A 500 mile race at Pocono reminds me of watching a baseball game, it's more of a pastime than anything else. You're rarely, if ever, on the edge of your seat. You find yourself settling back, half paying attention, doing other things while the race is on in the background. You can mow the lawn, come back 20 laps later, and not much has changed.
One of the great mysteries of Nascar is why the gates are padlocked at Rockingham, a track with awesome racing action, while we spend 1,000 miles a year drowsily watching cars go around this dull 2.5 mile triangle.
The race this weekend was no exception. Kurt Busch seemingly led every lap (not really, but not far off). On each restart, the cars immediately spread out, and any passing was done more as a matter of attrition and superior horsepower than driving skill. Kurt Busch had the best engine package and downforce, therefore his victory was a foregone conclusion, just like a baseball game that is 13-1 in the 5th inning.
Junior made the race mildly interesting by once again unloading a horrible race car, then making wholesale seat-of-his-pants changes to it. Really, I have no idea why Junior bothers to test anywhere, it seems like they use the first half of each race as their test session. They actually changed the shocks under yellow, staying on the lead lap, and suddenly went from a back marker to a front runner. However, it was still not enough to outlast Kurt Busch, who drove the Blue Deuce to its first victory in quite a long time.
The race put Kurt Busch into 12th place in the standings, just 7 points ahead of Junior. The driver who should be more worried is Martin Truex Jr., who is only 38 points ahead of Busch, in 11th place.
As good a day as it was for Kurt, Kyle Busch may have had a better day, rumored to have signed with Joe Gibbs Racing. To borrow an old cliche, Kyle has a million dollar foot, and a ten cent head. If any Nascar owner has found the magic to get the best out of a talented but sociopathic driver, it is Joe Gibbs. And Tony Stewart is Exhibit A.
Gibbs seems to find the perfect blend of tough love and live and let live mentality. If Kyle can't find success at Gibbs, it's hard to imagine where else he could go after that to give him a better shot. JGR may be the perfect time and place for Kyle Busch to finally grow up.
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