That rowdy kid who was his own worst enemy, the one with all that talent but an attitude problem that negated his skills at times.
Remember that guy? Well, he's long gone for the most part. That Kyle Busch is not this Kyle Busch.
This Kyle Busch, 26, happily married and a NASCAR team owner with a payroll to meet, is different. He's better in almost every respect.
Busch earned a season-best fourth victory Sunday with his first career win on the 2-mile oval at Michigan. He clinched his Chase spot, not that it ever was in doubt.
He also is the favorite to win the 2011 Sprint Cup title. Mark it down. A level of maturity has slowly crept up on his enormous ability. And that's bad news for everyone racing against him.
He's the points leader and the man to beat. If his No. 18 Toyota is good enough (and it is) and his mind is right (and it appears to be), Busch has that lethal combination required to become a champion.
One man who knows what that takes better than anyone is Jimmie Johnson, who finished second on Sunday and couldn't challenge Busch at the end.
Johnson, who is 10 points and three wins behind Busch in the standings, is trying to win his sixth consecutive Cup title. He is the Chase master. He also has known Busch since Kyle started as a Cup rookie at Hendrick Motorsports in 2005 at age 19.
"I was 26 my rookie year in Cup," Johnson said. "I got to make all my crazy mistakes at the lower levels. I'm thankful for that.
"Kyle just now is reaching his mid-20s. He went through all that at the Cup level. But I've always understood his passion for racing. He can stand on the gas and drive a car to its utmost potential."
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