Bleacher Report - Articles by Katrina Shankle

NASCAR Chase 2008: Why I Hate Kyle Busch (and Why He Deserves the Championship)

Katrina Shankle — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 05:16:58 -0400

It is an article that really can write itself. Kyle Busch is the perfect embodiment of classic whining circa Jeff Gordon early in his career and the pissy attitude and arrogance of a vintage Tony Stewart.

If he doesn't win, he cries. Should he feel as though someone raced him unfairly, he complains and throws a fit becoming of a 12-year-old girl who isn't getting her Jonas Brothers concert tickets.

There is an undeniable air of arrogance in his lanky strut and he has no problem picking a fight with another driver (Once security has stepped between him and the other driver of course.) Busch doesn't make apologies for moving someone out of the way, however if someone moves him out of the way he demands an apology.

Watching him every weekend is aggravating and exhausting. Yet, there is something very refreshing about it.

What Busch also shares with Stewart and Gordon (aside from being former teammates to both) is a successful season that promises to turn itself into a profitable career.

Being NASCAR's newest bad boy doesn't guarantee that you rack up eight victories on your way to a well-deserved championship. To do that you have to have talent and nerve, and Kyle Busch doesn't lack for either of those.

Joe Gibbs Racing and Toyota put one hell of an engine package underneath him and out he went to conquer the world. And that is exactly what he's done thus far.

His 2008 season is one deserving of a Championship. It's a fact that is unquestionable.

Part of me wonders what his longevity in the sport will be.

Busch has yet to take his first hard wreck, an event that typically shapes a driver's career. Ever heard the phrase, "Yeah, he's fast, but he ain't hit nothin' yet"? That's what DW is talking about.

My other concern is Busch's driving style. It works well for him, of course. It's a fearless driving style, and no one is able to drive a car so out of control and yet control it so well. But it's also a bit of a reckless style.

At any rate...

Here's to Kyle Busch, deserving 2008 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series champion.

May he aggravate me for another 10 seasons.

Where Has All the Excitement Gone?

Katrina Shankle — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 01:58:53 -0400

It's a funny thing to have grown up around racing (NASCAR especially) and after years of it having an important role daily in life, it suddenly fades away. Life has been interfering with my ability to watch NASCAR this summer and with my back to working weekends, I doubt I'll be seeing much of the Chase. What's really amazing is, I don't really miss it.

My life revolved around the three-four hours of gasoline and rubber every Sunday (or those wonderful Saturday nights when the metal monsters would run under the lights at one short-tempered short track or another). If I missed a race, I would find it recorded somewhere, or at least view as many race recaps as possible.

But that was back when NASCAR was still really racing, although some argue it lost that authenticity a few decades ago. The heads of the sport had so many plans to make the sport competitive and edgy and fast again. What they delivered were weekly races where one car gets out front and stretches out a three second lead over a field who has little to no chance to catch him.

For the first time in my short life, I remember not who won The All Star Race, but the fact there were no wrecks and no thrills (and no field inversion). Instead of reigniting the fiery passion of the sport, we've been given a bunch of drivers forced into a world of being "PC" and looking pretty (though not all of them can achieve that one).

And the Chase, which was supposed to put an end to runaway championships has left us with one guy who is more than likely going to win the championship and two guys who might have a chance at almost catching him.

Every NASCAR weekend has sort of become a routine soap opera. Sort of "Days of Our Lives" on steroids, if you will. We don't have to tune in every week to know the Kyle's going to win, the other Gibbs' cars will run well, Chevy will fall in second to them, and that the lugnuts will be loose on the Roush cars.

The thrill is gone.

Is it ever coming back?

NASCAR 2008: Kyle Busch Wins...What Else Is New?

Katrina Shankle — Sun, 13 Jul 2008 14:53:08 -0400

Taking the checkered flag at Chicago on Saturday evening gave Kyle Busch his seventh win of the season.

Winning seven races is wonderful, but what matters is this gives him a 70-point advantage once the Chase for the Cup kicks off. With seven races remaining before the Chase, it is conceivable to see Kyle Busch in victory lane at least once more.

To say that Busch is an early favorite for the Sprint Cup Series champion is to state the obvious. To write about NASCAR these days is to dedicate a large portion of the article to the new phenom.

Yet it pains me to write about Kyle Busch.

It's not that he wins every week—Jeff Gordon won every week and that didn't bother me. Or maybe it's that it's Kyle Busch winning every week and I can't tolerate his personality (I don't want to hear the tired argument of Hendrick's domination last season, that domination was divided amongst three drivers, not just one).

