Kyle Busch - Please go into role model mode

Photo of Kyle Busch, the Kid from Vegas

Kyle Busch got caught driving a sports car (or toy as he calls it) at 128mph in a 45mph zone. Now he is more talked about than Kimi Raikkonen –that is saying something, isn’t it?

How many come to Busch’s defense on this infraction of the law. Some examples:

He has skill
He didn’t come in firing at people with guns
He was in a powerful sports car
He’s a racer, that’s what he is paid to do—go fast.
The cops overreacted
None of us are perfect.
Everyone has done something like this

True, he does have skill, no he didn’t fire a gun, yes it was a powerful sports car -- Lexus LFA to be exact (bet Lexus has no complaints), yep, he is a paid racer, correct-- none of us are perfect and yes, just about everyone has done something like that—even in my family I had a kid that was riding in a BMW (not a sports car even) going 143 on the 58. I can agree with the defenses.

BUT…I don’t agree the cop overreacted.

The cop may have prevented a death…maybe even that of Busch.

As skilled as Busch is he drives professionally in a controlled environment, not one where there is cross traffic up ahead, horses could be passing by, dogs running and kids chasing balls. And doesn’t he have a spotter when he normally drives over 120mph? Did he have someone spotting for him at this “event”?

Anything could have happened, doesn’t matter who was holding the wheel. 128mph was too fast for that situation, not to mention, he had to know going almost triple the speed limit was against the law.

Lot of us likes Busch, we want to forgive him, find excuses for him. But it isn’t only adults that follow the brightly colored No. 18 M&Ms Car in the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series, the kids do, too. Right about now some of the parents of his younger fans could be very upset with his behavior—not much of a role model.

Busch was quoted as saying, “I went beyond the speed I should have been going on a public road. I apologize to the public, my fans, sponsors, and race teams for my lack of judgment.”

That’s good. But the Charlotte Observer has reported this isn’t the first time he has been busted in this area. He was also ticketed for going 55 mph in a 35 mph in 2008.

Here is the deal, professionally racing in NASCAR is Busch’s job. He is no longer that little kid that races Legends at Vegas. He is a big boy now on the verge of breaking some major NASCAR records. Time for Busch to realize just how big a hero and role model he is.