COLUMN: So you think Kyle Busch is a punk, huh?

            JOLIET, Ill. - Other drivers and teams have made notable strides during the season, but Kyle Busch is the story that really matters.

            He's won twice more than twice as many races (7) than any other driver. He's won more than any two. He's been dominant in three different series. Busch leads the Sprint Cup point standings by an astonishing margin (262), and the fact that, thanks to the Chase, it has very little lasting value, doesn't detract from what he's done.

            Busch's detractors will quibble. They will attempt to account for his accomplishments by chalking it all up to any number of factors. They will say it's all car. They will say Toyota has an unfair advantage. They will blame NASCAR.

            These rationalizations were all hurled in the face of all the overachievers who preceded Busch. They were used lamely in relation to Jimmie Johnson last year, Jeff Gordon in the 1990s, Dale Earnhardt in the ‘80s and ‘90s, David Pearson in the ‘70s, Richard Petty in the ‘60s and ‘70s, on and on, forever and ever, amen.

            All car? Busch's crew chief, Steve Addington, has certainly proved his mettle, but Addington never came close to a win in 2006-07, when he directed the efforts of J.J. Yeley, Busch's predecessor in the Joe Gibbs Racing No. 18. Toyota? The new kid on the manufacturer block, Toyota, has won once with Camrys piloted by someone other than Busch.

            The season is 19 races old, and Kyle Busch has won seven times. At the current rate, Busch will win 13 races this year. That's how many Gordon won in 1998. He may not be able to keep up that pace, but at present, there are no signs of decline. His batting average in the last four races is .750. His batting average for the season is .368. In major league baseball, that would be better than everyone except Chipper Jones.

            NASCAR isn't baseball. "Batting" is harder in NASCAR.

            So you think he's a young punk, huh? If so, he's certainly a self-effacing young punk. Just moments after winning the LifeLock.com 400 on Saturday night, here's what Kyle Busch said: "I appreciate you guys sticking with me. I know I'm a pain in the (butt) sometimes. That's what you get with a punk."

            He's not the only punk on the track. He's certainly the best one, though.

            You can reach Monte Dutton at mdutton@gastongazette.com.