Busch proving yet again greatness still untapped

Ask a fan to rattle off the names of the sport's top team owners. Hendrick, Roush and Childress most likely will be the answers. Certainly Stewart and even Petty will be mentioned. No doubt Earnhardt, too. Shame is, more often than not, Joe Gibbs will not get the credit he deserves. Fact is, Gibbs' organization is set to be a force for many years to come -- more so than Hendrick and Childress, whose stable of drivers are closer to the end of their careers.

JGR's Hamlin, Busch, Logano

One for the ages

Joe Gibbs Racing

Driver	Age
Denny Hamlin	28
Kyle Busch	23
Joey Logano	18
Average	23

Roush Fenway Racing

Driver	Age
Greg Biffle	39
Matt Kenseth	36
Jamie McMurray	32
Carl Edwards	29
David Ragan	23
Average	31

Richard Childress Racing

Driver	Age
Jeff Burton	41
Kevin Harvick	33
Casey Mears	30
Clint Bowyer	29
Average	33

Hendrick Motorsports

Driver	Age
Mark Martin	50
Jeff Gordon	37
Dale Earnhardt Jr.	34
Jimmie Johnson	33
Average	38

Consider this: Gibbs' decision to jump from the GM camp to Toyota was part of the equation that ultimately led Tony Stewart to owner/driver status. Meanwhile, Gibbs had locked up Kyle Busch, arguably the sport's most talented driver. Then there's Joey Logano, the wunderkind-in-waiting. And all the while Joe Gibbs Racing's veteran driver, Denny Hamlin, now in his fourth full season, just does his thing.

JGR is set for long-term success and, especially as the flagship team for Toyota, the future holds more promise than for any other team in the garages. While some openly questioned the addition of Busch, who was dumped from Hendrick Motorsports and which ultimately signed Dale Earnhardt Jr., the on-track results should stand as the tell-tale sign of Gibbs' foresight.

Hamlin has made the Chase in each of his first three seasons. Logano is regarded as the next big thing. But it's Busch who already is a big thing. While his brashness is widely panned by the masses, Busch does not allow detractors to take away from his focus: winning -- and even that perspective continues to evolve.

"I didn't learn humble at the beginning," Busch said. "The biggest thing that I've probably learned this past year is just how much great success we had in the beginning of the year -- winning as many overall races that we won -- and not being able to capitalize on that in the last 10 [races]. That was pretty hard to swallow. I've learned to put things behind me, though.

"Through my whole racing career, once I started, it was all about winning. That's the way I was brought up," he added. "It was all about going out there and getting the checkered flag and bringing home the trophy and kissing the pretty girl. That's pretty much how Kurt [Busch] and I were both raised, and when we finished second or third in our local short track days, we went home mad. We weren't happy that we were there because we weren't there to finish second or third."

Busch opened the season by leading a race-high 88 laps at Daytona before ending with a 41st-place finish as the result of being caught up in an accident started by two lap-down cars. On Sunday at Fontana, Busch did not lead a lap but finished third and moved up to 18th in points. In the end, it's all about perspective as Busch continues to grow into his role as a leading man.

"I've grown up some and I think there are areas where I've improved," he said. "But I think there are still some other areas where I need to get better, too. It's all about learning from each problem that you encounter."

In turn, newcomer Logano has a solid base from which to continue building his career. "If I have a question, I can go to him," Logano said of Busch. "It doesn't matter. We have a really good relationship, I think. He was kind of in the same boat as me -- moving up at a really young age. All this stuff is kind of the same thing that he did. It works good.

"I can't say enough about Kyle and Denny. ... They both understand where I'm coming from because it wasn't that long ago that they were in a similar situation. Their advice and experience is priceless to me."

