Busch emerging as top rookie

Wednesday, March 29, 2000 | 11:50 a.m.

Four races into the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series season, Kurt Busch has a pair of second-place finishes, four top-10 showings, is third in the championship and leading the Rookie of the Year standings.

More importantly, Busch said, he feels he is beginning to gain the respect of his more experienced peers.

"I would hope so," the 21-year-old Las Vegas native said. "I've really tried to hold my own these past three races -- especially after Daytona."

In his truck series debut last month at Daytona International Speedway, Busch's inexperience played a part in a multicar accident that left veteran driver Geoffrey Bodine with serious injuries, although Busch's No. 99 Exide Batteries Ford escaped harm and went on to a second-place finish.

"It was for sure an enlightening experience to be up front (at Daytona), yet it was kind of intimidating to be up front with those guys so soon," he said.

"I don't think many (people) expected us to be there -- (Roush Racing teammate) Greg Biffle was expected to be there, but not (me). Some unfortunate circumstances led to a few mistakes that might have looked like I was to blame but it was a learning experience, for sure."

After a fourth-place finish two weeks ago at Phoenix International Raceway and a second-place showing last weekend at Mesa Marin Raceway in Bakersfield, Calif., Busch said he hopes the veterans of the truck series will feel more comfortable racing with him.

"The main thing is gaining the respect of the other drivers and being able to race around them and them being able to race around me and feel comfortable with it," he said.

"Hopefully, we'll be able to relate some of the experiences that I've gained from Phoenix and Bakersfield and that the (other) drivers will be a little less edgy. For sure (it) has made me less edgy and I think I'm more comfortable out there racing with these guys."

With four top-10 finishes in four races, Busch is third in the NCTS points standings and trails series leader Mike Wallace by 30 points. And no one is more surprised than Busch by his strong start.

"Our success thus far has really surprised me," Busch admitted. "I don't know about the Roush employees -- I think they expected to do well. So far, we've been able to make as many laps as we possibly could and stay out of trouble and that's where good finishes come from.

"Now we've kind of broken in with the top-10 finish at Miami and fourth at Phoenix and second at Bakersfield, and now we're just running up front consistently and the win will be right around the corner for us. Hopefully, we'll be able to duke it out with these big dogs."

But that doesn't mean Busch has changed his goals.

"Before the season, our goal was maybe to scrape up a couple (wins) by the end of the season," he said. "We're still sticking to the game plan of shooting for Rookie of the Year honors and making as many laps as we possibly can as a rookie."