Busch gets chance to put new attitude to good use

INDIANAPOLIS -- For a driver who has pledged to improve his outlook, Kyle Busch doesn't have much to be optimistic about.

A blown right-front tire on Lap 59 during Sunday's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard forced the No. 18 team to the garage leaving Busch to return to the track dozens of laps down and an ultimate finish of 38th.

Dismal finishes, two weeks in a row now, have left Busch outside the Chase for the first time this season. He fell four spots in the standings leaving him in 14th, 82 points behind 12th place Matt Kenseth.

"I think it's pretty self-explanatory that we're trying to fight for a spot in the Chase and this is obviously frustrating because I don't know if it was our car, the tire or what," Busch said. "The guys on pit road were going to save this day because you can't pass out there. I showed that. I can't even pass a lapped car. Something with our cars maybe."

Earlier this weekend, Busch said he needed to do a better job of picking up his team amidst adversity and aspired to be a stronger leader. And when the tire problem occurred, the Joe Gibbs Racing driver appeared to take it in stride and tried to salvage a decent finish though ultimately futile.

Team president J.D. Gibbs noticed the effort.

"Kyle, he's so focused on what just happened ... but he's learning the bigger picture. [Sunday] was a great example of that. Take whatever you can get but we just had the tire go down and it really was discouraging, but I thought he handled it pretty well with the guys, in general. I saw him in the garage looking at stuff and talking to the guys. I think he realizes this is not only discouraging for him but for everybody."

It's a fire and attitude Gibbs said he saw in Tony Stewart early in his tenure at JGR. The team eventually went on to win two Cup titles once Stewart learned to appreciate big picture.

"We've been through it before with Tony in the past, we had great years and wins but you have to be consistent," Gibbs said. "This is the part of life and the part of sports you're going to deal with. Over time, as you grow, you realize that it's not only discouraging for you but for all of us."

Nevertheless, Gibbs said Busch is a young driver with a long future ahead of him at JGR.

"We support him, we are behind him for years to come," Gibbs said. "He's only 24. He's got a long way to go."

Busch also has a long way to go before his team is a threat for the Cup championship again. This time last season -- he had seven wins en route to eight on the year -- he was predicted to be a major contender for the title.

"The reality is we have some work to do," Gibbs said. "For us, we've got the right people, the right stuff. We just have to get the finishes."

Race Video

Kyle Busch blows a right-front tire, slams the wall and heads to the garage for repairs.

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Gibbs explained that last year success was a mix of strong performance and good fortune.

"Last year some stuff went our way. ... I don't think we're way off but I think our finishes are way off for whatever reason. But when guys get on a role, that's more momentum. For us our job is to get busy and get that back and I'm sure other guys in the garage are feeling the same way."

Busch has failed to understand precisely why the team can't produce the strong finishes at the end when they have the car to beat week in and week out. In the past he said it has something to do with his car's inability to pass, but Sunday's struggles were different altogether.

"It's unfortunate, we were running decent, you know. We were running there about 15th or something and had an awesome pit stop on pit road and got up to seventh," Busch said. "We were biding our time running there and I got stuck behind the 71 [David Gilliland] there and had to push the right-front a little bit. From that point I just started losing the right-front tire, getting real tight. I had been loose the whole run so I didn't think I had been abusing it at all, but all of the sudden it just started vibrating and then in two laps it just blew out. I don't know what happened -- I don't know if it's our cars, the tire -- I don't know what."

The team has six races before the Chase cutoff in Richmond.

"We might not have the best stuff right now but if we run to our capabilities we are going to run really well," Gibbs said. "The discouraging part is we're not getting those finishes we should be and building that foundation for the Chase. Now, you have to focus on getting in the Chase."