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Busch's Driving Style Has Served Him Well

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By TONY FABRIZIO

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 27, 2008

Updated: 07/27/2008 12:14 am

INDIANAPOLIS - Car, team, overall driving talent - all are reasons that Kyle Busch has won seven of the first 19 Sprint Cup races, including three of the past four.

But there is another reason Busch is suddenly winning so often: His driving style might be better-suited for NASCAR's next-generation race car than anyone else's.

"He has the ability, and I saw this when I raced against him, to drive a car yawed out a little bit more than what other drivers do," said driver-turned-commentator Dale Jarrett. "He's able to drive that car with a freer motion than what the other drivers do, and I think that's a key to why he's winning with this type of car that everyone else fights."

Yaw is the angle at which the body of the car is pointed as it travels straight. To help the new car turn, some teams angle the car inward by displacing the rear wheels relative to the front.

NASCAR passed a rule limiting the amount of yaw in May, but some crew chiefs are using as much yaw as the rule allows.

"The M.O. of this car has been loose in to the corner, tight in the center and loose off," Jarrett said. "And Busch has been able to drive it in the corner a little bit looser, and that's just a feel that he has right now that no one else does."

The mere fact that Busch has been the best on the circuit makes him one of the favorites in today's Allstate 400 at the Brickyard. NASCAR's annual race at Indianapolis Motor Speedway has been won by the best, or one of the best, drivers in a given season far more often than not.

But Busch, for all his might in 2008, hasn't been as strong on "flat" tracks such as Indianapolis as he has elsewhere. He'll start only 19th today, a handicap because track position is critical at Indy.

But the way Busch has run this year overall, discounting his chances too much wouldn't be prudent.

Busch's crew chief, Steve Addington, said he doesn't know whether Busch can drive a car more "yawed out" than others, but he confirmed he's able to drive the car freer - or more on the edge of spinning out.

"I think where Kyle excels is, if the car is slipping and sliding, he adjusts to it," Addington said. "He does drive a freer car at certain times, but at certain places, we've got to back it down a bit."

Last month, Busch was dominating a Nationwide Series race at Kentucky when he pushed his loose car too hard, spun out and hit the wall.

More often than not, though, the 23-year-old wunderkind has kept his cars under control while going very fast. He has won 15 races in NASCAR's three national divisions this year, with six coming in the Nationwide series and two in the Craftsman Truck series.

Busch says that if his style is different from anyone else's, it is in the way he brakes. Or rather, doesn't brake.

"Maybe I roll out of the throttle a little bit sooner getting into the corner," he said. "I start the slowing down process a little bit sooner. Brakes with these things tend to heat up the front tires too much, so the cars don't like that."

Busch said that while starting out on the bull rings around Las Vegas he found that feathering the throttle was more effective than hammering the brakes and throwing the car into a corner. The latter style has won Jeff Gordon many races and four Cup championships.

"Anytime that I would get out of the gas early and not use any brake whatsoever, I always turned faster lap times," Busch said. "There was times when my dad was my spotter and I was maybe a quarter or half straightaway ahead. He'd tell me to slow down a little bit and I'd pick up time not using any brakes."

Jimmie Johnson, who had Busch as a teammate from 2005-07, says he was shocked when he learned just how little brake Busch actually was using.

He says that at a test one time, he walked over and examined the brake trace data from Busch's telemetry. Not seeing any indication of braking, he thought the brake channel was broken until he flipped to the end and saw the braking data for when Busch pulled into the pits.

"When he says he uses no brake, he really uses no brake," Johnson said. "I think he's taking advantage of the grip of the tire and how it positions the car in corner entry without using the brake. He's not overworking the tire, so the tire lasts longer and has more grip. I've been trying to adjust to that, but it's tough."

Busch says the misconception is he is carrying more speed into the corner.

"This thing is all about being slower," Busch said. "Slower is faster. You drive this thing any harder and it just pushes worse and does all of the things that race cars shouldn't do, or even worse."

Whatever it is, it's working for Kyle Busch.

Reporter Tony Fabrizio can be reached at (813) 259-7994 or afabrizio@tampatrib.com.

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