NFL
By: Joey MacDonald
On Thursday, the NASCAR community had an unthinkable tragedy and terrible loss with the passing of an all-time great. Kyle Busch, a 2-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, died at the age of 41 after being hospitalized with a severe illness. Busch, during his NASCAR career, was known by fans as a showman for aggressive driving and his unapologetic personality. In his career, Kyle Busch has had many on-track clashes and rivalries with various drivers, including Dale Earnhardt Jr. Through it all, Kyle Busch’s accomplishments in NASCAR history will be discussed by fans and peers for generations to come.
Kyle Busch’s Talent:
Kyle Busch’s NASCAR career started at the young tender age of 16, in the NASCAR trucks series for Jack Roush. In 2001, Busch ran 6 truck series races with a best finish of 9th position in two truck races. Then, in 2003, his talents caught the eye of owner Rick Hendrick, and Hendrick signed him to a development deal. In seven starts, he had 2 2nd-place finishes, which set him up for a full-time ride in 2004. In his only Busch season, he finished 2nd in points with 5 wins and was rookie of the year as well.
Then, at the age of 19, he made the jump to the NASCAR Cup series in 2005. That year, he became the youngest winner at the time in Cup Series history at 20 years old. Also in 2005, Busch claimed his 1st of 69 career wins in the NASCAR Craftsman Trucks Series in 11 starts. He, then, after the 2007 season, took his talents to Joe Gibbs, where he would stay for 12 years. From 2008 to 2022, Kyle Busch would go on to achieve many accomplishments, including winning 2 NASCAR Cup Series Championships in 2015 and 2019.
Kyle Busch’s Personality:
With all of his wins in NASCAR, Kyle Busch was also known for his personality throughout the sport as a driver. A personality that wasn’t done by accident, he wanted to stand out from all of his other competitors. Earned the nickname of “Rowdy” after Michael Rooker’s character from the 1990 film Days of Thunder, “Rowdy Burns”. The nickname “Rowdy just fitted Kyle Busch’s personality as a driver so perfectly, kinda like the Intimidator for Dale Earnhardt. And, when that nickname stuck with him, Kyle Busch just took off as the best driver of the 2010s.
Afterwards, he became both NASCAR’s biggest villain and their biggest bad boy on the race track in every event. Throughout his 24-year racing career, Kyle Busch has had many rivalries with a number of different drivers, dating back to 2003. His first big rivalry came when he wrecked Dale Earnhardt Jr at Richmond and solidified him as a NASCAR villain. He also had rivalries with other big-name drivers like Kevin Harvick, Joey Logano, Brad Keselowski, and many other drivers. Kyle Busch’s personality was something that NASCAR and he made fans, either you love him or you hate him.
Thoughts:
Kyle Busch’s tragic death at 41 years old hit not only NASCAR but the entire motorsports industry as a whole. His Hall of Fame status is already cemented with all of the wins and championships he won in his career. Some of his records I strongly believe will never be broken, particularly his 234 wins across all 3 NASCAR series. When people look back at the history of NASCAR, fans will always look at the name of Kyle Busch. His legacy will be defined by many things: his personality, driving abilities, and his overall accomplishments in his career.
Kyle Busch should be in the same sentence with NASCAR greats like Dale Earnhardt, Richard Petty, and Jeff Gordon. And, it will be talked about by future generations of NASCAR fans as long as the sport of NASCAR exists.
