Wednesday, July 4th 'What If' Question

Prior to the 2012 NASCAR Nationwide Series season domination used to belong to two drivers: Carl Edwards and Kyle Busch.

If they weren't battling each other they were fending off Busch's teammate at Joe Gibbs Racing, Joey Logano. Now Logano has picked up where Edwards and Busch have left off. Halfway through the NNS season Logano has five wins, the most of anyone in the series.

Even more impressive, he's only competed in 12 of the 16 races. When he's not winning races he's leading a ton of laps (468) or capturing poles (3). Anytime he's behind the wheel of the No. 18 he's become the driver to beat. Deja vu for competitors when Busch used to be that driver.

At first glance many would be shocked to see that Busch has not yet won a NNS this season. Look closer though and you see that this season different for Busch. His team, Kyle Busch Motorsports, moved to the NNS after coming off a Camping World Truck Series owners title in their first year.

Moving up the ladder however, is hard. Something that Busch fully recognizes. Older brother Kurt delivered the team's first, and so far only, NNS win back at Richmond in April. Not to say that Kyle hasn't come close to winning a few races himself but luck and circumstance just got in the way.

So, as he fights to make his own company contenders, Logano enjoys the role of dominator. The good news for NNS drivers is that Logano will not be in this Saturday's event at New Hampshire as Ryan Truex gets another start in the No. 18.

Kyle Busch will be entered in his No. 54 Monster Energy Toyota. He's won the last three New Hampshire races.

But ...

What if Kyle Busch still ran NNS races for Joe Gibbs Racing, would Joey Logano still be as dominant as he's been this season? 


@mattwoodruff29 No he wouldn't.......

@HD388 Logano wouldn't be dominating NNS if Busch were there. Busch is the far more superior driver & would have 3 wins by now. Logano probably would only have 1

@31SpazCat15 not really answering the what if? But I think it proves that given the same equipment and resources.... Joey is a winner too

Wednesday, December 28th 'What If' Question

Following his announcement of joining Phoenix Racing with James Finch in 2012 in the Sprint Cup Series came the rumor that Kurt Busch would also be running for brother Kyle's Nationwide Series team, Kyle Busch Motorsports. The eye raiser of the rumor was that Busch would be running for points in the NNS and not in Cup with Phoenix Racing, the focus there instead being on winning races.

After leaving Penske following a year that Busch would rather forget: going through a divorce, only winning two races, faltering in the Chase and constantly at odds with his team and their performance, Busch says he's ready to work on his image and get back to having fun in the racecar. Maybe removing himself from the Cup Series and going back to the basics is what he meant.

The rumor is not all that far fetched. Just last week it was said that Kyle Busch would not be running in the Camping World Truck Series and should he run in the NNS it would be very limited. His Cup owner Joe Gibbs Racing and sponsor M&M's want to limit Busch's extra-curricular activities after he was involved in incident with Ron Hornaday at Texas last season. The hope of putting his focus solely on the Cup Series to pay off with a run at the championship.

Kyle's company though will still be running in both series and needs drivers. No better driver than your older brother, a proven winner and champion. And it certainly wouldn't hurt to have his experience behind the wheel when it comes to helping the team venture into the NNS for the first time, with 2012 being their inaugural season after running in the CWTS the last two years.

It puts the NNS title up for grabs since many drivers who battled for the championship in 2011 might not be back. Aric Almirola is rumored to be signing with Richard Petty Motorsports and going back to the Cup Series. Reed Sorenson still doesn't have a championship contending ride and Elliott Sadler will be working with a slightly new team as Richard Childress bought out Kevin Harvick Inc.

As for the champion, Ricky Stenhouse Jr., he might not even be able to contend. Racing with a lack of sponsorship in 2011, that same issue might keep him sidelined in 2012. Stenhouse is still waiting to hear about his future as are the fans and NNS, his loss would be a loss for all. The 2012 plans of Stenhouse and Busch will be anxiously awaited over the next few weeks before testing in Daytona gets underway.

But ...

What if Kurt Busch does compete for points and runs for brother Kyle’s Nationwide Series team, does he become the preseason favorite? @NancyatStudioN YES. But I think Finch wants to go for title - whether likely or not

@Gman1439 yes......he would be my preseason favorite if that happened, but i hope it doesnt...

@Alex14_11 yes he would have to be! He wouldn't have much competition.

@MattEmbury That would not be a very popular move, come to think of it I don't think Kurt would do would be popular right now anyway.

@Fishnwhistle I wonder if Champions provisional would apply if he was not racing for Cup Championship.? #RulebookChallenged

@cruetten the easy answer is yes, but I don't remember Kurt driving the nns cars too often--might take some time to adjust. [Editor's note - Busch ran one NNS race in 2011, driving the No. 22 Discount Tire Dodge at Watkins Glen. He sat on the pole and won the race. Busch has three career NNS wins in 12 starts.]

Friday, December 23rd 'What If' Question

In what continues to be the most exciting and busiest NASCAR offseason yet, new rumors swirled on Friday that there's a possibility that Kyle Busch won't be running in the Camping World Truck Series and in very limited Nationwide Series races. That coming at the request of his Sprint Cup team owners Joe Gibbs Racing and sponsor M&M's.

The last time Busch raced in the lower divisions he was involved in an altercation with Ron Hornaday under caution in Texas. After the two made contact racing for the second position, Busch wrecked Hornaday purposely when the caution came out and then commented about having no remorse afterwards. NASCAR parked Busch for the remainder of the weekend and he didn't participate in the CWTS or NNS the final two weeks of the season and M&M's pulled their sponsorship from his Cup car the last two races of the season as well.

