends when all three are holding their events at the same venue on consecutive days.

So it isn't likely to happen. But it would still be neat if it did.

Busch was asked if he would consider running for the Nationwide title if he kept winning -- and the question was asked before he even departed for Mexico City. (Continued)