Roush tells Busch to shut up; thank sponsors, crew

T

The_Mad_Hatter

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I've heard a few Roush drivers voice their displeasure about their cars. Kenseth blew an engine late last year and said it was because they were using the wrong gear - but the way he talked made it sound like it wasn't his or Robbie Reiser's decision. Busch has been upset about blown engines a time or two also. Just makes ya wonder who's calling the shots - the crew chiefs or Jack.

http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/sports/5491944.htm

Roush gives Kurt response
Owner tells Busch to stop making divisive comments
By BILL FLEISCHMAN

Fewer and fewer Winston Cup drivers speak out on issues. Kurt Busch isn't one of these tiptoeing drivers.

Last year, after an on-track skirmish, Busch, 24, called Jimmy Spencer, 46, a "has-been."

Criticizing a racing rival is one thing. Criticizing your boss' product could be job-threatening.

Following one of several rare engine failures by Roush Racing drivers during the Atlanta race on March 9, Busch let everyone know he wasn't happy with the engines.

Predictably, Jack Roush wasn't pleased. Roush loves his engines the way Dick Vitale loves college hoops.

After everyone calmed down, Roush suggested this week that Busch was guilty of the impetuousness of youth.

"Kurt's 24 years old," Roush said. "As far as I know, he has a high school education and he's had success in a hurry. That combination of experience and education may be wearing a little thin."

Roush reminded Busch that he needs to "support his sponsor" and "recognize the good efforts" of his crew. If what Busch says creates "[divisiveness] and tension," they will be harmful to his team.

"I don't love engines more than any other part of my program," Roush said. "But if somebody says things that are divisive or unconstructive in expressing their frustration, then that becomes a problem that we've got to deal with."

Last year, in just his second full season in Winston Cup, Busch won four races, including three of the last five. This season, with the victory at Bristol last Sunday and three runner-up finishes, Busch is second in the points standings.

Roush knows he has a real racing talent in Busch. In Roush's 35 years in racing, he has employed 25 young drivers.

"Of the 25, Kurt has been the quickest to adapt to new situations - new cars, new race tracks," Roush said. "His adaptability and his passion and enthusiasm have given him the start that he's had, of being instantly competitive at restrictor plate tracks."
 
Interesting and certainly not needed at this point in Kurt's career.Once in the early-mid nineties Martin and Roush had a similar 'conflict',with each blaming the other for the car's mediocre performance.Martin's line was basically:'if you can build the car to win,I can win in it.'Fortunately,Jack apparently DID build the cars to win:and Martin won the next SIX Nascar races[2 BGN,4WC].

Those two came thru the little disagreement ok in the end.I just hope Jack and Kurt can do the same. :)
 
I don't like kurt . but will admit he can drive a racecar. his mouth has got him in trouble before ( the winston ) and I hope he doesn't screw himself with roush.
 
Jack has never handled criticism from within the ranks very well, J Benson is a good example, Chad Little an even better one. If he doesnt swing Kurt to the "yes man" ranks that he holds so dear (Martin/Burton) then Kurt may be relegated to the junk that Burton is having to deal with. He had better be careful!

Kel
 
Originally posted by DJFan@Mar 27 2003, 10:14 PM
Jack has never handled criticism from within the ranks very well, J Benson is a good example, Chad Little an even better one. If he doesnt swing Kurt to the "yes man" ranks that he holds so dear (Martin/Burton) then Kurt may be relegated to the junk that Burton is having to deal with. He had better be careful!

Kel
Click to expand...
That's the most insightful thing I've read all week.
 
Originally posted by DJFan@Mar 27 2003, 09:14 PM
Jack has never handled criticism from within the ranks very well, J Benson is a good example, Chad Little an even better one. If he doesnt swing Kurt to the "yes man" ranks that he holds so dear (Martin/Burton) then Kurt may be relegated to the junk that Burton is having to deal with. He had better be careful!

Kel
Click to expand...
If Jack doesn't give him the "junk" , he could just give him the boot. You can ask Chad and Johnny about that.
 
Jack has first hand experience at talking out of turn. Think back to his early years in the Winston Cup series and at almost any given opportunity, Roush had a comment, both pro and con, on NASCAR and the way things were done. His mouth resulted in a penalty that eventually cost Roush Racing and Mark Martin a championship.

Think Earnhard and RCR, and the butt-kissing there by comparison to the adjectives used by Roush, and the outcome is obvious. Things were overlooked at RCR while everything was scrutinized at Roush. All because of Jack Roushs' medical condition at the time, diarreah of the mouth.

As for Kurt Busch. Kurt is a young Jack Roush. Jack has correctly analyzed the situation with the comment referencing Kurt Busch and his high school education and instant success. BINGO !!!!!

Jack need not withstand criticism from the ranks of drivers. If it were not for Jack Roush and his innovation, his engineering knowledge, and the loyalty and total cooperation from all employees, Roush Racing would not be where they are today. If the engine failures are part of the design and if one or two break, the inspection and reasons for them breaking will be found, remedied and the next generation of engines a little better.

