Kyle Busch: Great NASCAR Driver or Greatest Driver Ever?

(Photo by Rusty Jarrett/Getty Images for NASCAR)

And there I agree to a large extent. Without at least a few championships, Busch will stand little to no chance of ever being considered one of the greatest of all time. 

But for the sake of argument (and as a long-time hardcore fan of both Busch brothers), I'm going to set aside that portion of the discussion as I believe that he will win at least a couple championships during his Cup career. 

He may end up winning only one, he may win ten; only time will tell. But few seem to doubt that he will win at least one at some point.

Again, leaving that aside, how does one compare Busch's accomplishments to those of the greats of the past and the present, including Johnson, Gordon, Earnhardt, Waltrip, Yarborough, Pearson, Petty and many others?

Or to steal a bit from Stephen Colbert of the Colbert Report and adapt it for my own nefarious purposes, "Kyle Busch, great driver or greatest driver ever?"

In my opinion, this question will never fully be answered satisfactorily for everyone as it is, by its very nature, unanswerable.

In essence this issue is very similar to the problem never resolved from last year—trying to compare Jimmie Johnson's third championship in a row with Cale Yarborough's.

Different eras, different circumstances, and different levels of competition make comparisons difficult at best, impossible at worst.

Not only that, but it is still a little early to even try answer these questions. Busch is only 24 and has already established himself as easily one of the greats of his time (and/or one of the greatest under 25), but who knows what the future may bring?

Although I didn't see every one of Richard Petty's victories (or nearly any other driver's for that matter), I have watched Busch since the "re-beginning" of his NASCAR career after he turned 18.

And although it took a few years working with some really good people at Hendrick Motorsports along with a strong "reality check" when he was let go at the end of 2007, Busch showed incredible potential then and since then has done little but flesh out that potential at Joe Gibbs Racing and Billy Balew Motorsports.

All in all, however, I personally have to agree with those who say that comparisons can be made, but how accurate they may be depends upon your point of view.

And in that respect, I have to agree with those who know and have known the greats; those that have raced or worked with the best of the best; and those who have researched and reported on it all.

Although it is very easy to find someone in the garage or the media center who doesn't like something about Busch, it is very difficult if not downright impossible to find one of them who questions his talent, his drive, his accomplishments, and his potential. 

I have heard and read drivers, crew chiefs, former drivers, former crew chiefs, owners and commentators alike speak in glowing terms about how good Busch really is and how much they love to watch him in whatever race he might be in. 

True, most agree that he has his issues, but being able to drive a car is not one of them.

I tend to agree with people like three-time Cup champion Darryl Waltrip. In what most consider to be his "love affair with Kyle Busch," he outright states his belief that Kyle is the best there's even been, at least so far.

"I appreciate talent: I saw Dale Earnhardt when he was at his best; I saw Richard Petty, David Pearson, Cale Yarborough, Bobby Allison and Jeff Gordon all when they were at their best. I raced against them when they were at their best, so trust me when I say I know talent."

"I have to tell you, though: None of them were as good as Kyle."

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