Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

If you don’t like the way Kyle Busch drives, then stay off the sidewalk

When I read that Kyle Busch had been cited for driving 128 mph in a 45- mph zone, I had to laugh. Not because I think it’s funny to drive at 83 mph over the speed limit, but because I don’t find it surprising.

If you put one of the best drivers in the world behind the wheel of a sophisticated sports car, you can assume that some mashing of pedals is going to occur. Face it, if you were behind the wheel of a high-powered car wouldn’t you do a little “test drive” of your own? I know I would.

Now, that doesn’t mean we would use judgment as poor as Busch’s. 128 mph on a city street is insane—even for someone as capable as a professional racecar driver.

Busch, whose wife was along for the fast ride, was driving a Lexus LFA. The $375,000 sports car will accelerate from 0-60 mph in 3.6 seconds and has a top speed of 202 mph. Packed under the hood is a V10 engine with 552 horsepower. And according to Lexus’ specifications, the car will achieve 135 mph in 4th gear. It has a six-speed transmission.

Looking at these numbers, it’s conceivable that Busch was able to reach the 128 mph mark very quickly and may have only held that speed very briefly. Of course, that doesn’t excuse the seriousness of his actions, but it does help to provide a little context regarding his actions.

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And what about Busch’s wife? I’d love to know her reaction. My wife would have been saying, “Get me out of this car this minute!” Heck, my wife even thinks I drive too fast when I’m backing up!

But some good may come from this whole thing. Busch’s boss, Joe Gibbs, is considering a way to use the situation to convey the message that this is a serious offense. According to espn.com, Gibbs is suggesting that Busch and his sponsor (M&M’s) use the speeding violation as a teaching moment regarding driver safety.

Trust me, this isn’t the first time or the last time we’ll hear about a professional driver testing the limits of the law in a high-powered sports car.

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