Busch Whacked & the Game of Musical Drivers

Hey folks I know we are only into the new year a week or so but things in NASCAR never really stop accept Christmas Day. Then again I bet there were guys heading out to the Garage with some Lenox Industrial Tool just wanting to play with it. But what I mean is Teams only had about a 100 day window to take what they had in 2011 and make it better or change it for 2012 NASCAR Sprint Cup Season. Give me a few minutes to go over a couple moves that are catching my eye this off season.


Kyle Busch has been asked by Joe Gibbs Racing and his Primary Sponsor M&M's to ONLY Race their brand in the Sprint Cup Series. That would mean Kyle would be out of his own Kyle Busch Motorsports Truck and his new Nationwide Car. Wow! Can they do that? They sure can and they didn't make him they asked him but I'm sure his Cup Ride at JGR might have been at stake too. M&M's is a big sponsor in NASCAR for JGR and Kyles actions in his Truck and in the #18 Nationwide car have gotten him into big trouble. But who will drive the NNS KBM Car in 2012? The rumor going around is it might be his bad boy brother Kurt Busch. I predicted before KuBu would drive for a Cup Team but would race his brother NNS car for the Driver Championship. I still see that as a very large possibility.

But what about the rest of JGR Team? Will Kyle drive any of the season in the #18? Will Denny Hamlin Drive it? I say put JRG Driver Brian Scott in the #18 and put Denny Hamlin in the #11 sharing to seat with long time JGR Driver Stand in Michael McDowell. Denny has a new Cup Crew Chief with 2011 Champion Crew Chief Darian Grubb coming over from Stewart Haas Racing and I'm sure they still want Denny focused on a Sprint Cup Championship so look for him very limited in the NNS.

Let's see who went where since the end of the season. Clien Bowyer went to Michael Waltrip Racing to drive the #15 and Mark Martin signed on for the #00 which changed it's number to the #55 Arrons Dream Machine. Khasey Khane moved over in to Mark Martin's old #5 at HMS leaving Red Bull which has since closed it's doors. Kurk came out of the #22 to go to Pheonix and the #51 so AJ Almindinger leaves the #43 to fill the seat of the Miller Lite #22. I'm starting to get dizzy here but I'll go on. Now with the #43 having an open Musical Drivers Seat RPM reached in to Dale Jr's stable and grabbed up Aric Almirola for the legendary RPM #43. Anyone else notice Aric Almirola looks a little bit like a very young KING? I did!


At the time I wrote this there are 52 Daze until the Daytona 500 but Drivers are already starting to dust off the racing gloves and trying to lose those extra Christmas goodie pounds. Pudgy Firesuits look terrible just ask ____ _______. I'm sure you are like me and already getting tickets bought, campers cleaned up and grills being made ready for a great season of our favorite boys knocking into each other making those lovely Left Hand Turns.


Bring it!
peace