Jimmie Johnson's golden horseshoe? Resilient Kyle Busch has it now
Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images
Ever wonder what happened to Jimmie Johnson’s golden horseshoe, the lucky charm that supposedly helped the seven-time champion recover from setbacks that seemingly would have devastated anyone else?
Apparently, that horseshoe now belongs to Kyle Busch.
No matter what obstacle he encounters, the 33-year-old driver finds a way to recover. And Sunday’s Food City 500 was no exception.
During the first lap of competition at Bristol Motor Speedway, Busch was collected in a wreck. The No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing team didn't panic. Instead, the crew quickly made the repairs necessary to keep Busch in the game. After 30 laps, Busch came from the rear of the field to 17th. By Lap 384, he was in the lead.
“We came here to win,” said Busch’s crew chief Adam Stevens after the race. “Sometimes those circumstances can change that situation. That particular circumstance just cost us some track position. Thankfully, we didn't take a shot to a wheel or to the axle or something that was going to do some serious damage. I don't think it impacted our day too poorly, other than having to go to the back.
“This race, I don't know what it is about this spring race in Bristol, tear a lot of stuff up here. A lot of people make a lot of mistakes. Sometimes you end up with a winner that you didn't expect. I would say (Sunday) was no different.”
No doubt, this team is on a roll right now. Busch is the first driver since Terry Labonte in 1992 to score eight-consecutive top-10 finishes to start a season. As consistent as the two-time champion and Hall of Fame driver was that year, his average finish was 7.125. Busch boasts a remarkable 3.4 average finish bolstered by three wins and six podiums.
Busch overcame body damage from a blown tire at Atlanta to finish sixth. He came back from a speeding penalty at Las Vegas to finish third. Busch’s worst finish so far was 10th last Sunday at Texas Motor Speedway. After leading 66 laps, his car became uncontrollably loose. Busch hit the wall on Lap 280, and he was forced to pit. He dropped to 23rd, one lap down. Over the next 50 laps, Busch raced back into the top 10 and kept his streak intact.
“They have a way of fighting through adversity, doing a great job,” said team owner Joe Gibbs on Sunday. “Adam told Kyle right off the bat, ‘Hey, the car is not really hurt.’ I think it probably took something away from the car, but they just did a great job fighting all day.”
Certainly, as competitive as JGR has been this season--with Busch winning three races and Denny Hamlin scoring two victories, including his second Daytona 500—the organization deserves a lot of credit. But Busch is on a roll unlike any other driver in NASCAR. Sunday, Busch collected his 204th national series victory. His 54th-career Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series win elevated him to 10th on the all-time list, tying Busch with fellow champion Lee Petty.
“It's pretty cool to have the opportunity to go out there and win these races,” Busch said. “When you win these races, the numbers will just continue to add up. The addition of that, getting to Lee Petty, I mean, you're starting to get into some really heavy company that's at the top 10 of the all-time wins list of our series and our sport.
“I feel as though I've just done my fair share and have been with some amazing people over the years that have gotten me to this number thus far. We'll just keep going."
This year’s winning percentage over the top three national series? It's 62.5. Busch has won three of the eight Cup races, three of the four Xfinity Series races he entered and is a perfect four-for-four in the Gander Outdoors Truck Series. His body of work is simply astounding.
Busch’s older brother, Kurt, who finished .722-seconds behind Kyle at Bristol, predicted early on his sibling would surpass him one day. But what makes the younger Busch so good?
“He’s smart,” Kurt Busch said. “He’ll change his line. He moves around more than most.”
The bottom line is Kyle Busch refuses to surrender. As he crossed the finish line at Bristol to win his eighth race at Thunder Valley on Sunday, he called out to his detractors, “Cry me a river.”
Busch feeds off their vitriol. Keep it coming. At 33, he’s just getting started.
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