Every time I think I could actually like the guy, (and believe it or not, there have been times) he does or says something that drives me up the wall. He’s just too…shall I say arrogant!? He acts like he can do no wrong whether it is in a Sprint cup race, a Craftsman truck race, or a Nationwide race. Why is it that every time he has a problem, he has to blame somebody else? It’s always someone else’s fault, never his. I don’t believe I have ever heard him take responsibility for any mistakes on his part, and he has made mistakes. He has caused wrecks that have taken himself and other drivers out of the race. But, if everything goes off without a hitch, he will definitely take the credit for it.

He is an outstanding driver. There is no question about that at all. But his attitude leaves much to be desired. He’s just too darn cocky. Or maybe it’s just that his mouth works faster than his brain. Don’t get me wrong, I like Nascar's bad boys. I am a huge Dale Earnhardt fan (and I don’t believe there is any similarity there at all). I think Tony Stewart is awesome. I always loved it when Kevin Harvick got a little hot under the collar (though he seems to have calmed down a little), and Robby Gordon is another of my favorite bad boys. They are all very passionate drivers. They take their racing seriously. They speak their minds even when it is in their best interest to keep their mouths shut. They love what they do and it shows. I like the fact that they all get out there and race hard, and sometimes wreck hard. And, I know there have been occasions when they have pointed the finger at someone else, denying all responsibility. But, with Busch it is always somebody else. He barrels through the field like he’s on a bulldozer and Heaven forbid if someone should get in his way. Then he goes head-to-head with the other drivers and he bad-mouths them to the press.

Please reporters, writers and everyone else affiliated with the media, quit saying that Busch is like Earnhardt. Busch is nothing like Earnhardt. Earnhardt raced hard to put food on the table. He raced hard because he loved to race. He had class. He appreciated the fans; all fans, not just his. Busch races hard to prove a point, to show he’s better than everyone else. Maybe even to show Rick Hendrick that he made a mistake by releasing him. Busch doesn’t care if the fans like him or not. He said he has a job to do and that is to get his sponsors name out there and to win races, and that is what he is doing. Earnhardt liked to win races too, so maybe that is the similarity that some people are seeing. Earnhardt was respected by the other drivers and by most fans. Even when they were mad at him, they respected him. Busch hasn’t earned that respect from his peers, much less the fans. To him, they are all lower on the totem pole than he is and he will knock any of them out of his way to get the win. I know Earnhardt was too aggressive in his early years, but he didn’t plow through the field like he was on a bulldozer. Earnhardt had a special grace to his driving. He was smooth and sleek; almost poetic in his style. There was an art to Earnhardt’s driving. Yes, he would give other drivers a love-tap, bump, push, chrome horn or whatever you want to call it when he went by them, but Busch doesn’t even know the meaning of love-tap. He just bowls them over, plain and simple. And don’t say he’s matured. He is still immature as a driver and as a person. He’s got a lot of growing up to do. And I have to admit, he’s going to be one tough cookie when he does grow up (that is IF he does grow up), because the combination of his talent and driving skill along with maturity and wisdom is going to make him a force to be reckoned with. But he still won’t be the Intimidator.

Back in Earnhardt's early years, when he may or may not have been too aggressive, depending on who you pulled for, Nascar was a different sport. Unlike today, during those years, "Rubbin was racin" and "trading paint" was a part of the sport. It was part of the excitement that we, as fans, watched for each week. That was long before the days of fines and penalties being dealt out for making contact with another car; long before being politically correct was a part of Nascar racing. But now, since it is a part of Nascar racing, let me ask you this...How many times have you seen Busch fined or penalized when he intentionally (or otherwise) wrecked another driver?

I don’t think the names Dale Earnhardt and Kyle Busch should even be written on the same page. Yes, I know that is extreme, but that is my opinion. To compare them is a slap in the face for Earnhardt. The only comparison I see is that Earhardt was an aggressive driver and Busch is an aggressive driver. But, that is where the comparison ends. Busch is no Intimidator. And yet, there are people in the media that just have to keep comparing them. I have to agree with Dale Earnhardt Jr. when he said that those reporters didn’t really know his dad. Jeff Gordon said “To me, there’s a big difference between the two. And I think that Kyle is an extremely talented driver, and we all recognize and know that, but I still think that sometimes his aggressiveness and his youthfulness does get the best of him.” Well said Jeff!

I have always cheered for my favorite driver, not against my least favorite. Lately, I catch myself cheering whenever Busch wrecks or has car trouble and is out of the race. I don’t like to be that way. In all my years as a Nascar fan, I don't remember ever feeling that way about any other driver. And it’s not because my driver would then have the chance to win, it’s that I think Busch needs to be put in his place every now and then. He needs to realize that he is not invincible, unstoppable or such a great driver that he can never lose. I think he needs a reality check once in a while to bring him back down to earth and get his head out of his….uhh, I mean…out of the clouds.

I know that the Busch fans aren’t going to like this article, but that’s ok. They are entitled to their opinions just as I am entitled to mine. But I would venture to say most of them are too young to have ever even seen the Intimidator race. I feel bad for them. They missed knowing a man that was an extraordinary racecar driver, a man who could do almost anything in a racecar, an icon in this sport and above all a legend. He was great both on and off the track. Busch still has a long way to go before he can even stand in the man’s shadow, much less think he’s equal to Earnhardt.