The Associated Press

TALLADEGA, Ala. — Maybe Joe Gibbs can afford to let Tony Stewart go.

The ol’ coach already seems to have NASCAR’s next star on his roster.

Kyle Busch did it again Sunday, this time conquering a track that had always given him fits. As he pulled into Victory Lane at Talladega Superspeedway, there appeared to be nothing this 22-year-old phenom can’t do — even it means filling the shoes of his teammate Stewart, a two-time NASCAR Sprint Cup champion.

Busch has already won twice in nine races on the Cup circuit, trailing leader Jeff Burton by just 22 points. He’s third on the second-tier Nationwide Series, right on the tail of Clint Bowyer and Carl Edwards, and was leading the Craftsman Truck Series until he missed a conflicting race in Kansas City, dropping him to sixth in the points.

In all, Busch has won seven races.