Kyle Busch equates ‘Rowdy Nation’ to Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon’s fandom as he approaches the twilight of his career

Kyle Busch is now enjoying his time as one of the good guys in the eyes of NASCAR fans.

Kyle Busch equates ‘Rowdy Nation’ to Dale Earnhardt and Jeff Gordon’s fandom as he approaches the twilight of his career

Dale Earnhardt, Kyle Busch and Jeff Gordon (Via IMAGO)

Two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion Kyle Busch is among the most renowned names in the sport’s history. A generational talent and one of the 75 greatest racers of the sport, Busch is the winningest driver in the NASCAR National Serie races with a combined 229 victories in Cup, Xfinity, and Truck Series.

He also has one of the most passionate sets of fans and haters in the sport. Busch was termed the Villain of NASCAR due to his persona and Toyota affiliation when he was at Joe Gibbs Racing. But after his move to RCR in 2023 and some clever PR via social media, he is now among the most loved racers in the garage.

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Alongside his move away from TRD to Chevy, another factor has also played a major role in the change in fans’ perception of him. While talking to Kevin Harvick in a recent podcast, Busch pointed out that haters started becoming fans of Dale Earnhardt, Jeff Gordon, and Jimmie Johnson once they became old and started winning less. He believes the same is happening to him right now.

The only other thing about that though, is a lot of the great drivers, Earnhardt for instance or Jeff Gordon, or Dale Jarrett, or Mark Martin – I guess Mark doesn’t apply, but Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson they do. They get a lot of boos, they win too much, they get a lot of boos. Then towards the end of their careers, they don’t really win as much, so the cheers kind of start coming, people start realizing, ‘Okay, they’re getting towards the end of the road, we’ll pull for him now, he’s okay.’ So, maybe that means I’m getting to the end of the road, so I don’t know.
Busch said via Happy Hour Podcast.

Kyle Busch is no longer the NASCAR Villian

Fans’ perception of Busch from a NASCAR heel to a hero changed in an unexpected face. But this is the by-product of his team’s long PR work in showcasing his true self, a family man, on social media. The timed RCR Chevy move made it a quick recovery.

Kyle Busch (Via IMAGO)
Kyle Busch (Via IMAGO)

Another major change is the fact that there is a new villain in town. His former teammate, Denny Hamlin, has embraced the role and has now made it a part of his brand. He has long been among the most disliked drivers in the garage before, but the bad spotlight often went to Busch when they were teammates.

Both Hamlin and Busch don’t have a lot of years to offer as age is catching up to them. But at the moment, both of them are at their respective peaks and giving fans some impressive racing. The NASCAR nation should cherish it while it lasts.

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