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gonets

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NIAS Tourney Championship-Driver who has the better chance to win this Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350@ Infineon Raceway: Tony Stewart or Kyle Busch?

Cassidy's House: Smoke>Fire said 06/18, 05:30 AM
Im going w/ Tony Stewart & here is y:

The 2 most recent road course races were run last year at this track and Watkins Glen. Tony finished 6th at Infineon and 1st at Watkins Glen. Kyle Busch? 8th and 7th.

I know Kyle Busch is having the better season so far, but road coarses are not his specialty. If you go back to 2006 you will see Kyle took 11th and 9th places in the two road courses. Tony Stewart was 2nd at Watkins in 2006.

If you go back to 2005 you will see Tony Stewart won at Infineon and Kyle finished 40th. Watkins Glen that year? Once again Tony Stewart was 1st while Kyle limped home in 33rd place.

Road courses are a different animal than what the drivers are used to on a weekly basis. Some teams even bring in specialists to replace their regular drivers for that weekend because they are only competitive on oval-type tracks. They even have a term for it: road course ringer. See here:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Road_Course_Ringers

Tony Stewart definately falls under the definition of a road course expert, not a ringer given his results there going back the last three years as a full-time regular driver on the NASCAR circuit.

Stewart>Busch@road courses

gonets said 06/18, 11:54 AM
Ok. You are basing all your info when Kyle ran for Hendricks Motorsports. he ahs found a niche at JGR and Toyota, and has been monikered the "Wild Thing" for good reason. Yes, in the PAST he hasn't fared well, but I consider last year's 7th and 8th place finishes as VAST improvements over the past few years, as your stats show. No one was sure how Kyle would fare under the new manufacturer and team, but he has come out and been lights out. There is no reason for him to be any different at Infineon.

He is on the same TEAM as Stewart (who I will refer to as Smoke for the rest of the TD), and the two of them will be working together to get to the front.

Kyle has also been getting better overall. He loves where he is. The pressure of winning was so great at Hendricks. that's why he didnt perform well. The mantra for JGR is performance first, results second. Of course JGR wants to win, everyone does, but performing well is more imperative. And Smoke and Busch do BOTH well. BUT, as good as Smoke is at Infineon, this is the year of the "Wild Thing."

Busch > Stewart @ Infineon 2008.

Cassidy's House: Smoke>Fire said 06/18, 12:53 PM
Hendricks Motorsports didnt keep Busch from being a good road coarse driver. His brother Kurt, on a totally different team than either Tony or Kyle has ever been on, is an outstanding road course driver. Driving on a road course isnt comparable 2 what niche Kyle has found w/ JGR. Kyle is maturing & that is y he is a better driver, but that doesnt suddenly make u figure out how 2 turn right in a road course maze.

His Wild Thing moniker is great when its a wide open oval track & he has plenty of room 2 make his bravado moves, but a road course makes u use restraint & there is no room for the wild passing Kyle likes to do on the regular tracks.

If there is any trend going on for Kyle the last couple of races it isnt "lights out".

In the most recent race at Michigan, after winning pole position, Kyle finished a very disappointing 13th.

In the race before that at Pocono, he admitted he screwed up by driving into someone when there was no room to get back in line and finished DEAD LAST.

This last two races trend would say either Kyle is falling off his game a little or the rest of the field is finding their grooves and we have seen the last of the Wild Thing's domination.

gonets said 06/18, 01:19 PM
We have not seen the last of his domination. Far from it. So he had some bad luck. It happens to EVERY driver at some point durng the season. And 13th is not a disappointing finish. It's decent.

"Kyle is maturing & that is y he is a better driver, but that doesnt suddenly make u figure out how 2 turn right in a road course maze. "

Those are your words. What then makes you figure how to turn right? last time I checked it was just turning the wheel in the opposite direction you would for making a left turn. It doesnt take much to figure that out. So you cant go 180 mph on a road course, maybe only 100 if your lucky. But making right turns and going slower has nothing to do with the driver's ABILITY. And you just rpoved my point. Because he has matured, and because he has become a better driver (ability), he will be able to handle the road course. Remember, he is teamamates with Stewart. I am sure he will learn a few tricks from Smoke (if he hasnt already) about how to drive on a road course).

Not to take anything away from Smoke, because he is fabulus, but not even Smoke has been able to stop Busch yet this year. And I envision more of the same at Infineon.

Cassidy's House: Smoke>Fire said 06/18, 05:24 PM
"We have not seen the last of his domination" Really? You got a hotline to Miss Cleo I dont know about?

Last time I checked life is: what have you done for me lately? On road courses, history says this is not the type of track KB likes best, but Tony Stewart savors.

Tony Stewart has won three times in the last 3 years on road courses. Kyle Busch? NEVER won on a road course. Based on his two most recent races on ovals, KB isnt even riding a hot streak.

Kyle Busch has proven to be the best racecar driver to date in 2008 on oval courses. This weekends race is NOT oval. Its a freakin road course and Kyle Busch's best career finish at this type of track is 7th!

Kyle's recent mishaps in the ovals have been bad luck? Did his four leaf clovers lack a leaf or did he forget to rub his rabbit's foot? Dude, luck is for losers. Winners dont rely or need luck.

Kyle has been DECENT lately on tracks he prefers. Tony Stewart has been DOMINANT on race courses.

Smoke hates the arrogant "Rowdy" Busch and will give him zero pointers on road courses. Look for Busch to be sucking Tony's smoke all race and finish very close to his best ever on this track...............somewhere near 7th.

gonets said 06/19, 11:36 AM
"Tony finished 6th at Infineon and 1st at Watkins Glen. Kyle Busch? 8th and 7th.

If you go back to 2006 you will see Kyle took 11th and 9th places in the two road courses.

Infineon and Kyle finished 40th. Watkins Glen that year? Once again Tony Stewart was 1st while Kyle limped home in 33rd place. "

Again, those are YOUR words. So by your own words, KB has gotten BETTER at road courses. Yeah, he may have NEVER won, but you cant assume someone CANT win just because they HAVENT.

And I dont care if Smoke hates Busch, teammates ALWAYS discuss strategy before a race on how they can fare better than other teams and drivers on the track. And Stewart WILL talk with Busch because he knows he can do well, and he will want Busch to follow suit.

Your WHOLE arguments are based on assumptions that Stewart IS better because he has WON. You must take into account that (also by your own admission), KB has matured and is a BETTER driver now than before. And he also has a new team and car (Toyota) which he loves.

Don't count your chickens before they hatch. And DON'T discount Busch based on assumptions.

Kyle Busch WILL win the Toyota SavaeMart 350. You can BANK on that.

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Sorry gonets, but I couldnt wait for you to be online before I started this because of computer access time constraints. Good luck.

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NIAS Tourney Championship-Driver who has the better chance to win this Sunday's Toyota/Save Mart 350@ Infineon Raceway: Tony Stewart or Kyle Busch?

gonets forfeited, Cassidy's House: Smoke>Fire wins

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