Top 20 Countdown: No. 8 Kurt Busch
(Getty Images)
2009 statistics
Finish | Poles | Wins | Top 5 | Top 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
4 | 0 | 2 | 10 | 21 |
The countdown
No. 20: Martin Truex Jr. | Career stats
No. 19: Brian Vickers | Career stats
No. 18: Kasey Kahne | Career stats
No. 17: Clint Bowyer | Career stats
No. 16: David Reutimann | Career stats
No. 15: Kevin Harvick | Career stats
No. 14: Ryan Newman | Career stats
No. 13: Greg Biffle | Career stats
No. 12: Dale Earnhardt Jr. | Career stats
No. 11: Jeff Burton | Career stats
No. 10: Matt Kenseth | Career stats
No. 9: Juan Montoya | Career stats
No. 8: Kurt Busch | Career stats
No. 7: Revealed Jan. 28
Editor's note: Yahoo! Sports is counting down the top 20 drivers of the 2010 season. The order was determined by a survey, which asked five NASCAR journalists – Jay Busbee and Jay Hart (Yahoo! Sports); Jenna Fryer (Associated Press); Dustin Long (Landmark Newspapers); and Nate Ryan (USA Today) – to predict the final standings for the 2010 season. The countdown will conclude on Feb. 5 with the unveiling of the No. 1 driver.
2009 finish: 4th
Our 2010 predictions:
• Jay Busbee: 3rd
• Jay Hart: 7th
• Jenna Fryer: 9th
• Dustin Long: 9th
• Nate Ryan: 11th
2010 outlook: Considering that in 2009 he beat everyone but Rick Hendrick's Yankee-like arsenal and that he did it all by himself – that is pretty much without the benefit of a teammate to rely on – Kurt Busch might as well be called the One Man Gang.
So imagine, then, what Busch could accomplish if he actually got some help.
Well, in 2010 he should get some. Sam Hornish Jr., entering his third season in Cup, is on the hot seat. Team owner Roger Penske has already gone on record as saying this is the season he expects Hornish to realize his potential. Tack Penske's expectations for Hornish onto the skill set of Brad Keselowski, the newest member of team Penske, and Busch should be able to capitalize on the team concept that has certainly aided Jimmie Johnson in his four-peat effort.
Of course, this assumes that Hornish actually progresses and that Keselowski is as good as advertised and not just the benefactor of good equipment.
Success for Busch in 2010 also hinges on how well he meshes with new crew chief Steve Addington. Yes, you read that correctly, Steve Addington, Kyle Busch's recently terminated crew chief, is big brother Kurt's new crew chief.
Kurt Busch reportedly didn't consult his younger brother before going after Addington. The 12 races Kyle won with Addington in the last two seasons was all the proof Kurt needed.
The challenge, Busch explained, is meshing what was working for him in the late stages of 2009 when he finished the season 1st-6th-4th with Addington's ideas.
"There's no real timeline on when we have to have everything clicking on all eight cylinders," Kurt Busch explained, "but we just can't beat ourselves while we're going through that process."
What you need to know: Only two drivers led laps in more races in 2009 than Kurt Busch's 22. Jimmie Johnson led in 29 races, Mark Martin in 23.
