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All Rights Reserved.</font></B><Br> <B><Font color="ffffff" size="-2">Sprint Cup® and NASCAR® are registered trademarks of the National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing, Inc. This web site is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by NASCAR®. The official NASCAR® website is "NASCAR® Online" and is located at.. <a href="http://www.NASCAR.com/" target="new">www.NASCAR.com</a></font></B> </center> <Br> </center> </TD> </center> <P> <!-- ############# MAIN TABLE #################### --> <TD WIDTH="78%" ALIGN="LEFT" VALIGN="TOP"> <!-- &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; --> <H1><I>Kurt Busch Loses Desire To Win In 2012</I></H1> <I>An Opinion</I> <P> <img src="http://Insiderracingnews.com/Images/Writers/Staff2.gif" Width="107" Height="29" align="right"> <!-- <img src="http://Insiderracingnews.com/Images/Writers/Guest.gif" Width="118" Height="29" align="right"> --> <BR> <table border=0 cellspacing=0 cellpadding=0 width=100%> <tr> <td align=left width="4%"> <div align="left"><img src="http://InsiderRacingNews.com/Images/Logos/2009/MediaCorpLogo.jpg" border="0" width="200" height="56"></div> </td> <td align=left width="96%"> <HR SIZE="-2" color="ff0000"> </td> </tr> </table> <P> <CENTER> <TABLE bgColor="ffffff" border=0 cellPadding=10 cellSpacing=0 width="92%"> <TR> <TD> <Font color="000000"> <!-- March 3, 2012 --> <!-- February 3, 2012 --> <br> January 23, 2012 <P> By Matthew Pizzolato <BR> <TABLE bgColor="FFFFFF" border=0 cellPadding=15 cellSpacing=0 width="110" ALIGN="left"> <TR> <TD> <img src="http://Insiderracingnews.com/Images/Writers/MPizzolato.jpg" Width="75" Height="95" align="center"> <center> <b><font color="ff0000" size="-2">Matthew Pizzolato</font></b></center> </TD> </TR> </TABLE> <BR> <BR> <BR> <!-- <a href="http://" target="new"><font color="ffff00"></font></a> --> <!-- <b><font color="ffff00" size="-1"></font></b> --> <!-- <b><font color="0066FF"></font></b> --> <table cellpadding="15" cellspacing="15" border="0" width="130" align="right"> <tr> <td> <center> <!-- Start 160 X 600 Verticle Google Ads (White) --> <script type="text/javascript"><!-- google_ad_client = "pub-4652236660414985"; /* 160x600, created 4/24/08 */ google_ad_slot = "9807583107"; google_ad_width = 160; google_ad_height = 600; //--> </script> <script type="text/javascript" src="http://pagead2.googlesyndication.com/pagead/show_ads.js"> </script> <!-- End Google Ads --> </center> </td> </tr> </table> <P> One of the biggest stories at the conclusion of the 2011 season was that of Kurt Busch being fired from Penske Racing. <P> Although it was reported that the decision to part ways was mutual, walking away from a top level ride doesn't make a lot of sense. <P> The split came as a result of Kurt Busch blasting EPSN reporter Dr. Jerry Punch for no apparent reason. The incident was recorded by a fan and put on YouTube. The video quickly went viral and Busch was fined $50,000 by NASCAR. <P> Speculation immediately started about where he would race this coming season because there simply weren't any rides open with the premier teams in the NASCAR garage. Busch was signed by James Finch to drive the No. 51 car at Phoenix Racing. <P> With the coming of the new season and the starting of a new job, apparently Busch's attitude has changed. He no longer cares about winning, at least not in 2012. <P> "I've always been guilty of doing things the hard way, and working hard instead of smart I guess is my mentality. And these guys, the way that we're understaffed, but yet they have such a big heart, they're just like me," Busch was quoted as saying at a recent press conference at Daytona International Speedway. "So getting back to old school racing, having fun with it, the pressure is not there. But when we go week to week and go to Phoenix, Vegas, into Bristol, we'll start to learn more about the cars, where we stack up. It's not going to take winning to make me happy." <P> If it's not going to taking winning to make him happy, what will? <P> "Right now it's just going to the track, having fun, and at the end of the day, like the first day when I was at the shop, Finch was there, we all looked at each other like we were done talking, it was quarter to 4:00. I said, 'where's your beer cooler around here?' We went and cracked open a couple beers and started chitchatting the rest of the day about fun stories. That's what this is going to be about for me in 2012." <P> Granted, he isn't in the same type of equipment that he raced at Penske, but it seems a complete shame, especially for James Finch and the employees at Phoenix Racing. If Busch is being paid to drive their car, shouldn't he at least try to win races? Instead, Busch has overlooked 2012 entirely. <P> "Well, my objective is to keep the eye on 2013's big prize, and going in and talking with as many teams as I did this off-season, my original plan was to work with as many groups as I possibly could, find four or five races with these guys, those guys, run Nationwide, do this, trucks even, and associate myself with as many sponsors, teams and people. That way they get to know me and go, wow, what's really the problem here, and the problem is when there's a bad day on the track, that's when there's the only issue." <P> Apparently, 2013's big prize is signing with a top-tier Cup team. Yet if that was his goal, shouldn't he focus on at least attempting to win races, to show the powers that be in NASCAR that he can drive a racecar without melting down when things don't go his way? After all, that's what caused he demise from Penske in the first place. <P> . "Yes, 2012 is going to be a unique year for somebody such as myself," Busch said. "But to take a step back for me personally and look at all of this, this is what I need. And all along we're going to keep our eyes on the prize in 2013." <P> The other 42 drivers who are busy trying to win races and compete for a championship need not concern themselves about Kurt Busch. He'll be too busy chitchatting to be a factor on the track. <!-- 13 --> <P> <BR> <BR> <p style="border:1px solid #009FFF;padding:5px;font:14px verdana;"> If you would like to learn more about Matthew, please check out his web site at <a href="http://www.matthew-pizzolato.com/" target="new"><font color="ff0000">matthew-pizzolato.com</font></a>. </p> <P> <BR> <BR> <center> <img src="http://insiderracingnews.com/Images/Misc/RedPointer2.gif" Width="18" Height="12"> <b><font color="ff0000" size="+1"><I>You can contact Matthew Pizzolato at </font></B>..<a href="mailto:matt01fb@hotmail.com"> <b><font color="ff0000" size="+1">Insider Racing News</i></font></B></a> </center> <BR> <center> <img src="http://insiderracingnews.com/Images/Misc/RedPointer2.gif" Width="18" Height="12"> <a class="nd" href="http://insiderracingnews.com/Writers/MP/redirect.html"><b><font color="ff0000" size="+1"><I>You Can Read Other Articles By Matthew Pizzolato</I></font></b></a> </center> <BR> <p style="border:1px solid #FF0000;padding:5px;font:11px verdana;"> The thoughts and ideas expressed by this writer or any other writer on Insider Racing News, are not necessarily the views of the staff and/or management of IRN.</p> </font> </TD> </TR> </TABLE> </center> <P> <!-- BEGIN INLIVE CODE -- Inlive need of AddFreestats button code! 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