The Register Citizen (Torrington, CT)
Kyle Busch closes in on a milestone
PHOENIX — Joe Gibbs has spent his career watching Hall of Fame-caliber athletes ply their trades, whether as the Super Bowlwinning coach of the Washington Redskins or the titlewinning owner of a race team.
In his mind, what separates them from a run-ofthe-mill star is an insatiable will to succeed, the kind of drive that allows them to reach the next level. They set goals, sometimes absurdly difficult to achieve, and then spend every ounce of sweat and blood to reach them.
Goals like 200 wins in NASCAR’s top three series.
With Kyle Busch one win away from that milestone following his weekend sweep of the Xfinity and Cup series races at ISM Raceway, his 78-year-old owner is ready to group him with the elites.
“I think he’s driven by big things like that, by records,” Gibbs said. “I know how bad he wants to win every race because I can pick up from him talking how bad he wants things. He’s driven by trying to do something great, so I think it’ll be a big deal for him.”
Busch will have two opportunities to reach the milestone this weekend at Auto Club Speedway in Fontana, Calif. He will be back in his Xfinity ride seeking his third straight win in the series, then will hop in his No. 18 Toyota to chase his 53rd win in NASCAR’s top series — a far cry from when “Rowdy” made his Trucks Series debut as a 16-year-old in 2001.
“It’s pretty incredible, honestly, with what he’s done in the modern day to be able to do that,” said Joey Logano, one of his former teammates. “I know he’s got a lot of Cup wins to go with the Xfinity and Truck wins, but the Cup wins, to me, are the most impressive part — that he’s able to do that.”
After a couple of feelingout rides for Hendrick Motorsports in 2004, Busch jumped into a full-time ride and never looked back. He won twice in 2005, finished in the top 10 in points the following season and continued his march toward the pinnacle of his sport.