NASCAR is chock-full of drivers who have made the jump from open-wheel to stock cars -- Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, Juan Pablo Montoya, Danica Patrick (oh, wait, you guys aren't supposed to know that yet) -- and now there's a move afoot to get one going the other direction.
US F1, a startup that's the first U.S.-based Formula 1 team in 40 years, is looking to wrangle one Kyle Busch as its driver in F1, starting in 2011. Kyle's current contract with JGR runs out at the end of next year, and US F1 would like him to transition into their ride right after that. (So would plenty of Junior fans, but that's a whole different story.)
Peter Windsor, US F1's sporting director, wants to make US F1 a destination team for homegrown open-wheel talents, and bringing aboard Busch would be a fine start to that. When asked about the idea shortly after US F1's debut in February, Kyle seemed intrigued by the idea:
"It's definitely something I wouldn't shoot down. If I could win a championship (in NASCAR) in the next two or three years then I wouldn't mind going doing (F1) for a few years and coming back. I think I'd still be young enough that if I could win a championship by 25, go run Formula 1 for a few years and be back (in NASCAR) by 28."
Ambitious and quite possibly insane. Vintage Kyle Busch, in other words. I honestly can't see this happening without a major change in the status quo -- Kyle winning a title or two, for instance -- but it's a fascinating idea nonetheless. And if nothing else, the thought of Kyle Busch exporting some of that vintage D00D madness to the rest of the world brings a smile to my face.
US F1 wants Kyle Busch as its driver in 2011 [USA Today]
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