Kyle Busch, 27, gains perspective, doesn’t let temper drive behavior

The fire still burns, the refusal to accept anything but victory.

Now, though, perspective is a big part of the mix, and it’s why Kyle Busch didn’t create off-the-track news last season even when just about everything that could go wrong occurred on it.

He failed to make the Chase, unusual for Busch, who has competed in NASCAR’s postseason five times. And falling short wasn’t all his fault.

The engine on his No. 18 Toyota blew three times. Then there was Richmond, Va., where crew chief Dave Rogers’ decision cost Busch a spot in the playoffs that seemed all but assured.

Busch, 27, could have screamed about the engine manufacturer or about Rogers, and maybe he would have three or four years ago, but if there were any blowups behind the scenes, that’s where they were kept.

“You want to win, you’re here to win, and anything that keeps you from winning, you’re mad and you’re pissed off,” Busch said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s at anybody. It may not be at anybody. You’re just mad at the situation that you’ve been given. You’ve got to take it sometimes and suck it up and make it better and try to diagnose the problems.”

In perspective, last season could be just an anomaly, a series of mishaps that could occur to any race team.

“I think as a race team this year, the biggest thing is we’ve just got to execute,” Rogers said. “I think everyone at Joe Gibbs Racing does a good job of building fast racecars. I think Kyle’s one of the greatest drivers to ever sit in a car. You’ve just got to come to the track and do it.”

Busch also has reason to be optimistic. He challenged late in the Daytona 500, moving to third before engine trouble took Busch — who won one of the Daytona Duel races — out of contention.

“What makes it worse is we had a shot to win,” the native Las Vegan said. “That race only comes around once a year. When you’re that close or when you have a car that’s that good, you hope to make it to the end.”

He had a strong car this past weekend, qualifying fourth in the Subway Fresh Fit 500 at Avondale, Ariz. Busch, who took the checkered flag in Saturday’s Nationwide Series race, didn’t finish as strong, coming in 23rd.

Busch experienced his share of setbacks last season, but he went into Richmond appearing as if he would make the Chase. He entered the September race 12 points ahead of Jeff Gordon for the final spot in the 12-driver Chase field.

All seemed to be going well until a rain caution on lap 277. Thinking the race could be washed out, Rogers kept Busch on the track rather than have him pit with other drivers.

When the race restarted on Lap 283, Busch was fourth but on worn tires and quickly slipped a lap down.

“I probably made a mistake,” Rogers said. “I said that after the race, and I’ll stand behind that. I got caught up in trying to race the field, trying to make the car the best possible car and trying to get the best possible finish.

“But if you look back, there was only one car we were racing. It’s the 24 (Gordon). All we had to do was pit with him.

“It bit us, and I learned from it and moved on.”

Busch tried to come back, but a tire changer missed a lug nut during a green-flag pit stop. Still, the driver found his way to 16th at the end, indicating the strength of the car while underscoring the day’s frustrations.

“Last year was a solid year for him, but he won’t be given credit for it because he didn’t make the Chase,” said Busch’s brother and fellow competitor, Kurt. “It was just one blundered pit call at Richmond that took him out of the Chase.”

Even if Busch couldn’t take part in NASCAR’s second season, that didn’t mean he couldn’t have one of his own.

He generally has struggled in the Chase, but last year put together the best showing in his eight-year Sprint Cup career. Busch finished in the top five in six of his final seven races.

“It would’ve been really easy to take the rest of the season off,” Rogers said. “It would’ve been really easy to get upset with each other and bicker and argue and not perform. Kyle and I talked after Richmond and before Chicago, and we said, ‘OK, let’s see what we’re made of.’ ”

But Busch is a bottom-line guy, and though pleased with how the season ended, he wants to do better.

“You’re either a winner, or you weren’t even there that weekend,” Busch said. “That’s sort of the way it seems. You’ve got to win races to make the Chase. You’ve got to win races to win the championship. So, ultimately, you have to be a winner to be a champion in this business.”

Contact reporter Mark Anderson at manderson@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2914. Follow him on Twitter: @markanderson65.