NASCAR Sprint Cup 2010: Kyle Busch Easy Target For Retaliation?

Kyle Busch has drawn the ire of more drivers and NASCAR fans over the course of his career than any other driver in the NASCAR garage.  Busch's unrelenting, hard driving style draws comparisons to NASCAR legend, Dale Earnhardt. 

When Earnhardt fans hear the comparison of Kyle Busch to Dale Earnhardt there is immediate consternation and denial from the Earnhardt crowd.  How could anyone else but Dale Earnhardt Jr. emulate The Intimidator?

The fact is Kyle Busch is unafraid of what NASCAR fans think and he is more than willing to wear the black hat in NASCAR.  This makes Kyle Busch an easy target for the competition to make a name for themselves by taking him out after a border line racing accident or bump.

Case in point is the incident between Kyle Busch and David Reutimann in the Kansas Price Chopper 400.  Reutimann was loose, got out of the throttle in front of Busch, and was hit as his tail end began to come around.  If Busch took evasive action to the apron, he would have crashed and if Busch let off the gas, he would be plowed from behind.

Busch's only course of action in the situation was to stay in a straight line and hope Reutimann cleared before he gets to the car.  Reutimann spun slowly leaving his car in the groove long enough for Busch to get a piece of him.

Reutimann said later, "You can say all you want about Kyle being an aggressive driver. You guys can sugarcoat it. He just rolled over me. I'm at the bottom of the track and he had the whole top of the track to go to, but I got wrecked."

Maybe Reutimann will change his opinion after he sees the video.  If Busch went to the high side of the track, both cars would have ended up in a major crash as they washed up the track.  Busch only had one place to go, and it was to the low side without hitting the apron.

Kyle Busch's crew chief, David Rogers accused Reutimann's crew chief, Rodney Childers of sending Reutimann back out to retaliate against Busch, who was running in the top five.  Reutimann and Childers fixed the car and Reutimann went back out with one intention.  To ruin Kyle Busch's day.

When this happened in Atlanta earlier this year Carl Edwards was placed on probation and fined after wrecking Brad Keselowski while he running in the top five.  The fact that Keselowski turned upside down should not play a part in this decision.  The two cases are exactly the same. Reutimann was just lucky that Busch was not injured when he retaliated.

Kyle Busch has a driving style that endears him to some NASCAR fans and infuriates many other NASCAR fans.  Why is Kyle Busch such a polarizing figure?  Attitude and insensitivity play a major part in Kyle Busch's love him or hate him following.  This is why Busch can expect more incidents similar to this in his career as long as he chooses to wear the black hat.