Busch vs. Petty: Who Cares?...w/ Auto Club notes

Kyle Busch dominated and raced through adversity to pick up his 53rd career Monster Energy Cup Series victory Sunday at Auto Club Speedway. The landmark victory also puts Busch at 200 wins in all three of NASCAR’s top series, tied with Richard Petty for most wins all time.

And so, with this win comes the talking head debates on who’s better, Rowdy or the King? Personally, I have no vested interest in this debate. Petty was the greatest of his time; Busch is the best today, plain and simple.

The great thing (and worst thing) about debates is we will never come to a consensus on open-ended questions like “Who was the greatest?” It’s why Skip Bayless constantly harks on the LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan G.O.A.T. question. The same could be said for Tiger Woods vs. Jack Nicklaus, Muhammad Ali vs. Floyd Mayweather or Tom Brady vs. Joe Montana.

Back to NASCAR, though. Arguments could be made that a majority of Petty’s 200 wins came easily. Other arguments include the Xfinity Series emerging as Petty was in his twilight years and the Truck Series being born after the King retired in 1992. Kyle Busch also had to deal with more competition on and off the track, in the form of the ever-changing playoff systems in all three series and constantly adjusted rules for cars and drivers.

The “Who’s the greatest” question is dumb, and may never be answered in any sport, but if it generates buzz around a sport that needs it most, then I say let the pundits pontificate and let the ratings come in.

Personally, I would definitely place Busch in the top 10, if not top five (still having an internal debate on that, leaning toward “yes”). Sure, his attitude toward fans and media is atrocious, but there is no doubt his on-track performance is bar-none the best NASCAR has in this day and age.

The big question for everyone now is “Will Kyle get his second Cup Series championship this year?” My preseason prediction says yes.

Notes from Auto Club

• All three Team Penske drivers finished in the top 5. Get used to this.

• Austin Dillon makes Jon proud with his first top 10 of the year. Expect to see this like three more times this year.

• Kurt Busch is Chevrolet’s savior this year with his fourth consecutive top 10 finish. Waiting on that first win with Chip Ganassi now.

• Even finishing on the lead lap didn’t help Jimmie Johnson as he dragged his way to a 17th-place finish. The Johnson era is over.