The biggest difference, of course, is that the Redskins, Nationals, Capitals, Wizards and all of their league counterparts play home games. In fact, usually half of their schedule is spent at home. In Cup, all of the major teams are located in suburban Charlotte; that means they run a grand total of three home races: The All-Star Challenge, the Coke 600 and October’s Bank of America 500, the three races at Lowe’s Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C.

From arrival until departure, Cup teams can spend two-and-a-half days at a race site, from early Friday until Sunday afternoon. That doesn’t sound like much, but considering they do that on 34 weekends, it’s a grind. Thirty-four weekends times three days each equals 102 days on the road just for racing. (That, of course, doesn’t count driver appearances.)

Compare that to the Nationals’ 162-game schedule. Half of that – 81 games – is spent on the road. Add in days on which they travel but don’t play, and the number may push close to 100. And most will agree that Major League Baseball has the most grueling schedule.

It would seem that NFL teams, which play once a week, would offer the most direct comparison. But that doesn’t stand up. NFL teams arrive in their opponents’ city the day before the game. There might or might not be some meetings before heading to bed. The next day, they play the game and leave.

The two-plus days a Cup team spends at a race site is filled with practice, qualifying, Happy Hour and finally a race. (At least that’s how it was in the old days. NASCAR now occasionally impounds cars after qualifying, eliminating Happy Hour.)

So it is a grind, to be sure. Kurt Busch is even taking the off weekend to get married.

There’s not much time otherwise to pull off something like that. Busch is smart for taking the chance while he has it.