Busch and Busch Team Up: Brilliant or blunder, you decide

Kyle Busch climbs out of his new Monster Energy No. 54 Nationwide car
that he will be sharing with brother, Kurt. Credit: KBMotorsports Twitter

On Thursday it was announced the Kurt Busch would join younger brother Kyle’s Nationwide Series team for a partial schedule in 2012. Teaming up with Monster Energy Drink and driving the No. 54, the Busch boys will split the ride as they work toward the 2012 Nationwide Owner’s Championship.

This is either the most brilliant plan for Nationwide domination or the beginning of the end for Kyle Busch Motorsports.

Brilliant you say?

If you have to question the brilliance of this pairing perhaps it’s time to have your head examined. Can you think of two drivers more competitive and passionate about winning? Do any other names come to mind when you think of the phrase “second place is the first loser?” These guys demand perfection from their team every time they strap in behind the wheel. But it’s not just team perfection they are after, it’s personal perfection. They aren’t about having a “solid day”. For Kurt and Kyle Busch the only solid day is one where they are in victory lane celebrating.

Between them are 54 Nationwide Series victories and thousands of miles logged behind the wheel. Although the majority of the wins (51) belong to Kyle, Kurt is no slouch. In only 12 starts the older Busch has found victory lane three times in the series.

With numbers like that the team is a shoe-in for the Owner’s Championship, especially when you consider Roush-Fenway Racing won’t have their ace Carl Edwards racking up the wins. Yes, my friends, I think I’ll put my money on the Busch boys to take home the NNS title in 2012…that is, if they don’t self-destruct first.

Self-destruction, but you just said…

Yes, I just called the move brilliant, but it will only work if the two drivers are able to keep that fire in their bellies reined in. There’s no denying that both of the Busch’s are known for their short fuses and nasty tempers. They’ve been in the spotlight more in the last nine months than ever before, and not for the right reasons. From Kyle’s speeding ticket, pit road run in with Harvick and his blatant wrecking of Hornaday, to Kurt’s brutal words with his team over the radio and that now infamous YouTube video, 2011 was not a good season for either in the court of public opinion.

Although both have made public apologies for their actions last year and have put on the face of a changed man, we won’t really know if it’s an act or reality until tensions start running high. Will one crack under the pressure? Will the sibling rivalry we’ve been hearing about for years rear its ugly head? Will sponsors jump ship the first time one does something outside the rules, or will it take multiple infractions? If the worst happened, like it nearly did in 2011 for Kyle, would he be able to rebound? Will Kurt’s past transgressions haunt him each time a lugnut gets dropped on pit road or a reporter asks a question he doesn’t like?

I’ll leave it up to you to decide where the chips will fall come November. There’s only one thing left to say to the drivers and that’s Welcome to the NASCAR Nationwide Series, Kyle Busch Motorsports. And to the fans out there, it doesn’t matter which side of the argument you lie on, let’s remember that this is the greatest sport on the planet and it takes personalities of all types to make it work. I for one am excited for this venture, but you know me, I’m a glutton for punishment!