The 2004 NASCAR Cup champion, who was searching for a new beginning after a season that ended miserably at Penske Racing, appears to have found it in one of the most unexpected places — Phoenix Racing.
For Busch, the name couldn’t be more appropriate. After a series of miscues that culminated with a season-ending blowup in the garage at Homestead-Miami Speedway, the 33-year-old racer has an opportunity to rise again.
“It’s more than I expected,” Busch said upon first review. “This is old-school racing, but they have everything we need. This is a unique experience for everyone here now to have the chance to live some dreams that they never thought possible.”
Here on the outskirts of Spartanburg, the race shop seems misplaced among peach stands, fast-food joints and gas stations featuring fuel under $3 a gallon. Yet, at the top of the Exit 78 ramp, a street sign honoring three-time champion David Pearson serves as a reminder of this area’s rich racing heritage.
Busch didn’t run into Pearson at the Peach Blossom Diner during his first day on the job, but he found NASCAR Hall of Famer Bud Moore and Cotton Owens lunching on local fare. The old-timers offered yarns and welcomed Busch to town. He returned the Southern hospitality by buying lunch — albeit after borrowing money from his new spotter, Phoenix Racing general manager Steve Barkdoll, since the restaurant didn’t accept plastic.
Barkdoll didn’t mind. On the company Christmas tree last December was a sign begging Santa for “a winning driver.” The team’s request was answered before Christmas.
Team owner James Finch, who lives in Panama City, Fla., called Barkdoll just before a visit for the holiday party. As Finch fired off a list of requests, somewhere sandwiched between steaks and other party items, he mentioned to Barkdoll, “And oh, by the way, Busch will be the new driver of the No. 51 Chevrolet.”
Neither Barkdoll nor crew chief Nick Harrison could sleep that night. The pair exchanged texts and phone calls anticipating the possibilities.
After just one day together, Barkdoll knows this was the right decision.
“With Kurt, we knew he was a racer — we knew he has real talent behind the wheel,” Barkdoll said. “But he’s a real person, too. And he does care. This is good for both of us. It can raise our program, and it can help establish him back to where he needs to be.
“Everyone knows what Kurt is capable of doing. He’s used to winning two or three races a year. We don’t want to be the part that doesn’t allow that to happen. We have to up our game. We have to be ready, willing and able to build our program to where he wants to stay here beyond 2012.”
For Finch, the decision was easy. After evaluating other candidates, no driver’s resume came close to Busch’s. But given his personal investment in Phoenix Racing, a team that lacks full sponsorship and is primarily funded out of the owner's pocket, Finch will not accept mediocrity from his team.
“Everyone at Phoenix Racing has agreed to step up their program to equal Kurt’s talent because it takes the whole team to make it happen; if not, they’re going to be replaced,” Finch said.
“Kurt has the talent to win anywhere — short track, speedway or road course. A driver is like a quarterback. Everybody has a quarterback, but very few teams have a really good quarterback. Hopefully, he can take us where we need to be and help attract sponsorship along the way."
Back at Phoenix Racing, Busch is relaxed in his new surroundings. He compares the experience to “the first day of school.” Although Finch expanded the shop that previously housed Buckshot (Jones) Racing to 60,000 square feet, it could still fit in a corner of the massive Penske complex that Busch called home for the past six seasons.
However, what Penske lacked — at least for Busch — was “the fun factor.” With Finch as Busch’s owner, that won’t be a problem. After crafting a strategy with Finch, Barkdoll and Harrison, the team that affectionately refers to itself as “Red Cup Racing” toasted its new partnership with happy hour in the boardroom.
0 comments:
Post a Comment