Kyle Busch, driver of the No. 18 Interstate Batteries Toyota, signs autographs for fans ahead of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series O’Reilly Auto Parts 500 at Texas Motor Speedway on April 9, 2017 in Fort Worth, Texas. Photo – Sean Gardner/Getty Images
When it comes to having a high-profile, ultra competitive driver like Kyle Busch in the sport, fans can expect to have a variety of headlines focused on the individual. NASCAR fans have seen the younger Busch brother grow from a highly sought after teenage hot shoe through an adored underdog. Two years ago, fans watched his comeback from an injury resulting in the 2015 Monster Energy NASCAR championship and then mature to a veteran industry leader, spokesman, and father.
Along the way, fans have glimpsed three very different personalities of the complex young man known as ‘Rowdy.’
The Good...
Busch can outright wheel a vehicle. It doesn’t matter if it’s a go-kart, late-model, or a truck, if Busch is in the seat, people expect to see him win more often than not. In a relatively short period, aka…’Shrub,’ has amassed 171 victories in NASCAR’s top-three series including, 38 Monster Energy NASCAR Cup, 87 XFINITY, and 46 in Camping World Trucks. His wins in the XFINITY series broke Hall of Famer Mark Martin’s previous record of 49 and continues to grow. On the Camping World Truck side, Busch is only six wins short of Ron Hornaday Jr, who is at the top of the All-Time Wins list. Busch invests in the sport and its future by having a keen eye for talent and with Toyota’s help, gives young, aspiring drivers an opportunity to display their ability in a late-model or Camping World Truck. While leaving the track at Martinsville last year, Busch talked with and gave an autograph to a fan while stuck in traffic. Then invited that fan as a personal guest at Bristol a few weeks later. But that was following a win.
When Busch is not winning, fans see another side of him.
…the Bad…
Back during the 2012 campaign Busch had multiple engine failures and didn’t qualify for the Chase to battle for the Cup championship. He vented his frustration with Toyota Racing Development (TRD) engines on more than one occasion, once over the in-car radio during the fall Dover race for which a public apology came later during the following week’s media session:
“Thank you TRD. (Expletive) us out of another one. Piece of (Expletive)(Expletive).”
Twice already this season Busch directed his ire at Goodyear and the tires supplied by the company. Busch had a tire go down during the opening Daytona 500 race, causing the car to slam the wall and ending with his retirement from the event. When interviewed afterward, Busch didn’t attempt to hide his emotions:
“You know, obviously Goodyear tires just aren’t very good at holding air.”
Busch directed another shot at the sole tire provider for NASCAR during the Las Vegas race when he had a multi-second lead in the closing laps only for a caution to close the game due to Joey Logano blowing a tire and hitting the wall. In his post race comments he stated that it had been only 40 laps since they last pitted and that was about as far as Goodyear tires could go. In many cases, if Busch doesn’t run well or where he feels the team should have done better, he refuses to talk to the media or keeps answers short without really answering the question.
Then come the times when restraint of that red mist gets out of control completely.
…and the Ugly
Toward the end of the 2011 season, Busch was running in the Camping World Truck Series race at Texas when he intentionally wrecked Ron Hornaday Jr under caution. NASCAR suspended him from all activities for the rest of the weekend, penalized him, and put him on probation. The problems didn’t end there, with his primary sponsor Mars, Inc and their M&M’s brand pulling their logos off the car for the last two races of the Monster Energy NASCAR Cup Series season and went into in-depth discussions about their future with the driver and the Joe Gibbs Racing team. Reaching an agreement, M&M’s returned with the No. 18 the following season. Earlier that same year, there was a scuffle in the garage area with team owner Richard Childress. This year at Las Vegas following an on-track dispute with the No. 22, Busch marched down pit road after the race directly up to Joey Logano and took a swing at his fellow competitor. The Team Penske crew tackled Busch in the ensuing mêlée. While NASCAR took no punitive action, officials sat down with both drivers before allowing them on track at the next venue.
So what does the sanctioning body need or want from this occasionally volatile individual?
All of the above – in moderation. Busch’s popularity drives fans to the souvenir stand and into seats at most race tracks. The contemptuous attitude creates rivalries among other drivers and fans alike, with his outbursts drawing mainstream media attention – sometimes all in the span of one weekend. When Busch exited the NASCAR hauler from his and Logano’s sit-down meeting (The Ugly), all the media could get in response to any and all questions from Busch was the same (The Bad):
“Everything’s Great ! Looking forward to getting back to the racetrack and getting into in my racecar.”
By the next Monday, rowdybusch.com began selling T-Shirts with only three words on them, “Everything is Great!” with all proceeds going to the Kyle Busch Foundation, committed to empowering those in need to overcome hardship by providing essential tools. (The Good) Coincidently, the price for a shirt was the same as Logano’s car number, $22.
It’s that kind of subtle jab with the Good, the Bad and the Ugly that separates Kyle Busch from the rest.