Why did Kyle Busch rip the COT ?

[RaceFanStan]

After winning @ Bristol, Kyle Busch got out of his #5 COT and said :
"I can't stand to drive them. They suck."
http://www.nascar.com/2007/news/opinion/03/26/tmccarthy.competition.bristol.kybusch/index.html

Several other drivers did also complained about not liking the COT.

My opinion is simple :
1. the COT makes it more driver control than car aero ...
2. the driver has to work harder to get a good finish ...
3. this is bad only because some drivers are lazy ! http://www.motorsportforum.com/forums/images/icons/tongue-anim.gif

I will quote Bruton Smith from Texas a few years ago ...
"The drivers need to SHUT-UP & DRIVE !"

[dont_be_jack]

Kyle is an immature driver who can't articulate his issues with the CoT into clear points so he just has to be blunt about it and not give any explanation at all.

And all of your points are correct, too. It's something new that the drivers are just going to need to get used to. Shut up and do what you're paid to do - drive.

[call_me_andrew]

If drivers don't like the car, then all the driving they'll do is in a single-file line.

[SmokeFan20]

Kyle Busch is an arrogant little snot just like his brother used to be.
Only Kyle hasn't had the luck of getting his nose broken or sitting out two races to help straighten him up like his Brother.

Kyle should have been grateful last week.
He lucked out in to the win because all the best cars (#20, #19, #11 & #9) ran into bad luck and he had one of the cleanest drivers on the circuit racing him for the win with only a two laps/one mile left in the race.

[Sparky1329]

Kyle is an immature child. Also what SmokeFan20 said. :D

[harvick#1]

Kyle is a cry-baby, he wants the car to drive for him. al he normally does is complain

[R. Mears]

#3 for me.
Don't you guys mean winer like many refer to #24 as? :D

[tstran17_88]

Just about every driver they stuck a microphone in front of was ripping on the COT, except, say Jeff Burton. I'm not going to hold it against Kyle.

[jeffmr2]

I have to agree that Kyles remarks were probably a little overly critiical but i blame Fox coverage for shoving a mike in the drivers face as soon as he gets out of the car before they have time to regain theyre composure.
However i also think its one of the great things with nascar having these talented young drivers who are prepared to speak theyre mind rather than give the normal bull toeing the line corporate interview or spend all theyre time "thanking theyre fans" like one of the old timers out there always seems to have to do.
He's certainly earning respect of some of the senior drivers as shown by the way Burton and Gordon drove so cleanly against him and even Tony Steward praised him at daytona (after he dangerously and recklessly shunted him out of the way when at the front of the pack).

[NASCARWidow]

I don't think that Kyle was the only driver that didn't like the car last week. Drivers don't like change and he was expressing his opinion. If he had said the same thing after not winning, people would have said he was being a poor loser. He was able to bring the car home in first place but he just didn't like the feel of the car, nothing wrong with that. It's obvious he adjusted to the new car but just wasn't comfortable.

[dont_be_jack]

Richard Petty said it best on MRN radio this morning...it doesn't matter what NASCAR throws at the teams, as long as the money and the engineering is there the cars will eventually be great. He knows that you need to give it time and that the drivers just need to do the same.

[Sparky1329]

I don't think that Kyle was the only driver that didn't like the car last week. Drivers don't like change and he was expressing his opinion. If he had said the same thing after not winning, people would have said he was being a poor loser. He was able to bring the car home in first place but he just didn't like the feel of the car, nothing wrong with that. It's obvious he adjusted to the new car but just wasn't comfortable.


What I like about Kyle's honest opinion was just that. He said what he thinks. Most of the drivers will toe the NASCAR PC line while not being honest. I'll take honesty over PC any day.

[muggle not]

my understanding is that there are some serious problems with the COT. Telling the drivers to just shut up and drive is stupid. Nascar in a few instances simply refused to listen to serious problems that the drivers encountered and did not want to hear that anything was wrong. Yes, eventually things will work out but as I understand it there may be a few safety related issues that need fixing.

[Sparky1329]

my understanding is that there are some serious problems with the COT. Telling the drivers to just shut up and drive is stupid. Nascar in a few instances simply refused to listen to serious problems that the drivers encountered and did not want to hear that anything was wrong. Yes, eventually things will work out but as I understand it there may be a few safety related issues that need fixing.


The burning "non-flammable foam" is just one of those problems.

[MD24]

Was the insulation the problem with Harvick's car?

[Mark in Oshawa]

The COT is a bit of a pig to drive, but as the King has stated, basically they will get it right. I wish more drivers would be as forthright with their thoughts as Kyle was, but Kyle saying the car was garbage holds little water with me. The little turd was on his bicycle delivering papers 10 years ago, so I would rather a more experienced guy like T-Stew or Burton giving me his thoughts on the car, or Sterling Marlin and Mark Martin, who have seen a lot in their 20 plus years. Kyle and Kurt are frank alright, but that doesn't make them right too often.

[call_me_andrew]

The burning "non-flammable foam" is just one of those problems.

NASCAR will soon release this statement: "How were we suppose to know that 'inflamable' and 'non-flamable' are different?"

[dont_be_jack]

What I like about Kyle's honest opinion was just that. He said what he thinks. Most of the drivers will toe the NASCAR PC line while not being honest. I'll take honesty over PC any day.

I'll take an honest, thought out, good explanation over a simple "They suck" anyday. That's the response I expect from a 5-year old and I suspect that Kyle might be around the same stage in life mentally.

[Sparky1329]

Was the insulation the problem with Harvick's car?


It was one of the problems. The fuel pump system failed too.

[Mark in Oshawa]

Sparky, the fuel system isn't a COT thing, that is a team thing. The engines and fuel cells didn't change....

[dont_be_jack]

Yea, fuel pump is an issue because Chevy - as far as I know - is using a new fuel pump system that's been giving everyone all sorts of problems with the cables and what not.

[jslone]

I do like the fact that Kyle spoke the truth but ti will take time to get used to the cars,and remember that Toyota is starting from new,so imagine what its like for those guys.He is getting the most attention cus he won the race,but remember that other drivers did not like the car as well.

[Sparky1329]

Sparky, the fuel system isn't a COT thing, that is a team thing. The engines and fuel cells didn't change....

Yeah I know. Something to do with the new Chevy engine according to the booth guys. Apparently it didn't work too well for Stewart or Harvick.

[Sparky1329]

I'll take an honest, thought out, good explanation over a simple "They suck" anyday. That's the response I expect from a 5-year old and I suspect that Kyle might be around the same stage in life mentally.


I already covered his immature response in a previous post. I also agreed with SmokeFan20 on the "arrogant little snot" part.

[wedge]

Kyle Busch has a right to speak his mind. Though I would rather listen and pay attention to constructive criticism from the likes of Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth and Jeff Gordon.

[Bob Riebe]

My, my, my all the whining because a gent, who actually drives race cars, and wins, says something, apparently, about the poster's favorite fetish item, they do not like to hear, so they use the language of immature children, to say a professional is an immature child.

I guess if they are not intelligent enough to use intelligent rhetoric, then it is necessary for them, to drop to the level they are capable of.

[Sparky1329]

In Kyle's case that would probably be kindergarten. :D