May 16th, 2012 
T.C. There was a post yesterday over at SB Nation, written by Jordan Bianchi, that was titled “If I Were A NASCAR Owner, I’d Hire Kurt Busch.” In it, Bianchi makes a case for why a big time owner should hire Kurt Busch, despite his very recent and past problems. His main point is that Busch is a proven race winner and a championship contender and his performance on track is enough to look past his behavior. The problem is though, that teams and sponsors don’t agree.
In the new economy, and the hopefully rebounding world of NASCAR sponsorship, all companies are looking for is a return on their sponsorship dollars. As a team, you can’t sell a sponsorship based heavily on performance, because performance isn’t guaranteed. If winning races and contending for championships was all sponsors cared about, Matt Kenseth wouldn’t have open slots on his schedule, and JTG-Daugherty and Front Row Motorsports would not still be in a business. Winning is great, but it isn’t everything.
When you pour $10, $15, or $20 million into a NASCAR marketing program that is based around a driver, there isn’t a company on this planet that would be happy about their driver going on F-bomb laced tirades that show up on YouTube. You might get away with one. Kurt Busch has several. Companies can’t afford to be associated with that type of behavior, edgy or not.
And don’t you think the fact that both Jack Roush and Roger Penske threw their hands in the air and said “no mas” with this guy is a serious affirmation of his character? They both decided, regardless of his performance, that he was too much of a liability to keep.
Busch has been mentioned recently as a possible replacement in the #20 if Joey Logano gets released from JGR. He’s also been rumored to be a candidate for RCR’s #31 if Richard Childress decides to let Jeff Burton go at season’s end. But let’s be realistic here, why would either organization bring him into the mix? JGR already has enough problems with one Busch brother, who last season nearly lost his ride because of his ridiculous behavior. Word is it took some serious negotiating to get sponsor M&M’s to agree to keep Kyle in the #18 for this year. There is no way they’d want to double up on their Busch risk. And if Richard Petty Motorsports couldn’t sell Kurt Busch, what makes anyone think JGR and RCR could, or would even want to try?
There comes a point when owners and sponsors have to decide what’s best for the future of their companies. With every incident and outburst, Kurt Busch pushes himself further and further from the top. These well publicized incidents are not isolated with Busch. It’s a pattern of behavior that reveals what his character really is. There are plenty of other ultra-competitive drivers out there who manage to win races and championships without getting in confrontations with the media, and slinging profanity at their teams when things don’t go well.
Competitive or not, Busch is in the unsponsored Phoenix #51 for a reason. Teams have drawn the line of what is tolerable behavior, and Busch might not ever make it back.
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I have to agree. I’m not a Kurt hater, in fact I tend to like all the drivers in cup for each of their own accomplishments. But when you consider that this is not an isolated incident, but a known pattern of behavior, I don’t see how any sponsor would be willing to take the risk on him.
T.C., thanks for the post, as usual, spot on. I’d like your opinion, on what Kurt’s most egregious action. 1.) Driving through the 39s pit, tires a squealing, 2.) the profanity laced radio meltdown or 3.) the run-in on pit road w/ the 39, supposedly due to Kurt ‘taking off his helmet’? Since you really only mention #2 above, do you think the other two items were ‘over the top’ as well?
Since I’ve not seen video of the pit-pass through, I don’t have a sense of how dangerous this was, but obviously Mr. Rueger and the rest of the 39 crew thought it was bad. I also find it hard to believe that after 13 years of experience and over 400 starts in cup, Kurt just happens to park behind the 39, and just happens to let his foot slip off the brake…
In addition, I find it entertaining to read “comments” to various articles on this subject. The main defense of Kurt Busch is that: 1.) NASCAR is inconsistent and should have fined Danica after Talladega, 2.) the ‘fat-ass’ gasman caused all of this and 3.) Ryan Newman is one to talk.
Final question, will Kurt finish the season in the 51. I would be surprised if Finch keeps him around all year.
Let me tell ya, it ain’t easy being a Kurt Busch fan. That scanner rage a thon is tough to listen to. I think part of the frustration comes from the fact that he’s dumping a large amount of his own money out of his own pocket into the team, and not seeing any results.
Hopefully edgy companies like Monster will still see the attraction of having a rebel rep their companies.
Watching a driver melt down over something he caused would make me as a team owner or sponsor not want to hire him. He ran over the debris and he spun the car nobody wrecked him and then he goes nuts and make a scene. The man needs some help. He should be looking at the big picture not one incident and lose it. He is throwing it all away with his actions.
