Five years ago this weekend marked the birth of greatness (or was it the birth of a great pain?)

Five years ago this weekend, Kyle Busch won his first Cup race, scoring the win in the Labor Day race at Auto Club Speedway in California (you remember when they had the Labor Day tradition of racing at California, don't you?).

Anyway, let's take a look at what Kyle has done since winning his first Cup race:

# He has won 19 of 180 Cup races (10.6 percent winnnig percentage) since scoring that first win on Sept. 4, 2005.

# He has won 34 of 143 Nationwide races (23.8 percent winning percentage) since Sept. 4, 2005, and also has won a Nationwide title.

# He has won 18 of 67 Camping World Truck races (26.9 percent winning percentage) since Sept. 4, 2005.

So combined, since Sept. 4, 2005, Kyle Busch has won 71 of 390 starts (18.2 percent winning percentage) in NASCAR's top three series.

So, does that mark greatness?

Certainly he's doing things others haven't, including his recent sweep of the Truck, Nationwide and Cup races at Bristol recently. Of course, very few compete in all those series so the chances of many people doing it are rare.

Where does Kyle's accomplishment compare with Cup drivers who have raced only in Cup?

Since Sept. 4, 2005, Jeff Gordon has 10 Cup wins in 180 starts (5.6 percent winning percentage). Is what Gordon has done less (well it is in terms of Cup wins) but overall to what Kyle has done? Of course, Gordon has finished better than Kyle in the Cup points every year since 2005.

Obviously, Jimmie Johnson's four Cup titles reign supreme, so no need to go there. But what about Tony Stewart? He was on his way to his second Cup title in 2005 but since Sept. 4, 2005, Stewart has 13 Cup wins (again less than Kyle's total) but has finished ahead of Kyle in the points in 2005, 2008, and 2009 -- Kyle bettered Tony in the points in 2006 and 2007).

Or what about Carl Edwards when looking at Nationwide and Cup. Kyle has him with a Nationwide title but since Sept. 4, 2005, Edwards has won 23 of 173 Nationwide races (13.3 percent winning percentage, less than Kyle's winning percentage in that series). Edwards also has won 14 of 180 Cup races (7.8 percent winning percentage). Thing is Edwards has finished ahead of Kyle in the Cup points three of the past five years.

So, how signifcant is Sept. 4, 2005, in the sport? Was this the day that greatness was truly displayed with Kyle Busch's first Cup win or just the dawning of someting else for those who don't like him? Even if you don't like him, where do you rank his talent? Feelings aside, would you put him among the top five drivers in Cup today? Why or why not?

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