Whenever he wins or enters the stage for driver introductions, Kurt Busch is roundly booed.  At first glance, you'd think...what's not to like about him?  He's the 2004 Sprint Cup Series Champion, he's been successful on many other levels, he drives the once venerable #2 Miller Brewing Company car for Roger Penske, and he does a good interview on camera.  Then there's the other side to Kurt Busch, which was on display tonight. 

Earlier this evening during practice for the Budweiser Shootout, Kurt Busch got into it with Tony Stewart, another love em or hate em driver.  It started many laps before the eventual wreck when Kurt Busch was blocking Stewart from taking the lead.  Mind you, this was just practice.  It was pretty clear from all camera angles available that Stewart had a much faster car and the draft behind him for a slingshot move.  Yet, off of turns two and four, Busch would shoot up and block Stewart.  The final time, Stewart forced the issue and Busch ended up in the wall. 

Thankfully, during that wreck, second of the night, only Busch's car was damaged but not so that it couldn't be fixed before morning.  That was until he showed just how strong these new COT cars are built and raced after Stewart under caution and ramed him quite a few times.  This, of course, is a huge no no and something that a younger Tony Stewart wouldn't have stood for. 

Last year at the Daytona 500, both Stewart and Kurt Busch had, without question, the two fastest cars on the race track and either could have won.  That was until they wrecked into each other and left it in anyone's hands.  I'm kinda glad they did because it resulted in one of the best Daytona 500 victories in history. 

Kurt Busch doesn't just hate Tony Stewart.  Last year at the All Star Race in Charlotte, he wrecked into his little brother Kyle and put an end to both of their chances at a million dollar purse. 

I really don't take a dim view of any driver.  Living here in Charlotte and being a local REALTOR, any one of these drivers could be a client in the future.  So while I have a favorite driver (Michael Waltrip) and my wife has hers (Kevin Harvick...even though I tease her about thinking Jamie McMurray is hot), there's not anyone I'd root against.  Whenever I saw guys scraping their #2 decals off of their car, I thought it harsh since Kurt was a champion like Rusty Wallace (former driver of the #2) and he is very good.  After all, its not like they hired in some knucklehead off the street to Rusty's shoes like myself.  But when you figure in the wrecks, the after wreck altercations, being suspended from Roush Racing during the 2005 Chase for a alleged drunk-driving charge, its easy to see why Kurt Busch is regarded has the #3 most hated athlete behind Terrell Owens and Barry Bonds.

Sincerely;
Jonathan Osman
The Charlotte House Hunter
Charlotte NC Homes, Charlotte Real Estate