This is the Statt Mann Baby. Time to Scatt a little bit.

It looks like the athlete empowerment that’s taken over stick and ball sports has moved to the motor racing arena as well.

But in this industry driver agents and sponsors are pulling the strings.

In some cases, the drivers appear to be the puppets in a play.

A perfect example in NASCAR surrounds the drama at 23XI Racing where Kurt Busch has been sidelined indefinitely and replaced by Ty Gibbs.

Obviously, I’m not a doctor and I don’t know what’s keeping Kurt Busch on the shelf with health problems.

But it’s convenient that both Busch and Gibbs are sponsored and represented by Monster Energy Drink.

The convenience extends to the actual 23XI team that’s a satellite program of Joe Gibbs Racing run by Ty Gibbs grandfather.

Get the picture?

There was already a feeling that Kurt Busch was in his last season after a brilliant career.

He is the 2004 NASCAR Cup Series champion, 2017 Daytona 500 winner and has more career starts than any other driver in the NASCAR garage.

To me, the brilliance of his career stretched to the 2014 Indy 500 where he ran near the front, finished sixth and was Rookie of the Year.

That alone made me a fan.

I think, though, that he deserves the right to go out of NASCAR with something more than a sideline lounger and a cold can of Monster Energy.

Peace.