(Photo by Geoff Burke/Getty Images for NASCAR)
Kyle Busch
He's the poster boy of the aggressive, trading paint driving style that seems to be lacking in today's NASCAR. Busch has the aggression and talent of Rusty Wallace, the glint of Dale Earnhardt, Sr., but the professionalism and sportsmanship of a six-year old Little League baseball player after losing the "big game."
While he embraces his antagonist role, which he seems to strive on with the resounding jeers on the tour, his actions away from the car sometimes speak louder than his amazing driving abilities.
Most recently, Busch displayed some of his "questionable" character with "Guitargate" at Nashville.
Jubilant and ecstatic over a win at a track that had eluded him from his "Victory Lane Portfolio," the 24-year-old leadfooter grabbed the track trophy and smashed it into bits—no less, a Gibson Les Paul electric guitar painted by renowned NASCAR artist Sam Bass.
Repeatedly this season, Busch has walked away from reporters and members of the media after some crushing defeats in countless Camping World Truck Series races and Nationwide Series events.
Despite his tantrums and character, Busch drives each race as if he has a chip on his shoulder—most of the time, he succeeds in driving his way to Victory Lane.
Proving his worth through the ASA ranks, ARCA ventures, and some dips in the Nationwide Series in the first half of the decade, the rest of the 2000s has been Kyle Busch's time to shine. Undoubtedly, he has the mark and makings to become the next legendary driver in NASCAR.
Driving the No. 5 Kellogg's ride from 2005-'07 and the No. 18 M&M's Toyota from 2008-present, he has made the Chase in every season but his rookie campaign of '05.
Busch showed his mark on racing from the start, gaining the praise and attention of car owners like Jack Roush, Rick Hendrick, and present "boss" Joe Gibbs. You can liken the Vegas native to a young hurler on the mound who just needs to remember he has more than a fastball on his pitching repertoire.
The only thing that stands in Kyle Busch's way for a NASCAR Sprint Cup title is his temper. When his head is in the game and he has that killer instinct to take no prisoners, Busch will drive the wheels off his Camry and to many checkered flags.
With a little maturity, Busch can still be the "enemy" force on the track—much in the vein like Earnhardt, Wallace, and Darrell Waltrip, who psyched their opponents out with their driving abilities as much as their skills in playing mind games with the best.
So fans, who would you take to drive your Cup ride if you owned a team in the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup season? Post a comment and vote on the poll!
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