Why Kyle Busch did what he did

As of the writing of this article, no decision had been made regarding Kyle Busch's immediate future with Joe Gibbs Racing and sponsor M&M's. However, there has been a report that Nationwide Series sponsor Z-Line Designs wants to oust Busch from the seat for the Nationwide Series season finale. Joe Gibbs Racing teammate Denny Hamlin is likely to replace Busch.

As of mid-day Thursday, the future of Busch was still in discussion. Is M&M's seriously about to part company with one of the most talented drivers in the garage? It appears that they are seriously contemplating it.

Busch has been the talk of the media since 2008. The media frequently refers to him as the most talented driver in NASCAR. Some folks in the media even compare Busch to the late Dale Earnhardt, which is absurd in my opinion. When Busch eases through a weekend or two without controversy, we constantly read about the new and improved Kyle Busch, the kinder and gentler Kyle Busch. Well, that does not usually last very long, does it?

As bad as the media has wanted Busch to become Earnhardt, he just cannot seem to keep him emotions in check long enough to earn the respect that Earnhardt had. Now, Busch's immediate future is clouded with uncertainty. Will he race again this year? Will he ever race for Joe Gibbs Racing again? If so, will M&M's be on the hood?

Those questions will be answered in due time.

Many wonder why Busch reacted so abruptly in his retaliation towards Ron Hornaday last weekend in the Camping World Truck race. Some may blame NASCAR for allowing drivers to police themselves on the track. They have allowed drivers to pay evil for evil with their cars. Look at what Carl Edwards got away with last year, not once, but twice. Look at what Brian Vickers got away with at Infineon. Juan Pablo Montoya hooked Ryan Newman towards the outside wall at Richmond. I could go on and on, but the fact is NASCAR has allowed this to escalate. But are they to blame? Nope. At least not completely.

They should have made the 'invisible line' more visible last year when Edwards hooked Keselowski on the frontstretch at Gateway in front of the field, damaging several and putting other drivers at risk. However, they let Edwards keep the win and he was able to race again the very next day and week.

Busch's retaliation may have never happened if Edwards faced some sort of discipline. But the fact of the matter is that Busch did retaliate, and it was worse than what Edwards did. Additionally, Busch is responsible for his own actions, and he has had multiple run-ins over the years, and NASCAR simply had enough. He hooked a driver towards the outside wall under caution traveling roughly 130 to 140 miles per hour out of sheer anger.

In my opinion, Busch believed that NASCAR needed him. He is a polarizing figure, and is often in the headlines. He wins frequently. He sells tickets. He draws a massive reaction from the grandstands, some positive, mostly negative. Off the track, he is generous in his charitable contributions. He is everything the NASCAR loves in a driver. Following his moment of anger, he may have thought that NASCAR would give him a 'free pass'. After all, he is Kyle Busch, winner of 104 NASCAR races. Well, NASCAR survived after the career of Richard Petty and the tragic death of Dale Earnhardt. They quickly reminded Busch that they could survive without him and his played-out antics.

Busch was put in his place. Hopefully, he finally becomes the kinder and gentler Kyle Busch we kept reading about. While NASCAR does not need him to thrive, it wouldn't hurt to have him around either.

Update: Kyle Busch will run the final two races with Interstate Batteries as the sponsor. M&M's has pulled out for the final two races, but expect to return in 2012 with Busch as the driver, but with the understanding that no further embarrassing and detrimental incidents will occur.