Indianapolis. Watkins Glen. Michigan.

Those three locales will forever be the thorns embedded in Kurt Busch's side when he reflects back on his performance in 2002.

	Kurt Busch enters Rockingham with two straight victories under his belt.

Had he not finished so horribly in those three consecutive August events -- 41st at both Indianapolis and Watkins Glen, and 39th at Michigan -- Busch might have been be challenging Tony Stewart for the Winston Cup championship right now.

Had he not been crashed out at Indy and suffered engine failures at the other two venues, Busch would likely be a lot higher in the standings than sixth -- 297 points behind Stewart with three races left to go.

But there is still some consolation for the 24-year-old Las Vegas native as he prepares for Sunday's Pop Secret 400 at North Carolina Speedway in Rockingham. He enters the weekend as one of the hottest drivers on the circuit, riding a two-race winning streak and, since the debacle at Michigan, has four top-fives and three other top-10s in his last 10 starts.

While it may be a bit late to apply that kind of performance to his championship hopes for this season, Busch's recent run certainly bodes well for 2003.

"This year, we just had a bad month of August," Busch said. "That really took us out of contention and took us out of the top-10 for awhile (dropped to 12th after Michigan).

"But now, it feels great to be back where we are. There's not a lot of drivers who would say this was an 'A' season, but I really have been impressed with the way (crew chief) Jimmy Fennig has conducted the team's business off the racetrack, as well as on the racetrack, and making the pit stops great. Even with some of the things that have happened to us, I'd still grade this season as an 'A.'"

As high as Busch grades this season, there's a chance he could turn that 'A' into an 'A-plus' in the remaining three races. First on tap is trying to stretch his winning streak to three in Sunday's event.

"It's been great to get two in a row and, of course, we're always shooting to win every week," Busch said. "But, I believe that with the way the team's been running and the depth that we've obtained throughout the year -- as far as knowledge on setups and when we're supposed to pit and the way Jimmy Fennig has helped me learn about these cars -- three in a row doesn't seem out of the question.

"We've been very competitive at a lot of different racetracks this year and we've had a few slip away on us that we weren't able to capitalize on. Being able to understand the setups has been the biggest key, knowing what to have at a short track vs. what to have at speedway, where aerodynamics are key. And now we're being able to take advantage of it is what I see."

In hindsight, Busch obviously would have liked to have left Indianapolis, Watkins Glen and Michigan with higher finishes. But he also would have liked to have left places like Darlington (28th in spring race), Texas (23rd), Richmond (spring, 27th), Charlotte (spring, 31st), Pocono (spring, 40th) and Daytona (summer, 31st) a bit higher, as well.

Yet, the young driver takes things in stride, knowing this is just his second full season, and that he still has a long career ahead of him. But, at the same time, if some of the outstanding things Busch has done in 2002 are indicative of what can be expected in the future, an order with his name on it may soon be on an engraver's desk, ready to be placed upon the champion's trophy.

"We know where our place is, so to speak, in this Winston Cup points chase, what with it only being my second year," Busch said. "But, with Jimmy Fennig's experience, his goal is the Winston Cup championship. And so with the reality of things, I believe we can carry this momentum through the off-season and go right into 2003 as a hard-charger for the championship."

Although he currently sits sixth, Busch has been as high as second in the standings this season. After falling to 12th after his disastrous showing at Michigan in August, he's been riding a rocket back up the ladder, including having moved up five places in the last four weeks -- a rarity this late in the season.

But Busch isn't content to let his win streak end -- or to finish the season sixth. He has designs on not only adding to the three wins he already has this season, but finishing higher in the standings, too.

	“	Well, we've been on a charge. If we can keep that going, that'll get us probably as high as third in points. But then again, things could happen and go the wrong way, too. ”
		— Busch

"Well, we've been on a charge," Busch said. "If we can keep that going, that'll get us probably as high as third in points. But then again, things could happen and go the wrong way, too. Right now, making the top-five isn't out of the question. That's a legitimate goal for us, and that's what we're shooting for right now.

"But, we'll just gather up as many points as we can each week, and there's only so much that we can gain by our performances, and you have to be able to capitalize on other people's mistakes. So, hopefully, we won't make any mistakes."

And while Stewart would seem to be in the driver's seat for the championship, Busch isn't quite ready to concede the title -- not when teammate Mark Martin is still mathematically in the hunt, currently in second and 146 points behind Stewart.

If anyone can overtake Stewart in these last three races, Martin is the guy, Busch insists.

"I'm rooting for Mark Martin, of course, my teammate and a guy I've worked with, and his team," Busch said. "They're a very dedicated bunch of guys. We've seen Tony Stewart very strong in season-ending races, whether it's the last string of 10 races or so. He's been competitive every year he's been running.

"But, Mark Martin has been in a championship chase before, and Jimmie Johnson really struggled last weekend. It was surprising to see that. He's only a rookie, but he's got time. The way I see it, anything can happen in these last few races, but of course, Tony Stewart has the momentum right now."

On the flipside, however, Stewart is almost due for a letdown. At no other point this year has Stewart had the kind of consistency he's shown in the last seven races, with five top-fives and two other top-11 finishes.

Still, Stewart remains the man to beat, Busch said.

"There's all kind of stats and statisticians to help remind us how bad it can get when you're on a good streak, but I believe Tony has really prepared himself real well," Busch said. "I know they've struggled with bad luck at the restrictor plate races, but as far as streaks are concerned, things are different when you come to step up to the plate in Game 7 of the World Series versus Game 3."

Jerry Bonkowski covers NASCAR for ESPN.com.