Still the Scottish Racer
Kyle Busch spent time with Jimmie Johnson at Hendrick Motorsports last season. Learning.
He picked Jimmie Johnson’s brain, he picked Jeff Gordon’s brain. He learned how to be a championship contending racecar driver.
Busch thought he was beaten. He has told his crew as the No 48 made the late race pass at Chicagoland last night, ‘race over, Johnson doesn’t lose these races’. With each lap, No. 18 crew chief Steve Addington told Busch his lap times were the same as Johnson. Kyle’s response was.. ‘he’s getting smaller’…
Johnson was pulling away. It seemed the 48 was headed to victory lane.
Last year, that would’ve been true. Johnson would show up at the end of the race, with 50 or so to go, take the lead and keep the front sewn up.
The No. 48 driver was king of late-race defense.
Last night at Chicagoland Speedway, the all-too-familiar scenario was being repeated.
The No. 48 was in late race control.
Busch needed to pull the miracle out. He needed a play-breaker.
And in beating Jimmie Johnson, it has to be a page from the Hendrick playbook. Kyle knows Johnson’s trick bag. All he needed was the final pieces of the puzzle.
The final caution flag was the deal-breaker. That, and the determination to run offense. To anticipate what Johnson would do, not giving him the chance to do it.
Johnson’s mistake was running offense also. He gave up the top of the track. He needed to be defending.
Kyle Busch has learned a lot about this new car. The way these cars match up, you can get to the rear of competitors car and give him a fit, just enough to not spin him out, but enough to make the front runner have to lift.
He knew that getting to Johnson’s rear bumper was just enough to break the momentum of the 48, cause him to have to lift for split second and cause the reigning Champ to force his own issue, breaking just enough of Johnson’s traction an causing him to spin the tires when he got back to the gas.
It’s a classic Jimmie Johnson restart move.
Busch knew that Johnson needed the top to completely gather it back up. And he controlled the real estate.
And coming through the final turns 3 and 4, Busch had the offensive positioning to use the whole track to make the move.
Third place runner Kevin Harvick had the best seat in the house for the move, seeing it all unfold. ” It looked like the 48 just got free, and he needed the entire track to keep his momentum and the 18 had the top.”
Even Johnson knew it, … ‘once Kyle broke the plane of my rear bumper, I was in trouble.” he confirmed in post-race, with a tinge of self-anger in his voice.
No. 18 crew chief Steve Addington put it into perspective for his driver by radio just after the Busch crossed the finish line, taking the win.
An unusually subdued Busch was almost reluctant to celebrate the victory when Addington told him, ” a championship is won by the driver who capitalizes on the opportunities he makes happen, and you did that tonight, Kyle.”
Will this race at Chicagoland be seen as the key if Kyle goes on to win the NASCAR Sprint Cup for 2008?
It will certainly be seen as one of them, that’s for sure.
Johnson had the better car, and Busch took Johnson’s classic move and used it against him.
Lessons have been learned, it’s learning to be the best by beating the best.
Kyle Busch is a good student.
stay tuned
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