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« on: January 25, 2012, 05:08:20 PM »
CONCORD, N.C. – Roush Fenway Racing is celebrating its 25th anniversary this season and honoring the drivers who have won races and championships for the organization.
But there’s one former Roush star who likely won’t get much credit during the season-long celebration.
Kurt Busch.
Busch began his NASCAR career with Roush Fenway Racing and won the 2004 Sprint Cup championship for the team, but team owner Jack Roush still doesn’t have much to say about Busch six years after he suspended and fired him just before he was scheduled to leave the team for Penske Racing after the 2005 season.
Busch spent six years racing for Penske before that team released him after last season following a series of controversial incidents and emotional outbursts – problems similar to the ones that he had at Roush.
Asked Tuesday if Busch would have trouble finding another ride with a top team next season, Roush had little to say, but made it clear he still has no use for the temperamental driver.
“I’m really not going to give you much of a comment on Kurt,” Roush said, “but I know one team he will never drive for again … in spite of the fact that he won a championship for that team… if that narrows it down.”
There is at least one team owner, however, who still supports Busch and even helped him land a new ride this season with car owner James Finch and Phoenix Racing.
Long-time team owner Felix Sabates, who is now a co-owner of Earnhardt Ganassi Racing, says he helped orchestrate Busch’s move to Phoenix Racing after he was released by Penske.
“We didn’t have an opening, and he was having a hard time finding a place,” Sabates said Tuesday. “And at 11 o’clock one night, I called two people and I said, ‘I want you to hire Kurt Busch,’ and the other I said, ‘I want you to build the engines.’
“Then I called Kurt and I said you need to call these guys and be real sweet and nice to them. And he was hired and he has phoned a million times because I’m the one who pushed for him to go into the 51 car. I pushed Finch and I pushed Rick Hendrick to supply the engines for them.”
Busch will drive the full Sprint Cup schedule for Phoenix Racing, which will get its engines from Hendrick Motorsports. The small, single-car team has one Sprint Cup victory – in 2009 with Brad Keselowski – and finished 30th in owner points last season with a mix of drivers.
Sabates said he and Busch have been friends for years and he’s glad to help the controversial driver turn around his career.
“I’ve been friendly with him. I’m probably one of the few guys who, whenever he was around, I’ve always been very friendly with him,” Sabates said. “And any time I have asked him to do anything over the years, no matter what it was, [he always did it].
“I’ve asked him to do charity events. Last year I asked him to go to dinner with some of my friends because my guys wouldn’t do it. He’s always been great.”
Sabates said he believes Busch has learned his lesson after his latest controversial incident, in which he cursed at ESPN pit reporter Dr. Jerry Punch following the season finale at Homestead last year and made an obscene gesture to people in the garage.
“I think he learned his lesson,” Sabates said. “I told him I was going to help him. There were a lot of moving parts there, but I put the moving parts together for him, and I’m glad I did.
“Everybody deserves a second chance. What he did was wrong, and I don’t think he has ever made an excuse for what he did. It was stupid, but everybody deserves a second chance.”
Busch is grateful for Sabates’ support.
“Felix Sabates stuck his neck out for me and helped,” Busch said. “That’s just a small indication of all the people I talked to this offseason. This sport is so tightly connected in all directions that a guy like Felix Sabates can help me get another chance.”
And what about Roush saying that he wouldn’t give Busch another chance?
“Neither would I,” Busch said, indicating he wouldn’t want to return to Roush Fenway.
Sabates believes Busch will surprise people by being a contender at Phoenix Racing.
“I think he’s going to be great,” he said. “I think if the 51 beats some of the Penske cars, Roger [Penske] might be jumping from the top of the building.
“Finch has Hendrick cars and Hendrick engines and he’s got a bunch of new people over there with experience. [Busch is] going to be a pain in the rear for a lot of us. He’s got something to prove, not only to everybody else but he’s got to prove to himself that he’s still got it.
“I think you are going to see a big change in that kid. But if he starts beating all of us, I’m going to kick myself in the butt.
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