Which team signed the better driver: Gibbs or Hendrick?
It’s not about hatin’; it’s about having a perspective that isn’t hued by popularity. Yes, I believe Kyle Busch is a better driver than Dale Earnhardt Jr. — but that isn’t to say I do not appreciate the talent of Little E. Quite the contrary; I’d sign him tomorrow and reap the rewards of the Junior Nation. In this case — Busch vs. Earnhardt — Joe Gibbs Racing gets the nod for its Silly Season signing, even if the folks at Motorsports Authentics have more Junior swag on order than Busch. Competing in the Cup Series is not solely driven by marketing and sales, at least for the foreseeable future. For the time being the primary benchmark is on-track performance — and Kyle has shown during the past two-plus seasons that he can wheel it: In 94 Cup Series starts since 2005: • Wins: Busch, 4; Earnhardt, 2 • Runner-up: Busch, 8; Earnhardt, 2 • Top-5s: Busch, 24; Earnhardt, 21 • Top-10s: Busch, 43; Earnhardt, 38 Sure, there are extenuating circumstances. DEI has been in a state of flux almo