There was an old quote that went something like this ” I have seen the enemy and he is me”, kind of fits Kurt. I know Finch wants to grow his program and probably thought that he could add sponsorship by bringing Kurt on board, well that sure isn’t working and the hole just got deeper. Kurt had some big names support him over the off season and to help him get in the Finch ride, he should have appreciated that a little more instead of slapping the faces of those people by reverting to his old tactics. IMO NASCAR would actually be helping Kurt by sitting him down for the rest of the season and force him to take stock of himself. Somehow he needs to learn respect for the sport and the other competitors, including the over the wall guys, and lose the entitlement he feels. NASCAR is playing with fire with him and his state of mind. He needs the same kind of help that Roush gave Ricky Stenhouse, it made a big difference there. Kurt would not act the way he does if Big Bill and Bill Jr were still running the show. He would have been reminded long ago that he needs NASCAR but NASCAR doesn’t need him. A suspension while undergoing anger management just as with the drug program would benefit Kurt. He just might get the message from that.
If you run a great college football program you have to take risks on talented but troubled kids. Look at all the major college programs around the country. Kurt Busch is a much better driver than a majority of the drivers on the circuit. Hands down and the car owners know it. The 31 car with Jeff Burton hasn’t won in almost 4 years and the sponsors want results. The 20 car driven by Joey Logano has been an embarrassment. Why would you not consider looking at hiring Kurt?
It amazes me how much people want to bash Kurt and Kyle and yet other athletes in Nascar and other sports are just or if not as bad. Tiger Woods is a glorified a-hole. Yet people still believe in him and think he is great and want him to do well. I am sure there is a person or two who has read this article and said Kurt should be banned yet Tiger Woods is going through a rough time.
Oh and another thing the sport is full of yes men and everyone complains about how there is no personality in this sport. You have some personality from Kurt and Kyle. Be happy you are getting some. I for one am sick of hearing “well we didn’t do well and got caught up in a wreck but its just an honor to be here and I want to thank Domino’s Pizza and hey be sure to check out their Monday-Wednesday deal” Yeah that makes me sick. If I were a driver I would be mad. If I were wrecked out or lost the race to a bad pit stop. If they stuck a microphone in my face I would say we lost the race what more is their to say? And leave and go to my hauler.
After all that talk of him changing this guy is still the “SYBIL” of Nascar. He cusses his pit crew out throws tantrums like a 5 year old child. If you get upset about something remember there’s a time and a place to do it.Not in front of the cameras or using the f bomb over the radio.You of all people are being carefully watched and what you display to prospective sponsers prove when they hear your name they will flee the building like it was on fire.
Golf needs Tiger. The only reason many folks watch is to see how Tiger does. Without Tiger, golf suffers.
As was mentioned above: NASCAR doesn’t need Kurt.
I am all for personality, but to profanely rip your team (among others) apart time and again doesn’t count as “personality” to me.
You can voice your opinions without causing the ruckus that Kurt does time and again.
Finch said when he hired Kurt that he wouldn’t tolerate Kurt’s “crap.” I’m anxious to see just how much more Finch will take.
i blame it all on Nascar,s drug policy. If Kurt was allowed to be on the medication he so badly needs for bi-polar, anger mgt, adhd,schizophrenia, and bad parenting by his mother, he could could function as a human being and thrive as one of the best drivers in the history of Nascar.
Lamar, you didnt read the TNI article, did you? Regardless of what the team wants, they have to listen to the sponsors providing the money. If Pennzoil doesnt want an A-hole driving their car, then that driver needs to get out. Apparently, A-holes arent the image Pennzoil wants for their product.
There is another story going on here. And that is Kyle’s team in the “Go Daddy.com Invitational Series, featuring the lovely and talented, Danica Patrick(also presented by Nationwide)”.
Kyle & Kurt hijacked the Monster Energy Drink sponsorship away from Ricky Carmichael with promises of the continued domination of this support series by Kyle, with similar performance expected from big brother, ex-Cup Champ Kurt.
So Far, Monster is not getting their expected “bang for the buck”. Monster is giving the Busch Brothers bigger bucks than ever they gave Carmichael, but they overlooked the significant contribution of the dominant team & equipment Kyle had last year with JGR. While the Busch Boys’ driving talents have yielded a couple of wins this year, they have not demonstrated the domination promised. Meanwhile, Monster’s exposure has been nearly totally eclipsed by the media’s and NASCAR’s laser focus on Ms. Patrick and her “edgy” sponsor, GoDaddy.com.