Kurt is wrong to criticise the engines or fail to thank the sponsors, his crew, team mates or anyone else. It is politically correct to do so, but more than that it shows he thinks enough of them to say "thank you" in front of the cameras. If not for them, his ride would not be successful.

As for Jeff Burton getting "junk", no way. These teams are not R&D on Sunday. They all have the same stuff and the bad luck comes and goes with every team. Right now it happens to be Jeff Burton getting the end of the stick pulled from the septic tank. As for Chad Little, if he had the talent to compete on a regular basis in Winston Cup he would still have a ride. He has all the attributes necessary, looks, speaking ability, intelligence, experience, etc.. The fact is, he is one-one-thousandth of a second off the scale for being a regular competitor in the Winston Cup Series. His being an announcer today has nothing to do with Roush Racing. It has to do with his talent.

If there is anything about Kurt Bush, he needs to learn "humility" as his rise to stardom is rapid and failing to understand the necessity of the guy sweeping the floor in the garage and the guy who owns team and saying "thank you" can create unstated friction. Not something any team wants. Kurt Bush is one the best on the track on Sunday but without the support staff, he is just another competitior. Jack Roush knows this and Jack Roush knows what speaking out of turn and failing to say can do to drop a first place team to the rear of the field.
 
At this point I can't agree that Johnny and Chad's situations are/were analogous to Kurt's. It would appear, at least on the surface, that the chemistry between Fennig and Busch is just fine and one would hardly be justified in hinting that the team is struggling.

Perhaps Jack is more concerned about where things are said than what is said. Not many folks out ther are attempting to attract and maintain sponsors for five full time Cup teams, not to mention efforts in the BGN and CTS series. Even for someone with Roush's reputation, that is no easy task in todays economy.

Jack offered a somewhat tone to his and Kurt's differences recently:

Busch also said last week that he was concerned about the engines going into the Samsung/RadioShack 500 on Sunday. Roush drivers have won three of six Winston Cup races at TMS.

"Kurt says things that are in his heart, things that he feels to be true," Roush said. "But Kurt needs to do the things to support his sponsor and to recognize the good efforts of the people supporting him. He needs to do things in a constructive way that inspires people and motivates them, which will wind up improving his effort."

The engine topic has created some tension within the team, but it's an issue that Roush feels has been portrayed unfairly. He and Busch discussed the comments and the engine program, and Busch conceded that his comments were inappropriate.
Click to expand...

Jack is also aware that currently his engine program is open to criticism, but is committed to pushing the envelope further to obtain the edge he seeks. This will at times create problems in reliability and if those problems began to be too seriously detrimental to any of his teams success he will have to rethink that commitment.
 
Yea I agree, Kurt is a little too ****y. He hasn't proven himself to be any better than any other driver on that track and a couple wins is common for any Nascar driver. I dont see no Championship trophy or big bucks either. Nothing to be bragging about Kurt. :p :dual9mm:
 
I am a huge Jack Roush fan,first and foremost.The debate on this topic is very interesting to me.

Jack let Gordon slip thru his fingers,Martin pushed for Kenseth,Benny pushed for Biffle,Jack wanted Ward Burton over brother Jeff.So.....


You are a mechanical engineering genius Jack,you will be my hero until the day I die......but this kid can give you what you deserve.Namely that elusive WC title.


So shut up and let Kurt drive.Dont alienate the best in the series.Put up with his attitude and temperment,if you have to bite your tongue.A true divisive point would be losing Kurt to Yates or Gibbs.Much moreso than his occasional '****iness'.


Just shut up and let him drive.
 
Looks like Jack gave Kurt one of the slow engines from Jeff Burton's car last weekend. That'll teach him.
 
It will boggle my mind until the day I die why people dislike outspoken drivers like Stewart and Busch yet the masses adore drivers like Michael Waltrip who go on TV and kiss ass all day long. Ask any old timers who Kurt Busch reminds them of...they'll tell you a certain #3 driver in his early days.

People applaud the old generation of drivers but hate it when today's crop lose a bit of the polish. Drivers in the 70s and early 80s were far from spit shined, and that ruggedness is going away.

I guess if you like sitting in front of your TV and listening to a driver rattle off his sponsors and "thank" NASCAR for everything they do for the drivers then so be it, I prefer the piss and vinegar of yesteryear. Whizzer hit it on the head, compare the ass kissing of DEI drivers to the outspoken nature of drivers like Busch and Stewart....

Bebi, you obviously haven't been watching the last 20 races if you think Busch hasn't proven anything.
 
Stewart's outspokeness is one of the reasons he is my favorite driver. I just want to throw something at the TV everytime a driver wrecks or has an engine failure and in the interview afterwards talks about how wonderful his car was and thanks all his sponssors and Nascar...Please. I want to see a real driver say how ticked he is that he had a piece a crap car. No, pull my strings how many sponsors can I rattle off in this interview no emotion pc crap.
 
A mule will kick in even the best stable once in a while. Kurt is not going anywhere if he exercises some decipline,and if he doesn't he will get booted by Nascar sooner or later. It's his career to save,Not Jacks. B)
 
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