NASCAR: Will Winning Ultimately Hurt Kyle Busch In The End?
Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
We live in a world where success often is used as measuring stick and the world of sports (including NASCAR) is no different.
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Oftentimes success and expectations are bound together at the hip. Depending on where the expectation lies it can often dictate how great of a success the real success truly is. When expectations are low success can oftentimes be elevated and when expectations are high it can sometimes crush success.
When it comes to Kyle Busch and the 2015 season, he is quickly on his way to becoming a victim of his own success.
Entering the season fans of Busch had the same level of expectations and fans of the other top drivers in the chase. Rowdy Nation wanted to see their driver make the chase and enter the last race of the season as one of the four drivers with a chance to win a championship. Some fans might have been championship or bust but for the most part I would imagine getting to Homestead with a chance to win a title was enough for the majority.
Then of course came the injury and the expectations shifted. Following Busch’s wreck in Daytona, fans simply wanted to see their favorite driver race in 2015. Those expectations shifted once again when it was announced that he would return to the track after missing only 11 races. Upon his return and NASCAR granting him a waiver for the missed races; the new expectation was for him to simply make the chase. After Busch came back making the chase seemed like an improbable feat especially after a couple of sub-par finishes in his first few races.
From there everyone in NASCAR knows what happened next. Busch would win his first race of 2015 in Sonoma before heading to Daytona where he managed a top-20 on a day where it could have been much worse. Following Daytona Busch has won three races in a row to give him four victories in a span of five races. The feat of getting into the top-30, the one that once seemed unlikely, could happen next week in Pocono.
As Busch has set the NASCAR world on fire in the last five weeks he has also once again shifted expectations. With him now tied for the series lead in wins, just making the chase is no longer enough. Busch is now racing like a true championship contender. Busch has created the framework for one of the greatest comeback stories in the history of sports. Busch has raised the bar to where winning a championship is the only way that this season won’t be viewed as a disappointment.
I’m not saying Busch shouldn’t win races.
However, given what he has been doing it’s hard not to admit the obvious. Busch making the chase simply isn’t enough anymore, it was six weeks ago but now it’s not. Injuries aside, 2015 is shaping up to be one of the best seasons of his career. When a driver has one of the best seasons of their career, fans naturally start talking about championships and that’s where we are with Busch and the No. 18 team.
What Busch has accomplished in 2015 has been unbelievable. That being said, if it doesn’t end with him winning his first title it will feel like he fell short.
Next: Updated Chase Standings After Indy