Bad boy Kurt Busch might be good for NASCAR

Kurt Busch is sitting out this week after verbally abusing a reporter last week at Dover. NASCAR has suspended the former Sprint Cup Series champion.

I'll offer this disclaimer right off the top: There's no way to prove what I'm about to suggest because folks in Daytona Beach and Charlotte aren't going to admit it. And absent that, everything that follows is pure speculation.

But here goes: NASCAR is thrilled when Kurt Busch occasionally misbehaves and makes a fool of himself like last weekend at Dover. (He's been suspended from this weekend's race at Pocono and replaced by David Reutimann. Whether Busch keeps his ride with owner James Finch likely will be decided when the men meet next week.) In the meantime, NASCAR execs Brian France, Mike Helton, Robin Pemberton and their marketing/PR colleagues are happy that Busch jumped the tracks and landed in the weeds last weekend.

They know he's good for business because he generates headlines, sound bites and Internet copy. And at the end of the day, isn't that what NASCAR most covets at a time when vanilla is its flavor of choice? Instead of trying to generate attention for another routine weekend at Pocono--thankfully, for only 400 miles this time--the Sprint Cup marketing people have inherited plenty of national attention because Busch “verbally abused” a member of the media at Dover. (Who knew that was a punishable offense?) If all publicity is good publicity, NASCAR must secretly love Busch right about now. 

More than anyone in stock-car racing, his off-track behavior is utterly unpredictable and to many, that unpredictability is somewhat appealing. Can you picture Jeff Gordon, Marcos Ambrose or Carl Edwards blowing up and pitching a fit when things go bad? Can you imagine Jeff Burton, Matt Kenseth or Jimmie Johnson behaving like a spoiled, petulant child when someone asks a tough question? When's the last time Greg Biffle, Joey Logano or Mark Martin did anything postrace to attract any media attention? Even former bad boys Tony Stewart, Kevin Harvick and Kyle Busch grew up before their bad misbehavior ruined their careers. 

Of course Kurt Busch shouldn't have insulted the media last fall at Richmond. Of course he shouldn't have berated an ESPN broadcaster last fall at Homestead. Of course he shouldn't have semithreatened a Sporting News reporter last weekend at Dover. And of course his apologies and promises to deal with his “personal issues” are hollow and politically correct. Indeed, there must have been good reasons owners Jack Roush and Roger Penske got rid of him, Roush first after a championship season, Penske after six pretty-successful years.

But NASCAR desperately needs characters, and for better or worse Busch is perhaps its most recognizable character right now. (Well, other than Danica Patrick, that is.) He and his brother, Kyle, get more boos at prerace introductions than the 41 other drivers combined. Kurt gives NASCAR a villain at a time when it really doesn't have anyone else. And just like pro wrestling (as a colleague pointed out), NASCAR needs a bad guy or two for fans to hate. What's the fun in having 43 choirboys out there always playing nice? Instead of vanilla, why not occasionally enjoy Cherry Garcia or Chunky Monkey? Indeed, the track lucky enough to be next up after a Busch-Dale Earnhardt Jr. incident would have to bring in extra seats for the rematch.

Through it all, Busch's credentials are pretty impressive. He won the championship at age 26, in 2004 for Roush Fenway Racing. Through last year, he had at least one Cup win every year since 2002. His 24 wins tie him fourth among active drivers, equal to his brother and more than Biffle, Burton, Harvick, Edwards, Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Denny Hamlin. He's won more than retired stars Ricky Rudd, Buddy Baker, Geoffrey Bodine, Harry Gant and Bobby Labonte and more than the late Davey Allison, Neil Bonnett and Benny Parsons. 

But last winter, in a poll conducted by Forbes magazine, Busch was listed among the country's 10 most disliked athletes. He was 10th, the only racer on the list, which by default made him America's the most disliked racer. The top-10 at the time (in reverse order) Busch, Alex Rodriguez, Terrell Owens, Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Kris Humphries, Ndamukong Suh, Plaxico Burress, Tiger Woods and Michael Vick.

If the poll were taken today, he'd probably move up a spot or two. All of which, one can assume, would suit NASCAR just fine.