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 For the first time since his extraordinary comeback following
injuries in February, Busch declared himself to be happy with his
life's situation in the post-race victory ceremonies at Indy, where
he was joined by his wife and infant son.
It appears that Busch not only realized how much he missed the sport
during his 11-race hiatus, but how much the sport missed him.
Given that it was his third straight victory and fourth in five
races, just how extraordinary are Busch's accomplishments?
When he first returned to points races in Charlotte in May after the
injuries he suffered in February at the Daytona International
Speedway, Busch was effectively 11 races behind his fellow drivers
and the new rules package. On the other hand, Busch has benefitted
mightily from the unprecedented mid-season rules changes.
When radical alterations were introduced for all drivers at the
Kentucky Speedway and at Indianapolis, it put him on a more level
playing field. He won both races.
Perhaps the more important context is this year's development of the
Joe Gibbs Racing team. In an effort to create better chemistry, crew
chief changes were made in the offseason, including the elevation of
Adam Stevens from the Xfinity Series to Busch's Sprint Cup car. A
fourth car -- which had been a possibility due to sponsor interest
in preceding seasons -- was added when Carl Edwards switched over
from Roush Fenway Racing.
Having struggled with relatively less horsepower during the 2014
season from engines built by Toyota Racing Development, JGR did what
all teams do in such circumstances -- worked extra hard on the
handling. When this year's new engine rules for induction and the
valve train arrived, suddenly the Gibbs team found itself with as
much if not more horsepower from its Toyota engines relative to
Chevy and Ford.
JGR's performance at Indy this past weekend was ample evidence of
its newfound horsepower. The rules called for significantly higher
drag due to rear spoilers three inches taller and extended front
splitters. Those with more horsepower had the opportunity to gain
more downforce for handling in the corners without paying too much
of a drag penalty on the straight. Under these circumstances, JGR's
Carl Edwards won the pole -- only his second since 2013.
In the race, Busch was a strong front runner throughout --
especially on the "drag" races during the final three re-starts in
the closing laps. By the finish, JGR had three drivers in the Top 10
-- not including Edwards -- and Toyota-powered Clint Bowyer joined
them. It was the first time Toyota has won at the 400-mile race at
the Brickyard and the first loss for Chevrolet since 2003. All these
results say something about horsepower from Toyota, which team owner
Joe Gibbs acknowledged Sunday for the first time this season.
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But the context of the Gibbs team also highlights that Busch has
done more with the advantages the team enjoys in technology and car
preparation, which results in part by the information sharing among
the four entries. Edwards, for example, had a chance to advance to
the front at the finish, but instead he slid up the track on the
same re-start where Busch took the lead from Kevin Harvick. Denny
Hamlin and Matt Kenseth were able to advance their positions during
the day, but were unable to contend for victory.
Busch now heads to Pocono this weekend in position to do what only
eight other drivers have done since the modern era schedule began in
1972 -- win four straight races. (No driver has been able to win
five straight since the schedule was first shortened.) And, of
course, Pocono's long straights and relatively sharp corners lend
themselves to a combination of handling and horsepower, which is
what Busch had on display at Indy.
In some respects, since Busch won his first pole at age 19 for team
owner Rick Hendrick during the era of a minimum age of 18 for
NASCAR's traveling series, he has been overdue for super stardom.
His attempts at greatness have always faltered on the rocks and
reefs of the postseason Chase for the Sprint Cup. But these days,
the wind appears to be more favorable after his injury hiatus.
The new rule changes were much ado about not very much. All the
passing still took place in the two or three laps following restarts
or as a result of pit stops. But there's nothing like one driver's
great season and heroic comeback to put a positive light on a major
racing series working hard to maintain its appeal in the grandstands
and on TV.
A former three-time Super Bowl-winning coach, Gibbs declines to
suggest Busch's injury comeback is like anything he's ever seen in
the NFL, perhaps because serious injuries are far more likely to
hurt a player's physical performance. But he continues to allude to
Busch's season as a great sports story with each new victory an
added chapter.
Stay tuned for the next installment at Pocono, where a victory by
Busch would be a bonafide historic achievement in addition to a
great comeback story.
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