pandr
08-19-2011, 07:11 PM
With consistency comes confidence
By Jim Utter - jutter charlotteobserver
Thursday, Aug. 18, 2011
He has as many or more wins than any other driver in the series with four races left before the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
Is it 2008 all over again?
Busch hopes not.
At this point in 2008, Busch already had eight wins on the season and rolled into the Chase a heavy favorite. But four finishes of 28th or worse in the last 10 races doused his championship hopes.
Busch has three wins so far this year, but he feels he and his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing team are in a much better position for the upcoming title fight.
“We feel like we’ve been better prepared this year and certainly we don’t have the tally of eight wins, but we’re a lot more consistent I feel like,” said Busch, who is tied with Carl Edwards atop the series standings but owns the tiebreaker in wins (3 to 1).
“From pit stop to pit stop we’re a lot more consistent. From race to race we’re a lot more consistent, where before we’d have a bad race and not be able to rebound from it.”
Three times this season, Busch has finished 35th or worse. The first two times, he rebounded the next week with wins. After his most recent bad finish (36th at Indianapolis), he followed up with a 10th at Pocono.
“I’m thankful that where we’re at is with three wins right now on the year. It’s very tough though. You can have one week – we got to the points lead after Phoenix, blew up in (Las) Vegas and went back to 14th in points,” he said.
“It’s so easy to suffer and fall back in points that you definitely have to be consistent.”
That trademark consistency has always been an important ingredient to winning the championship, whether it was under the old season-long points system or the Chase, which began in 2004.
Busch said that consistency provides him added confidence preparing for a championship run.
“I’m looking forward to the Chase. I feel like we’re in a good position to make it,” he said.
“Certainly we’d like to have a few more wins, but if we don’t get them before the Chase starts, hopefully, we can get them throughout the Chase and get ourselves some of those extra three bonus points that come with winning.”
A lot has changed with Busch’s team – and the driver – since the 2008 season.
He has a new crew chief (Dave Rogers), has more experience and has matured as a person and a driver.
“I feel like we’re a lot better than we’ve ever been. Dave Rogers and Chris Gayle and Ron Denton (both team engineers) and all of the guys on my team have done a tremendous job at being able to put together great cars on and off the race track,” Busch said.
Only 26 years old, Busch has already won a Nationwide Series championship, an owner’s title in the Truck series and has a combined 100 race wins in Cup, Nationwide and Trucks.
With his career far from over, he already has set his sights on the championship that still eludes him – a Cup title.
“This is the year we’d like to change that around,” Busch said. “We need to make it to where we get through the regular season OK and get to the Chase, and then once we get into the Chase, we stay consistent with what we’re doing.
“That’s how you win a championship."
C/p thats racin
By Jim Utter - jutter charlotteobserver
Thursday, Aug. 18, 2011
He has as many or more wins than any other driver in the series with four races left before the Chase for the Sprint Cup.
Is it 2008 all over again?
Busch hopes not.
At this point in 2008, Busch already had eight wins on the season and rolled into the Chase a heavy favorite. But four finishes of 28th or worse in the last 10 races doused his championship hopes.
Busch has three wins so far this year, but he feels he and his No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing team are in a much better position for the upcoming title fight.
“We feel like we’ve been better prepared this year and certainly we don’t have the tally of eight wins, but we’re a lot more consistent I feel like,” said Busch, who is tied with Carl Edwards atop the series standings but owns the tiebreaker in wins (3 to 1).
“From pit stop to pit stop we’re a lot more consistent. From race to race we’re a lot more consistent, where before we’d have a bad race and not be able to rebound from it.”
Three times this season, Busch has finished 35th or worse. The first two times, he rebounded the next week with wins. After his most recent bad finish (36th at Indianapolis), he followed up with a 10th at Pocono.
“I’m thankful that where we’re at is with three wins right now on the year. It’s very tough though. You can have one week – we got to the points lead after Phoenix, blew up in (Las) Vegas and went back to 14th in points,” he said.
“It’s so easy to suffer and fall back in points that you definitely have to be consistent.”
That trademark consistency has always been an important ingredient to winning the championship, whether it was under the old season-long points system or the Chase, which began in 2004.
Busch said that consistency provides him added confidence preparing for a championship run.
“I’m looking forward to the Chase. I feel like we’re in a good position to make it,” he said.
“Certainly we’d like to have a few more wins, but if we don’t get them before the Chase starts, hopefully, we can get them throughout the Chase and get ourselves some of those extra three bonus points that come with winning.”
A lot has changed with Busch’s team – and the driver – since the 2008 season.
He has a new crew chief (Dave Rogers), has more experience and has matured as a person and a driver.
“I feel like we’re a lot better than we’ve ever been. Dave Rogers and Chris Gayle and Ron Denton (both team engineers) and all of the guys on my team have done a tremendous job at being able to put together great cars on and off the race track,” Busch said.
Only 26 years old, Busch has already won a Nationwide Series championship, an owner’s title in the Truck series and has a combined 100 race wins in Cup, Nationwide and Trucks.
With his career far from over, he already has set his sights on the championship that still eludes him – a Cup title.
“This is the year we’d like to change that around,” Busch said. “We need to make it to where we get through the regular season OK and get to the Chase, and then once we get into the Chase, we stay consistent with what we’re doing.
“That’s how you win a championship."
C/p thats racin