The addition of Busch also is proving to be fortunate for JGR as a whole. His on-track stats out-weigh those of the popular Earnhardt. This weekend's race at Las Vegas marks the five-year anniversary of the first Cup Series race -- the UAW-Daimler Chrysler 400 on March 7, 2004 -- with Busch and Junior in the lineup. Earnhardt was in his fifth full season, while Busch's series debut was the first of six races for him that year.

Since that time Busch has clearly rubbed his way into the pantheon of today's best drivers. And yes, he's rubbed a few drivers -- and a lot more fans -- the wrong way along the way. But put aside the emotions and it's clear that Busch has come into his own and will continue to lift Gibbs' fleet.

And there's still no mention in the above about Busch's successes in the Nationwide and Truck series. That he became the first driver to win a race in both series on the same day -- and then finish third in the Cup Series the next day -- speaks volumes.

Indeed we are witness to greatness. Take the time to appreciate it.

You're the car owner: Rowdy or Junior
• Your Voice: Join the discussion!

Thumbs up

Busch

• Kurt Busch -- He followed up a 10th-place run at Daytona with a fifth-place finish, the fifth top-10 in his past eight races. Busch hasn't started off this well since 2005.

• Brian Vickers -- His 10th-place finish will go down as a classic woulda, coulda, shoulda, but tip your cap to the No. 83 guys for hanging in there after winning the pole then starting at the back of the field after changing the engine.

• Roush Fenway Racing -- Kenseth's W was the team's fifth consecutive victory in the spring race at Fontana. Kenseth has won three of the past four.

Impressed by ...

Dale Earnhardt Jr. noted some drivers don't get the correlation between him being the "most popular" driver and his on-track results. Say what you will, Junior gets it.

Thumbs down

Bowyer

• Richard Childress Racing -- Clint Bowyer's 19th-place finish is tops for the four-car stable. The last time RCR failed to put at least one car in the top 15: Aug. 12, 2007, at Watkins Glen.

• Richard Petty Motorsports -- The euphoria of Daytona (three cars in the top 10) is offset by finishes of 12th (Kasey Kahne), 22nd (Reed Sorenson), 25th (Elliott Sadler) and 29th (A.J. Allmendinger).

• Mother Nature -- There's a better chance of getting ol' Mom to change her ways than getting races started at a reasonable time (especially with radar showing rain approaching).

Disappointed by ...

Lower-third Oscar updates during the broadcast. That's how you keep folks interested in the on-screen action -- remind them of something else they could be watching.

Fantasy Racing

NASCAR.COM's Race for the Smithson Trophy:

Up Next

• Cup Series tickets
• Nationwide Series tickets
• Book your travel

• Track: Las Vegas Motor Speedway
• Qualifying: 6:30 p.m. ET Friday on SPEED
• Race: 3:30 p.m. ET Sunday on FOX

NASCAR president Mike Helton and four-time Cup Series champion Jeff Gordon will field questions from fans during the speedway's first Fast Chats program. Others who will be on the hot seat for a 20-minute session include Las Vegas natives Kurt and Kyle Busch.

Fast Chats will take place on the SPEED stage on the midway at various times throughout the weekend. There will be multiple chats each day, and a complete schedule will be posted to the speedway's Web site -- www.lvms.com. A daily chat schedule will be posted near the SPEED Stage. There is no charge for race fans to attend.

Fans may submit their questions by e-mailing fastchats@lvms.com. Submissions must include the fan's name, e-mail address and question.

The chase is on ...

Two down, 24 to go until the Chase field is set at Richmond:

And Finally

Back-to-back winner's checks will buy a lot of Pampers (and afternoons at A Box of Fluffys). Congrats, Matt and Katie, on being the first driver since 1997 to win the first two races of the season and the bun in the oven.

BTW -- no driver has won the first three races of a Cup season. Kenseth will become the fifth to try. The highest finish among the previous four drivers is third by Marvin Panch at Titusville-Cocoa Speedway's 1.6-mile road course in Titusville, Fla., in 1957.

The opinions expressed are solely of the writer.