Kurt Busch: 2015 A Success Regardless Of Chase Outcome

When the 2015 season began it was hard to be optimistic for Kurt Busch. The 2004 Sprint Cup champion was mired in a messy domestic dispute case which resulted in his being indefinitely suspended from competition. The suspension was lifted once he was cleared of any wrongdoing, resulting in his missing the first three races. He was also granted a Chase waiver, but with his disastrous 2014 Busch wasn’t exactly regarded as a Chase threat.

His response was to place in the top-five at Phoenix in his first race back, and to follow it up with a pole at Fontana, where he dominated and almost won before a last-lap pass by Brad Keselowski and Stewart-Haas teammate Kevin Harvick dropped him to third in the final order. Now, with wins at Richmond and Michigan putting Busch solidly into the Chase for the Sprint Cup this season, it’s obvious that 2015 has been a success for the driver of the No. 41 Chevy.

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Busch hasn’t been this competitive since his tenure at Roush-Fenway Racing, a tenure that included a fourth-place points finish in 2002 and a championship in 2004, plus 14 wins to boot. Sure, he did well driving for Team Penske, a venture that included 10 wins and a season-best run of fourth in the 2009 standings. But he never really was a threat for the championship, and coupled with his bad attitude in those days he never clicked with his team at Penske.

Now, however, he’s with a championship-winning organization at SHR. He’s rebounded from the ugliness that was his 2014 season. He’s running at or near the front on a weekly basis, and he’s keeping pace with teammate and Cup points leader Harvick. He’s primed for a championship run. It also hopes that at long last, he’s established a strong relationship with crew chief Tony Gibson. That relationship echoes that of Jimmie Johnson and Chad Knaus, not to mention it also has the same potential for greatness.

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Something else that’s noticeably absent in 2015 is the lack of negative headlines around Busch. No confrontations with reporters, no conflicts with other drivers, and no unintelligible, profanity-laced tirades over the radio. 2015 has been the year of a mellower, more focused Busch, and it has been fruitful. He’s winning poles, he’s winning races, he’s consistent, and despite missing three events he’s still in the top-10 in points.

At the beginning of 2015 it was doubtful as to whether or not Busch would be back in the Sprint Cup Series, or if he would be banned and turn to grassroots racing like former driver Jeremy Mayfield. Sure, NASCAR did what they had to do by setting a precedent in regards to domestic violence following the media circus set by NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell’s punishment of Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice in 2014. Rice was only suspended two games after assaulting a woman who is now his wife.

But NASCAR did Busch right by reinstating him once he was cleared of any wrongdoing, and as a result, it’s a wonder whether or not the entire situation managed to put things into perspective for Busch. For example, his outbursts and negative attitudes couldn’t go on forever. This sport would go on without him. If he’s having a bad day, he’s still a public figure and must conduct himself accordingly. Whatever it may be, Busch has been working to better his image in 2015 and it is working.

Kurt Busch is in the midst of a comeback season. He’s faced some serious adversity in the past several years that would’ve done a lesser driver in, yet he’s returned to form as both a race driver and a human being. Come whatever may, 2015 has been a successful season for him, regardless the outcome.

Be sure to comment and weigh in below on how you think Kurt Busch’s 2015 has been going.

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