by JEFF OWENS, Special to FOXSports.com

Updated: May 9, 2008, 12:11 PM EST 640 comments

add this RSS blog email Print

They watched him whip his Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota around the track at breakneck speeds, swerving in and out of traffic, slightly out of shape here, just over the ragged edge there. They watched him dive into places where bulky stock cars aren't supposed to fit. They watched him lean on drivers left and right, rubbing tire marks into their doors.

Jeff Owens (NASCAR Scene)

And, occasionally, they watched him use his bumper as a battering ram, moving unsuspecting drivers out of his way.

He's the next Jeff Gordon, they said.

No, wait, he's so aggressive, reckless and daring, he has to be the next Dale Earnhardt.

Fans of the late, great Earnhardt cringed, of course. They were incredulous over such remarks. There will never be another Intimidator, they groaned. How dare anyone compare the fresh-faced, smart-aleck, whiny Busch to the Man in Black?

For more news from the track and the shop, check out our NASCAR Scene headlines page. Get NASCAR Scene headlines

Then came Saturday night at Richmond.

Busch was already earning status as a go-for-broke, win-at-all-cost racer. When he spun Dale Earnhardt Jr. during a battle for the lead, committing a cardinal sin against NASCAR's largest fan base, that reputation was carved into stone.

Though Busch clearly became NASCAR's newest villain, the driver Earnhardt Jr. fans will hatefully boo from now to eternity, he merely did what most of NASCAR's greatest drivers have done.

Accident or not, Busch was going for the win, and if he had to nudge someone out of the way, or wreck the leader, so be it. It's what Earnhardt would have done.

Earnhardt Sr.

With one swift turn into Junior's door, Busch showed that, when on the track, he is more like Earnhardt than Earnhardt's own son.

Earnhardt Sr. made a living spinning drivers out of his way or flat-out wrecking them during battles for the win. He wrecked some of his closest friends — Terry Labonte, Rusty Wallace, Gordon — on his way to 76 career victories and seven Cup championships.

Would he have wrecked his own son had it been him, and not Busch, battling for the lead at Richmond? You better believe it. That's what made him Dale Earnhardt.

What separated drivers such as Earnhardt, Wallace and Darrell Waltrip from other drivers of their era was their aggressiveness and their hell-bent determination to win, no matter what.

Gordon has the same fire, having used his bumper at times to dethrone NASCAR's best.

Tony Stewart has it.

So does Kurt Busch.

What do all those drivers have in common? They are all Cup champions. At just 23, Kyle Busch has shown that he has that same fire, aggressiveness and tenacity that it takes to win numerous races and multiple championships. Rest assured, he will be a champion some day, possibly as soon as this year.

So far, Earnhardt Jr. has not shown the same gumption, rarely ever using his bumper to win races or gain positions on the track. He is more Mark Martin or Jeff Burton than Earnhardt, Wallace or Gordon.

He will win races, but in a classy, respectful manner. He will, at times, settle for second rather than wreck someone for a win.

There's nothing wrong with that, except that it means leaving victories — possibly championships — on the table.

Busch will win any way he can, bumping and rubbing his way to the top. He will take no prisoners, he will make few friends and he will earn few fans. With Saturday's controversial wreck, he is well on his way to becoming NASCAR's most hated driver.

But that hatred will only fuel his fire, leading to more victories and helping make him a bona-fide star. And it couldn't come at a better time.

Why?

Because NASCAR desperately needs a bad guy. Someone to spice things up, someone to counter the good-guy vanilla personalities that permeate the sport. Someone not afraid to be unpopular and take a hit. Someone who will wreck the sport's biggest stars and not care. Someone who will get booed unmercifully and shrug.

Someone fans love to hate.

For years, Earnhardt was that man.

Now, after a long wait, Busch has emerged as the newest star capable of filling the role of villain.

He did at Richmond what countless champions have done before. But instead of being praised for his courage and will to win, he is being vilified as a dirty driver and a scoundrel.

But that's what the sport needs.

Busch will accept it and take it in stride. He's perfectly willing to play the role of bad guy, as long as he gets the results in the end. Like Earnhardt and others, winning is all that matters to him.

As another great driver once said, as long as he gets some kind of reaction, as long as the fans are making noise ...

Wasn't it Earnhardt who said that?

---

Jeff Owens is a writer for NASCAR Scene, which is published weekly, 50 weeks per year. Visit www.scenedaily.com for more information. © 2007 Street & Smith Sports Group