[Sean Gardner / Getty Images]
We all think that we know the story on Kurt Busch, the driver whose bad behavior got him fired by Roger Penske at the end of 2011 and who looked to be destined to live out the rest of his career driving in the shadows for low-budget teams like Phoenix Racing.
After driving for Phoenix Racing’s James Finch – and driving Finch to distraction – Busch signed with Denver-based Furniture Row for the 2013 season – and actually took over the seat for the final six races last year. Now with a more competitive team – Furniture Row is a satellite team of Richard Childress Racing – Busch finished in the top 10 in the final three races.
In the eyes of the public and the eyes of many reporters, Busch looks like an out-of-control hothead who has squandered his last chance to drive for a front-running team.
The people at Furniture Row see it differently. They think that, with their links to RCR, and with Busch as their driver they have a shot at the big time. His new crew chief Todd Berrier was extravagant in his praise at the NASCAR Sprint Media Tour in Charlotte.
Berrier pointed out that Busch’s driving ability is remarkable, making him one of the best drivers currently in the series and that behind the scenes he is really a decent guy.
“The more I work with Kurt the more I see how in tune he is with every aspect of it – the car, the pit stops, the race, the flow of the race and how many stops are left. You don’t have to tell him things; you don’t have to tell him lap times. He’ll come on the radio and say, ‘That was about a tenth better,’ and it will be a tenth better. He is freaking on it when it comes to that.
“It’s easy to understand that, when things go wrong, he can be disappointed because he has given more than anybody I’ve seen. It’s pretty amazing how committed he is to know every aspect of it and how attuned he is to the race and the race car.
“Many do not realize how genuinely good a person he is. The way he cares about people and his team. The way he is part of the team. I’ve worked with a lot of people and it’s the way you convey yourself; the way you interact that says that you give two shits about them. People will fight to the death for you because you act like you care about them. It’s not an act with him.”
This is not Berrier’s first encounter with a volatile driver. He reminded us, with a wry half-grin, that he used to be crew chief for Kevin Harvick.
[John Harrelson / Getty Images for NASCAR]
With a supportive crew chief like Berrier and a sympathetic spotter like Rick Carelli – a former driver-hero of Busch’s – who has moved over from RCR – it seems believable that Busch may have a good season this year. Already there’s talk of Furniture Row extending Busch’s contract beyond the end of this year – or that he might sign on with RCR itself to replace Kevin Harvick when he moves to Tony’s Stewart’s team in 2014.
The question remains will Berrier and the rest of the Furniture Row team be able to work with Busch to bring out his superstar potential or will it turn into another soap opera before the end of the season?
