NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
  • Peg It on GarageMonkey
CUP: Racers Favor Patriots In Super Bowl
Kyle Busch thinks the New England Patriots will avenge their 2008 Super Bowl defeat...
Tom Jensen  |  Posted February 05, 2012   Charlotte, NC
NASCAR driver Kyle Busch (Left) and NFL player Greg Jennings (Right) of the Green Bay Packers attend The Maxim Party at Indiana State Fairgrounds on February 4, 2012 in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo: Getty Images)
It’s Super Bowl Sunday, and the New England Patriots are three-point favorites in tonight’s big game, despite the fact that the New York Giants beat them during the 2011 National Football League regular season and in the 2008 Super Bowl as well.

Toyota surveyed some of its NASCAR drivers and crew chiefs about today’s big game and there is considerable support for New England to prevail. The difference? Tom Brady.

“To see what that man has accomplished in his life — he’s such a fierce competitor,” said Dave Rogers, crew chief for Kyle Busch’s No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota. “Just look at his eyes. He’s so determined and I admire him for that. That’s one guy that I would like to meet one day. Tom Brady, if you listen to his interviews, he was determined that when he got in the game for the first time that they would never pull him. That’s preparation. He was prepared and he was willing to do whatever it took to prepare himself. I just respect that and respect that determination. I think that on that side of things, it makes Tom Brady a good role model for athletes and crew chiefs and drivers.”

Michael Waltrip, co-owner and driver for Michael Waltrip Racing, agreed.

“I just like Tom Brady,” said Waltrip. “I like Bill Belichick (Patriots coach) — I don’t know why. We had this same game in (’08) and the Giants won. I’m for Tom over Eli (Manning). But, if you ask me much more about that — like who else plays — that’s about all I know.”

Kyle Busch is looking for a New England victory as well.

“The Patriots — you can’t go against them,” said Busch. “They’re good. I think we had the same conversation probably in (2008) when they were playing each other and I probably picked the Patriots then, too — and got surprised that the Giants came through. (Tom) Brady had an off day (in the AFC Championship game, Feb. 22) and still looked pretty good and won the game. That’s a team that’s hard to beat. They do a lot of things right.”

On the Giants’ side is Denny Hamlin who thinks the time is right for a second Giants victory in the NFL’s biggest game.

“If I had to guess — the New York Giants — defense, offense, everything,” said Hamlin. “You have to go with the team that has the momentum and no doubt that the Giants have the momentum right now. Think the score will be 23-21, Giants.”

Hamlin’s new crew chief, Darian Grubb, is pulling for the Giants, too. “I really don’t want New England to win it — more so I can pick on some of the guys on my race team,” Grubb said. “The Giants have a really good shot at it this year. I guess I will pull for the NFC rather than anything else.”

Tom Jensen is the Editor in Chief of SPEED.com, Senior NASCAR Editor at RACER and a contributing Editor for TruckSeries.com. You can follow him online at twitter.com/tomjensen100.
tom_jensen's avatar

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tom Jensen

MORE BY THIS AUTHOR
Advertising | Jobs | Feedback | FAQ | Terms of Use | NEW Privacy Policy | Ad Choices | Site Map
Fox Sports | FUEL TV | FX Network | National Geographic | IGN | AskMen
The Motor Sports Authority, SPEED and associated logos are registered trademarks of Speed Channel Inc.
All Rights Reserved © Speed Channel, Inc. 2013

All external links will open in a new browser window. SPEED.com does not endorse external sites.