Dramatic Finish To Sharpie 500 Silences BMS Critics

BRISTOL, Tenn.  – Forget the talk of boring races at Bristol Motor Speedway. A Hollywood scriptwriter could not have topped the drama of Saturday’s Sharpie 500 Sprint Cup showdown.

As a frenzied crowd of more than 160,000 watched in wonder, NASCAR’s battle-tested lion tracked and hounded the sport’s fearless young tiger for lap after pulsating lap.

To the dismay of old-guard stock car fans, Kyle Busch held off 50-year-old Mark Martin en route to his fourth Sprint Cup win of the season. Busch, 24, compounded the anguish of his detractors by performing his customary victory bow, then taking a reverse victory lap around the track.

In a postrace news conference that continued well past midnight, Busch said he was more concerned with the checkered flag than the reaction of the crowd.

“Really it’s no different if I was the hero or the villain,” Busch said. “I just love to race. That’s solely what I’m built to do, be a race car driver.”

For much of the week leading to the Sharpie 500, fans and media members pointed to the lack of theatrics at BMS since a new blanket of concrete was added to the legendary facility in 2007. It’s been well-documented that the number of cautions and lead changes has declined since the facelift.
But there was still loads of drama at the concrete bowl on Saturday – before, during and after the race.

The elaborate pre-race show featured a stirring salute to Martin, who has confounded experts by winning four races in an era when car owners increasingly favor image over experience. With his professional driving style and aw-shucks personality, Martin has earned universal respect in the NASCAR garage and grandstands.

And for 240 flawless laps Saturday at BMS, Martin was the class of the field. While Sprint Cup title contenders such as Tony Stewart, Kasey Kahne and Jeff Gordon found misfortune and mechanical gremlins, Martin displayed the wisdom befitting a man who has competed at the top level of his game since 1981.

“I had a good time,” Martin said. “I felt that that was a great battle right there at the end with Kyle. He didn’t even attempt to pinch me, crowd me or anything else. He gave me more than enough racing room to pull it off, and I just couldn’t get it done.
“We were just pretty equal. I got a good handful of wheel and managed to get beside him and get the fans on their feet.”

As for the boos, insults and projectiles that rained down on Busch, Martin said the passionate fan reaction comes with the territory when a driver wins.

“[Busch] has won a lot of races,” Martin said. “I’ll tell you, anybody that wins a whole lot gets booed. Jeff Gordon never did anything, in my opinion, to get booed. And he got booed a lot because he won a lot. That’s part of the sport. 
“The other part is that [Busch] kind of antagonized his detractors, which doesn’t help any either.”

Martin, who was visibly touched by the video montage of his formative racing days, is one of the most humble and driven athletes in professional sports. After the race, Martin thanked fans for their devotion.

“I don’t know why they were so kind to me tonight,” Martin said. “Maybe they realize that the reason that I’ve been around for a thousand races is because I love it as much as they do.”

The moody, and even sullen, personality of Busch has frustrated even some of his most ardent supporters. Joe Gibbs, owner of the M&M’S Toyota driven by Busch, offered some insight into the makeup of his enigmatic star during the postrace press conference.

“I think Kyle is extremely competitive,” said Gibbs, who dealt with many fiery athletes during his ultra-successful run as a head coach in the National Football League. “You deal with athletes who react different ways.
“I think with Kyle, it’s that first emotion, right when he gets out of the car. I think that’s something that as he goes forward, maybe something he reacts differently to. But I think it’s that emotion and competitiveness that lots of times great athletes have.”

Busch has been criticized by several of his peers, including a well-publicized dispute with Brian Vickers during the past week. After spoiling the made-for-Hollywood finish Saturday night, Busch offered no apologies for his win-or-else mentality that dates back to his days battling in Legends cars and Late Models in his native Las Vegas.

“I think I won 35 plus races one year, the next year I won 10 out of 15 late-model races one year,” Busch said. “I’m a guy that loves to win. There’s nothing else to me but the feeling of winning.
“It’s frustrating finishing second or third sometimes. But when you look at the big picture, the big scheme of things, I’m cool after the plane ride home. It’s just the heat of the moment.”

And there was plenty of heat in the Northeast Tennessee mountains Saturday night.

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