As for Kurt and the 51 Cup team, James Finch has already stated that he cannot afford run this team for the full Cup season out of his own pocket. I’m thinking that before the Chase starts, Kurt better get his act straight and bring on a sponsor, or the 51 team will likely stay home.
While i agree we need personalities in the sport, Kurt just takes
it too far. his crew chief should be given a reward, because if it were me i would punch him in the mouth myself, nevermind other
crew members.
Jt said “Kyle & Kurt hijacked the Monster Energy Drink sponsorship away from Ricky Carmichael”.
Really, Ricky Carmichael? Wins count baby. KyBu and KuBu bring you wins.
Meh.
Fans want the cars to wreck and cost the owners hundreds of thousands of dollars because they’re bored, Bristol is too vanilla now, for three straight years NASCAR has promoted boys have at it, and Kurt Busch is a problem? NASCAR can’t get their TV ratings above 6,000,000 viewers a race and Kurt Busch is the reason the sponsors aren’t interested? NASCAR’s problems are way deeper than Kurt Busch or his brother, and this fantasy world of puppy dogs and wild flower fields the corporations claim they want in a driver while doing everything they can to cut corners and maximize profits on their products is a farce. Maybe if a greater majority of drives were like the Black Hat Brothers, more people would be interested in this sterilized so-called sport we watch.
Meh.
One word, spoiled.
“There are plenty of other ultra-competitive drivers out there who manage to win races and championships without getting in confrontations with the media, and slinging profanity at their teams when things don’t go well.”
Yeah, like Tony Stewart. Oh, wait
While I agree with much of this I think your key word here is “Well-publicized”. Monster energy’s demographic is high energy, edgy teens and young adults which is what NASCAR needs more of. Monster could not buy the kind of publicity that they got with the incident this weekend in Dover. And this sentiment was echoed in several interviews post-race including Wind Tunnel with Dave Despain.
I spoke to Bob Pockrass this weekend in Dover and while he was keeping mum about the incident, and though I feel his question was legitimate, I’m certain he knew he’d stir something in Kurt in asking a question related to his probation. Whether they admit it or not, many reporters hope to incite something in their line of questioning with these drivers. Especially guys like Kurt who are already “on the edge” after a tough loss.
As for the possibility of Kurt going to JGR, I think it’s a great move for all. Having met both Kurt and Kyle, I really feel like they will ground each other knowing their behavior will impact each other’s jobs. Plus, the idea of brothers on the same team is something the media can talk about for weeks on end.
Great article, thanks for sharing.
Deanna, you said it all. Kurt was not set up by the reporter, but reporter love this kind of story because it puts there name out there. Reporter love to get under the skin of there interviews. Kurt is a sucker for letting them do it, why dose he even care what they ask? Dude, just race and dont give interviews, and if you do fill them with standard stupid sound bites like the other do. Kurt needs and assistant to keep him away from evil.
Nascar definitely needs Kurt Busch ! He is controversy and talent wrapped in one! this sport needs this type of personality rather than the fairies that put chap stick on during the race and talk about how good every other driver is…. this is ridiculous! Where is the rivalry in this sport?? Next to the superstars, which some may be in the “twilight” of their career, the busch’s stand out, fans want that. If the interview was that bad, it would never have made it out to millions of people. This jackass bob announcer wanted this type of response from KB, and he got it. Its was the media does, stir controversy, i think its great and i would sponsor him, if i had the money. Monster energy drink is a great sponsor for him i think.
So yes, Nascar needs KB and more of him. Get rid of some of the other boring personalities in the sport and replace them with more Type A personalities that will clash and pick up the rivalry. A perfect example; how BORING is the racing this year!!! is hideous, boring and cookie cutter. At least i can’t wait to see what KB is going to say at the end.
Let’s be real for a second. He’s losing his mind bc driving a car in a circle is too much stress for him. He’s a spoiled brat and a piece of garbage. While most of us have actual jobs where we have to worry about getting fired and providing for a family in this economy he is wasting an opporutuinity of a lifetime.
So let this idiot keep spending his own money to pay for his ride hopefully he’ll end up pennyless and toothless in a trailer somewhere in Nevada.