Column: Kyle Busch continues his record run at another Sprint Cup title

With four wins and 11 top-5 finishes, Kyle Busch isn’t going to need a mulligan to become a Cup champion again like he did last season. He might just run away with the thing: catch me if you can.

Busch needed a waiver to make it into the 2015 postseason Chase scrum after suffering a broken left foot and a compound fracture of his lower right leg a day before the Daytona 500 in an Xfinity race.

Busch is breaking other things these days, notably records. Witness his dominance in Indianapolis this past weekend when he became the first driver to sweep both the Xfinity and Sprint Cup series races at Indy two seasons in a row. And he won the pole for both races.

Busch led three times for a race-high 149 laps (out of 170) in the Brickyard 400, cruising in overtime without true challengers in his rear-view mirror.

“The way he is winning races is unbelievable,” NBC Sports NASCAR analyst Jeff Burton said. “I watch it with amazement.”

We all do. Those amazing skills were often overlooked a few years ago when Busch struggled with temperamental issues on the track. His feisty demeanor has been an issue in dustups with other drivers who are hard-wired, notably Kevin Harvick and Brad Keselowski.

The deal with Keselowski is still simmering, which may not be a bad thing for a sport generally devoid of contentious rivalries these days.

But rivalries are always predicated on one thing: Both parties have to be competitive. Keselowski has that covered, currently ranking second in points. Harvick is first in points, and Busch is ranked fifth.

No biggie. Busch’s points scenario is reflective of four DNFs (did not finish). Busch and his Toyota Camry are still the team to beat when they can stay clear of carnage. His consistency is etched in the 982 laps he has led this season, second only to Martin Truex Jr.

What happened at Indy is more true to form, and it does not bode well for anyone giving chase.

“It’s fun to come out here and have such a dominant piece at Indy,” Busch said. “They don’t come along often, so I was just hoping I didn’t screw it up.”

This definitely has the feel of a championship that belongs to Busch, pending unforeseen variables. Any driver is a blown tire away from getting eliminated in any of the four playoff rounds, including the Final Four format in Homestead come November.

But still, Busch isn’t playing around. It’s all about championships, not consolation prizes.

“I can’t get my brain around sweeping a weekend,” said Steve Letarte, NBC Sports racing analyst. “This performance by Kyle Busch is truly legendary. Kyle Busch is starting to write a resume that compares with major names.”

All attached to championships. Grab your popcorn and stay tuned, kids.

Staying home in Indiana

There was quite the spectacle at Indianapolis Motor Speedway this past weekend:

Tony Stewart making his final run in his home state. Jeff Gordon making a return to racing ... because his friend and colleague, Dale Earnhardt Jr., has disconcerting news involving concussions.

Lots of drama. But not many people.

Attendance was abysmal. Estimated crowd counts — NASCAR does not release attendance figures — ranged between 40,000 and 50,000. The IMS capacity is 235,000.

At least 5.2 million viewers tuned into NBCSN’s telecast, making it the cable outlet’s most-watched and highest-rated non-Olympic telecast on record.

TV money still provides a great chunk of revenue, but the sport can’t keep feeding off that forever. Indiana loves racing. Check out the Indianapolis 500, which was sold out in May.

But it’s obviously not so enthusiastic about the NASCAR brand. Blame the racing, or lack of, in Sunday’s race. Blame the oppressive heat. Blame the fact that fans are more prone to sit in front of their giant high-definition screens instead of dealing with the masses.

The good news for those people is that plenty of seats, if not sections, were wide open on Sunday.

Earnhardt in no rush

Dale Earnhardt Jr.’s return to NASCAR remains TBA.

The good news is that he is obviously in lockstep with medical experts and isn’t going to rush into anything. The bad news is that with each passing day, the concern amps up as to whether Junior’s multiple concussions will eventually be a deal-breaker regarding his career.

“There’s certain things you can race through,” he said on his weekly podcast. “But one of the things that you cannot race through is concussion-like symptoms. The balance deal is a critical part of being able to drive a race car.

“This process is going to take a little bit longer. I think that’s what I was trying to convey when I was telling you guys how I was going to take this slow and listen to the advice of my doctors.”

No one knows how much longer. Earnhardt will miss the upcoming race at Pocono on Sunday. After that it’s still TBA and wishful thinking.

“I’m not going to go against that advice, no matter what,” he said, referring to his doctors. “I can’t play around at this age. With my history, I definitely don’t need to get cute.”

SHR expands

Stewart-Haas Racing announced Monday that it will expand into the Xfinity Series in 2017 with a full-time single-car team. The driver and sponsor lineup is expected to be announced prior to the end of the 2016 season.

“In order to maintain the competitiveness that has earned SHR two championships since our debut in 2009, we needed an outlet to develop drivers and team personnel for the Sprint Cup Series,” Greg Zipadelli, vice president of competition for SHR, said in a statement. “People make the difference between winning and losing. An Xfinity Series team gives us added depth that will allow us to promote from within whenever necessary.”