While there is no known reason for the request by JGR and M&M's it most likely has to do with Busch's past actions. In 2011 he won six races in the CWTS, moving his career total to 30, he won eight NNS races, career total now at 51, but in the Cup Series he won four times and has 23 careers wins. Busch continues to shine more in the lower divisions than in Cup, where he's still searching for his first championship.

There's also the long running debate that Busch has been apart of in whether Cup drivers should race in the lower divisions. In this case, M&M's might be thinking that it's time to focus solely on Cup, not just to minimize any potential controversy but to move closer to winning the championship. Drivers who run in CWTS and NNS race haven't transfered that success to the Cup Series, although Carl Edwards who does not run trucks but does run Nationwide, nearly won the Cup title this past season.

Whatever the reason may be to have Busch not run anymore races than necessary, it could be a blessing. More focus on Cup could turn into more success for the Las Vegas driver. Of course it will hurt those in the CWTS and NNS who rely on Busch for a job, the hope being that with Busch sidelined there will be other drivers to fill the seats and obligations. Older brother Kurt is rumored to be driving for KBM in the NNS in 2012.

At this point however, these are all just rumors. It's quite possible that Busch will be running in all three series, continuing to add up his win total and re-write the history books, he's currently the winningest driver in NNS history. And along the way he'll probably ruffle some more feathers and create some new rivals. Whatever the case may be, Busch will be one of the main storylines, again, come 2012.

But ...

What if rumors of @KyleBusch not running in Trucks & very limited Nationwide are true, will that pave way to his best year in Cup? #NASCAR

@scienceesl I really think it would. Personally I think he spends to much time in the other series to make a good run at cup

@NancyatStudioN What it will do is severely hurt KBM as a business and put even more #Nascar workers out of a job

@denver2u I doubt that, but it will def save lots of money in auto repair..for him and others...

@krisjohnson_sd Sponsors will dictate he runs in both – in some capacity. #NASCAR

Monday, September 12th 'What If' Question

(This question was a fan submission)
Last week in Richmond Kevin Harvick made what some view as a shocking announcement.

Starting in 2012 his Nationwide Series team, Kevin Harvick Inc, will be merged with Richard Childress Racing, his Sprint Cup Series car owner. Further, there would be no more Camping World Truck Series teams out of KHI, they're shutting down. Harvick and wife DeLana would be stepping back and focusing on other opportunities and areas.

KHI has been a fixture in the CWTS for years with wins and championships collected like state coins or memorabilia. Ron Hornaday has become the driver with the most championships in CWTS history while at KHI and drivers like Elliott Sadler, Clint Bowyer and others have all won races behind the wheel of a KHI truck. No matter who or where they are, KHI has been a company to contend with.

Lately though they've had stiff competition from another Sprint Cup Series driver who has a CWTS team of his own, Kyle Busch. Last season it was the Kyle Busch Motorsports team that took home the owner's championship in just their first year of competition while a non KHI or KBM driver took home the driver's championship.

In the win column, that was KBM with eight and KHI with seven and most notably Hornaday struggled a year after winning his fourth championship. When KBM was formed, Busch hired Rick Ren who before then had worked for years with KHI and became the winningest crew chief in CWTS history as well as a champion. Ren left his crew chief duties for a management position with KBM.

The two teams have put on a show the last two seasons, going head-to-head nearly every weekend. They've made no bones about wanting to beat each other and drivers want to be behind the wheel of either team's trucks. Now, that won't be the case next year, as KBM will be front and center without their rival and current KHI drivers like Hornaday and Nelson Piquet Jr. are searching for rides.

But ...

What if Kyle Busch hadn't started a truck team, stole Rick Ren & regularly beat KHI trucks - would KHI still be disbanding? #NASCAR

@ARosser14 I doubt KBM has anything at all to do with the Harvicks' decision. If anything he'd be reason to keep going.

@zebmonkey idk what caused KHI to disband. Or if it was abt Kevin putting more into Cup and maybe he & Delana having more private time

@wijrsmokefan I think Kevin's focus is on championship; costs going up; and...I think they may feel it is time to start a family!

@ladybug388 probably not as they'd still probably be a total front running package team & not have the sponsorship issues. Also, there'd be sponsors available in the pot as Kevin could've picked up the people who r choosing to sponsor Kyle #NASCAR

@TJIngerson Yes - Hornaday is a champ and had trouble drawing sponsors. Sponsors want Harvick, but Harvick's time is valuable to him as he wants to win Sprint cup and wants all focus to be there. Ren was just a piece of the overall puzzle, but his departure didn't have any impact in this decision, in my opinon.

@cruetten K&D aren't people to accept failure&trying to beat KB would be a reason to stay-not quit. KB can't be the reason for selling.

@Racetake Ahh, Kyle's team is struggling for sponsors too. The future will tell just how hard that will be on the team.

@jlaracefan14 I doubted that KHI would be disbanding if KBM wasn't around! Let's face it KBM is on a level of their own that has KHI doing what is best, leaving the series to prevent more humilliation from KBM!

Dustin Parks (via Facebook) Whew. Tough call honestly. My mind is saying yes, but it still would be a hard decision no matter what. Maybe it could be the fact the KYLE is beating KHI and not Kyle Busch Motorsports. We know Harvick hates losing to him, so that's my thinking.

Jeff N Amy Stabler (via Facebook) I think that that is a tough one to answer. Who knows really.?. I tend to agree with what Dustin said too. But, I also think that maybe Kevin wanted out cause he wanted the focus to be on a championship too. That question is a very tough one to answer.

Nancy Nuce (via Facebook) Thanks for using my question! My short answer is "No". I think KH is all smiles and fun as long as everything is going well, but can't handle it when the going gets tough. He's in it for the fun and Delana gets stuck with the hard work. I think she got tired of doing it all while he & "Mother Function" acted like irresponsible schoolboys.