Kyle Busch, a true Cinderella story

It is no secret the new Chase format annoys me- how can it be a Championship when the results are based on taking out another car to advance and plain out good luck, rather than who wins the most and has finished the best over the year? Or avoiding bad luck, perhaps.

Still, except for Kevin Harvick (who wrecked the Talladega field to advance) I was happy with the final four drivers.  And Harvick had an amazing year- was that 14 second place finishes? All the money was on Harvick to win. Gordon was the sentimental favorite, of course, driving in his final race, but it seemed everyone thought it was Harvick’s championship to lose.

I was with the underdog- The one car team from Denver, with Truex, who got a raw deal in the scandal at Michael Waltrip Racing a few years ago. Martin was my man going in. And can I say it completely freaked me out when they caught fire in pit lane?

Strangely, it didn’t seem to bother either driver or crew chief… WHAT!!

The car however did not cooperate with the dream- it was hard to handle and Truex finished 4^th for the season. His best season ever, but I was still a bit sad for him.

And so we come to Kyle Busch… who has, in a word, been terrible in the Chase races up until this year. Kyle Busch, who swept at Bristol in 2010, had never won a Chase race.

And then on February21, 2015, the day before the Daytona 500, Rowdy took part, as he often did in the Xfinity Series race. On Lap 113, we all watched as he hit a wall with no SAFER barrier. We watched his very pregnant wife race to the infield care center as Kyle had to be helped from his car. He was hurt. Badly hurt. But conscious, thank God.

11 races came and went while Kyle Busch recovered from multiple lower extremity fractures. He was still home when his son was born on May 18th. A  lifetime by NASCAR standards.

NASCAR said that if Kyle came back and won a race and could get himself in the top 30 in points, they would consider him eligible for the Chase. So back he came and race he did. In short order he won, first at Sonoma, then at Kentucky, Loudon, and the Brickyard back to back.

Superman made it into the top 30 and the Chase, and this chase was different. He was in Victory lane congratulating winning drivers. He joked at being a big Jimmie Johnson fan when Johnson snagged a win from Bad Brad. He made the final four… AMAZING!

He was playing with house money. And he raced like he was on the track by himself.

I will skip over the late race bogus debris caution… NASCAR really, I am rolling my eyes!!

Rowdy bringing it home was pure joy- even as I rooted for Truex, this is a fairytale ending I can get behind.

So the Drive for 5 is over, Harvick is a one-hit wonder for now, and the little team that could landed 4^th- which is nothing to shake a stick at. M&Ms all around- See you all in Daytona.