Busch waiting patiently for Cup promotion

Monday, Aug. 21, 2000 | 10:10 a.m.

Kurt Busch's racing career has been on a fast track from the time his racing career began eight years ago on the quarter-mile clay track at Pahrump Valley Speedway.

Since strapping himself in behind the wheel of a Dwarf Car at the age of 14, Busch won three championships at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, was the NASCAR Southwest Series Rookie of the Year in 1998 and the series champion in 1999 and has locked up the rookie of the year award this season in the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series.

So it really isn't too surprising that the 22-year-old native Las Vegan is on the verge of making the leap to stock-car racing's highest level -- the NASCAR Winston Cup Series -- after only one season in the truck series.

Although Busch insists that "nothing is official," Roush Racing is expected to announce that Busch will replace Chad Little as driver of the No. 97 John Deere Ford Taurus for the 2001 Winston Cup season -- as soon as the legalities of Little's departure from the team can be worked out.

While making it to Winston Cup would be the culmination of a childhood dream for Busch, he said he isn't bothered by the fact that the announcement of his promotion already has been delayed by close to a month.

"I've got 22 years down and I've got many to go and we're not in a rush to do anything," Busch said during a promotional visit Saturday night to The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway. "It seems as if I've been in a rush in my racing career but that's just the path that has been generated for me by some results ... and working with the great people that I've met along the way.

"It has worked out perfectly for me. Whatever they decide to do, I'll be happy with the decision. The worst that can happen is that I'll be racing trucks next year for (team owner) Jack Roush."

Busch has made the most of his opportunity with Roush Racing, winning two races and recording 12 top-10 finishes in 19 starts. Going into this weekend's race at Chicago Motor Speedway, Busch is fourth in series points.

Although some observers have said that Roush may be rushing his latest racing prodigy into Winston Cup, Busch isn't about to argue with the successful team owner.

"It's the same as when my dad told me, 'We're going to go race Modifieds next year, what do you think?' I didn't know if I was ready for it," Busch said. "Then I was told I was going to go race Southwest Tour the next year, I didn't know about that. The trucks were the same way and (Winston) Cup is the same way.

"It was shocking to me at first because it was like, 'It's time to go already?' Jack is the one who brought me (into the truck series) in the first place and if Jack chooses me, then he knows I'm ready for it. If he wants me to go Cup, I'm not going to say no."