Busch, JGR committed to winning Cup title together (cont'd)

Meanwhile, he tore up the Nationwide Series in a Gibbs-prepared car, eventually winning a series-high total of nine races and his first championship in one of NASCAR's top three national touring series. Both Joe Gibbs and Busch said Monday that his total experience last season should help Busch in future pursuits of what they hope will be multiple Cup titles.

"I do think, watching him in that Nationwide Series, there was some pressure involved in that," Gibbs said. "I think having him go through that really helped him. Now the difference when you come over to Cup, instead of taking third [in a Nationwide race] that's like finishing 12th [in a Cup race]. Sometimes you've got to be willing to do that."

Gibbs' point was that on some days, Busch needs to be willing to settle for a strong finish -- rather than pushing so hard for a win with a car that might not be capable of it that he wrecks or his equipment falters, leading to a disastrous finish that adversely affects him in the point standings.

"But I also think you're not ever going to take away from him the fact that he wants to win every race," Gibbs said. "I admire that in him and I don't want that to change. He's going to charge. He don't like for anybody to ever pass him, and he gets upset when they do. But I do think having that Nationwide experience, I think that's going to help him run for the Cup championship.

"And it was a disappointment, not making the Chase. To be truthful, I don't think that ever crossed the radar screen -- that we wouldn't make the Chase. For all of us, including me. I was just so confident that we would make it. But that just shows you how tough the sport is. A couple mistakes late in the game and you don't make it."

Busch agreed that he needs to learn when to back off a little and accept a solid finish instead of pushing too hard for wins in scenarios that push the risk vs. reward ratio.

"You need [to be] solid, and that's what we're all about," he said. "You need to be solid and build your program -- and then when you get to the Chase, you've got to be peaking.

"I want to win. I'll always want to win -- but that's something I've got to work on this year and build upon. I'm not going to be happy with those types of finishes, but it's going to be something as a team that we're going to have to accept. We're going to have to work harder to get those finishes more consistently, along with the firsts, seconds, thirds, fourths and fifths."

When it was pointed out that four-time defending Cup champion Jimmie Johnson seems to have mastered the precise plan Busch just mentioned, he agreed that maybe every driver could learn something from that and the results Johnson has reaped.

"I think it's based on circumstances for everybody," Busch said. "But if they're doing it that way as their set plan, if that's their script, then they're pretty damn smart. To just be relaxed and run the year, if the wins come you take 'em, otherwise just take what you can get -- if you finish eighth or whatever -- you just have to play with those. The ones you can't play with are when you finish 25th or worse. That's what hurts. If you're trying too hard to win that day because you want to win, and you end up wrecking real bad, that takes your average down.

"It's all about your average finish. I think I did a good job of learning that in the Nationwide Series this year."

The JGR organization made the long-term commitment to Busch despite the fact that Busch recently started his own Camping World Truck Series operation. Kyle Busch Motorsports plans to field at least two full-time trucks in that series, and hopes to run a third if sponsorship materializes for it.

While admitting that it appears to have the potential to become an unwanted distraction, all parties agreed Monday that Busch has what it takes to pull off both a successful startup company on the Truck side and a championship run as a driver on the Cup side.

"If you take care of the Cup stuff, everything else will take care of itself," J.D. Gibbs said. "I think with Kyle, he's going to be doing something somewhere -- running it, racing it -- all the time. So to me, it's kind of like it's a good fit. I think it shows him how hard it is to build an organization, so I think he appreciates that, too.

"Are there concerns? Sure. But so far, as of today, he's done a good job of taking steps to make sure he's successful there and here, too."

Busch added: "That's the biggest thing with Toyota. The only way I could sell [the Truck ownership] to Toyota was to promise them that it would not take away from my Cup effort. They want me to win a [Cup] championship. They haven't won a championship in the Cup Series. I'm not saying I'm their best ticket to that -- but I'm one of their best. So it's up to me to get it done."

Related:
• Busch starts his own Truck Series team