It was to hard to predict how Tony Stewart would do as NASCAR's leading ambassador after he won the Winston Cup title in 2002. Same thing now with Kurt Busch. Both Stewart and Busch are no strangers to controversy and criticism, and as champion you can run smack into both.

Rocky road to title
Busch probably will find the champion's role tougher than Stewart did, but Busch now seems like the type of young man who lets criticism run off his back fairly easily. He'll be wise to do just that — the 26-year-old Las Vegan brings more baggage than did Stewart.

In the past, Busch hasn't contained his temper. That led to a punch in the nose from Jimmy Spencer after a race in Michigan, and probation for Busch from NASCAR.

Busch also has exercised bad judgment. That led to NASCAR believing he intentionally spun in his own oil at Martinsville, a move that led officials to pull his credential.

There have been some other incidents involving Busch which have left some drivers upset (see Sterling Marlin).

So, because of his checkered past, Busch will be under an awful lot of scrutiny as Cup champion, and that's the biggest hurdle he'll have to overcome.

There will be more attention placed on him, and he and his team will be expected to be competitive in their No. 97 Ford every time out next season. If that doesn't happen, then Busch must accept it with humility, as the media and fans will demand him to explain his drop-off in performance. He can't lose his cool.

And with all that on Busch's shoulders, he probably won't be as competitive next year because the focus required to win the championship is absolutely incredible. It's very difficult to achieve that when as champion there are so many demands on your time.

Busch out to surprise some folks
Busch is the third youngest Cup champion in NASCAR history. He says he has matured, and I believe him. But after winning the title, people will expect him to mature twice as fast virtually overnight as he has since he began racing in the Cup Series on a limited basis in 2000.

Busch has made enemies and those people will be looking for anything to show that Busch has not matured or changed. But maybe they should give him a few months on the job before they start drawing comparisons between who Busch was before he won the title, and who he is as champion.

Busch has said he understands that he was now champion, and intends to be a champion that everyone associated with NASCAR can be proud of. I think he will embrace the role and the responsibilities that come with it more than Stewart did.

Plenty of support
Busch is fortunate to be hooked up with Roush Racing, home also to the 2003 Cup champion Matt Kenseth.

With Roush, Busch will have no shortage of mentors: owner Jack Roush, Busch's crew chief Jimmy Fennig, Kenseth, and veteran teammate Mark Martin.

As a former Cup champion myself, the three key things Busch must do are to try your best to be a role model, be humble, and share your success with the people who have helped make you a champion.

An unforgettable year
Next year will leave an indelible mark on Busch's career. What we don't know is if it will be a positive mark or a negative one. My guess is it will be positive because Busch has learned a great deal in the four-plus years he's been involved in Cup racing.

Being champion presents him with the steepest learning curve he has encountered, but he is very capable of meeting this challenge. He won't be alone in tackling the balancing act between being champion and defending it.

Busch is an extremely talented racer, who has benefited greatly by pushing himself to bring his level of racing up to that of Fennig. He isn't the most popular driver in the garage, and maybe to some is cocky, but they might not know him well enough or understand him.

And while he may not be a media or fan favorite, his crew members and his team will do anything for him because he is so much a part of that team, caring about his guys and being with them as much as possible.

There will be some times when Busch will struggle and hit bumps in the road, but a year from now, with his talent, the Roush resources, and his loyal and hard-working crew, being champion will have been a positive experience for Busch.