Kyle Busch: Controversial Driver Primed for Big 2012 After Bud Shootout Victory

After his thrilling victory in Saturday's Bud Shootout, Kyle Busch is ready to once again dominate the racing world.

Busch had a disastrous 2011, but the new year looks quite promising for one of racing's more controversial figures.

Busch's performance at the Shootout was simply amazing.

He saved two near-crashes, the second of which was a gorgeous display of insane driving talent. Check it out at the 2:25 mark of the video below.

Never one to be bashful, Busch knows just how impressive his save was.

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"The first time might have been luck," Busch said. "I'm going to say the second time was all skill. I was steering, stabbing, braking, gassing, everything in between, trying to keep the thing straight, get it back under control."

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While Jeff Gordon was sent tumbling, Busch surged ahead, eventually overtaking Tony Stewart to win by 0.013 seconds.

It was the slimmest margin of victory in Shootout history.

It was an incredible race for Busch, and I'm expecting him to use it has a springboard to success in 2012. Next week, he'll look to add to his momentum at the Daytona 500.

Busch was solid in 2011's Great American Race, finishing in eighth place. I'm predicting another top-10 finish for him next Sunday.

Last year, Tony Stewart and Carl Edwards dominated the Sprint Cup Series.

This year's crown, however, is up for grabs, and although it's still early, it looks like 2012 could be the year of Kyle Busch.