As he stopped to chat with reporters, Busch shed the churlishness that he showed toward his crew members on the track and the media off it during his last of six seasons at Penske Racing, saying he was thrilled about a two-day test session at Nashville Speedway.
“Burned up a good 10 sets of tires,’’ Busch said, chuckling. “Finch is like, ‘Come on, tires, really?’ I learned with Finch that he does not like the Goodyear tire bills. It is going to be fun all year long asking Finch for an extra set of tires.’’
A year ago, Busch did not have to worry about such things. He didn’t have to concern himself with the cost-conscious route when it came to testing, especially behind the wheel of a well-sponsored No. 22 Penske machine. With a workforce of 100 employees dedicated to his team, Busch was assured of having a fleet of racecars ready to go.
Now, the 33-year-old former NASCAR Sprint Cup champion finds himself at the other end of the spectrum.
After falling out of the saddle not only at Penske Racing, but at Roush Fenway Racing, where his five-year stint was highlighted by a championship in 2004 but pockmarked by his unceremonious ouster with two races to go in 2005 after a reckless driving incident at Phoenix, Busch now finds himself at the crossroads of his career. This season, he will drive for Finch’s South Carolina-based team with 18 employees, limited sponsorship, and limited resources, but with engine and chassis support from Hendrick Motorsports.
“Don’t even have a contract,’’ Busch said. “It’s just all verbal. We trust each other. And this has taught me a lot about how deals used to be done in the past.’’
Said Finch, “He can’t quit and I can’t fire him.’’
The depth of Busch’s precipitous fall was evident in Friday’s Budweiser Shootout practice at Daytona when he crashed his primary car early in the session. Busch’s team was unable to get him back on the track because his backup car needed to have the driver’s seat from the primary car installed in it.