Before everyone starts setting him up on a pedestal between The King and The Intimidator, why don't we let him prove himself a little more? After all, it was only a few short seasons ago that Ryan Newman visited Victory Lane eight times in ten races. This season, Newman seems to be doing little more than serving as a moving billboard for Alltel.

While I detest Busch's personality, I can't deny his talent. For lack of a better expression, he's a hell of a race car driver.

I wonder next season when Joey Logano fills Tony Stewart's empty seat how Busch will fair. Logano will be Gibbs' new young super star and will be given the golden child treatment. It'll be a situation no different than Busch overshadowing Denny Hamlin who overshadowed Stewart.

As far as the 2008 Champion is concerned, Busch is a strong candidate. Stewart should be hitting his summer winning streak soon and will be a strong competitor for the Cup (I imagine he'll want to leave JGR in style).

If the genius that is Chad Knaus can get the 48 team back in its true form, expect Jimmie Johnson to attempt the famous Yarborough three-peat.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. will pose a threat, but I believe that 2009 will be his season to win a championship.

I also believe Clint Bowyer will drive his way back into the top-12 and finish in at least the top six.

Ford will continue to struggle because Roush Fenway teams seem to have problems getting the lugnuts tight in the pits. How many loose wheels can one organization have? On a weekly basis?

As for 2009, I have only one thing to say: Mark Martin at Hendrick? Really? Is he trying to tie Darrell Waltrip with the longest retirement tour in history?

Any and all predictions are not to be taken as fact, only as opinion. I'm still smarting from how incorrect my Silly Season predictions were.

So This One Isn't About NASCAR

Katrina Shankle — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 12:08:14 -0400

I am the daughter of a NASCAR crew chief and an avid fan and writer of the sport, so perhaps you will all indulge me.

Monday morning, my mother (a current breast-cancer patient) and I were driving my 1998 Mustang along U.S. 74 North in Rockingham, NC to visit her aunt. A woman driving a 1998 Chevrolet pulled out in front of me from the local Bojangles. Though I did all within my power by turning sharply to the left and standing on the brake, I collided with the front end of her vehicle.

My damage was sustained heavily in the front end, right side—where my mother was sitting. I knocked the front wheels out from underneath the other car, but they were at fault (bad Chevy, baaad Chevy).

Mama and I were banged up pretty badly with bruised ribs and hurt necks, and I sprained my right ankle in my heroic effort to avoid the wreck (daddy and the police said I handled it like a professional driver).

Anyway, because of my injuries, medication, and subsequent doctor's visits (which still aren't over), I was unable to log on and write. I was quite happy to see a few people missed me.

So I'd like to thank Adam and L.J. for their care and concern, and most importantly their encouragement for me to get back to writing.

Mom and I are still recovering, and the Mustang's future is still in question, but we all hope to be back in racing trim soon.

NASCAR's 2008 Silly Season in Full Swing

Katrina Shankle — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 02:24:19 -0400

Hendrick Motorsports has a vacancy in their impressive driver roster for the 2009 NASCAR Sprint Cup Series season. Casey Mears will be moving on and leaving in his wake lots of speculation about who will fill his seat.

While there is a long list of names (Ryan Newman, Tony Stewart, Martin Truex, Jr.) being considered for the car, my question is, where will Mears go?

Speculation is that Reed Sorenson's place at Ganassi may be in jeopardy, but I wouldn't expect Casey Mears to wind up at an organization that has previously released him.

I also couldn't see Mears stepping into Ryan Newman's firesuit at Penske Racing South. Naturally, if Tony Stewart is going to purchase Haas and vacate his famous No. 20 at JGR, the young driver nicknamed "Sliced Bread," Joey Logano, will be taking his place.

That could potentially land Mears at DEI to fill Truex Jr.'s vacated seat. Of course, RCR will be looking to put a driver in the fourth car the team will be fielding next season.

My guess is that Mears may find himself with a Toyota team next season, though I'm not sure which one. I've heard no news on JGR running a fourth operation or Red Bull expanding their team to a three-car outfit.

Switching to Toyota made a big difference for the career of fellow former Hendrick drivers Brian Vickers and Kyle Busch. Perhaps that same lightning could strike a third time and reignite Mears' career.

My other predictions for next season?

Tony Stewart will buy out Haas. Truex Jr. will move to either Hendrick Motorsports or RCR. Joey Logano will take over the vacated JGR No. 20. Ryan Newman will either remain where he is, or may also go the driver/owner route (he's always struck me as a loner).

I know that won't fill all the vacant seats next season, but with DEI struggling to find sponsorship they may scale down in size for next season, eliminating the need for a driver to fill Truex Jr.'s spot.

Of course, I could be wrong about all of this.

But that's the fun of Silly Season right?