COLUMN: Kyle Busch Turns Boos into Cheers

By Allen Gregory
Sports Writer / Bristol Herald Courier
Published: May 25, 2008

Kyle Busch has become accustomed to the routine.

During prerace introductions, the driver of the No. 18 Toyota is greeted with jeers, hand gestures and boos. Plenty of boos.

Clearly, a large segment of the NASCAR family has an intense dislike for this 23-year-old speed demon from Las Vegas.

There has been a curious twist to this story in recent weeks, however.

For whatever reason, perhaps admiration, the Busch camp is beginning to grow.

Consider this rather startling fact. Busch has moved up to No. 2 on the merchandise sales chart behind the sport’s resident rock-star — Dale Earnhardt Jr. Yes, Busch is even more popular than Jeff Gordon and Jimmie Johnson — both matinee idols and former series champions.

And more than a few fans actually had enough guts to cheer Busch Sunday at Lowe’s Motor Speedway. The Junior Nation, which seems to include 95 percent of the NASCAR fan base, was not pleased.

Hate him or not, you have to respect the talent and bravery of Busch. He has mastered all types of tracks, and even rallied from a lap down to win at fearsome Darlington Raceway.

Among the brotherhood of NASCAR drivers, there is no bigger badge of honor than a victory at Darlington. By the way, Busch is the youngest winner to ever tame the tradition-rich piece of stock car history.

Busch has other qualities. He’s a big supporter of grassroots racing and basically competes for free in the Craftsman Truck Series.

In an age of generic cars and follow-the-leader races, Busch is a breath of fresh air. This kid either wins or wrecks, plus he has enough guts to tease and even taunt his detractors.

And there’s the rub. In the heat of battle, a serious brat factor emerges within Busch. It’s hurtful and even childish, but Busch simply refuses to back down or bow to anyone.

In an earlier age ruled by mavericks such as Curtis Turner and Darrell Waltrip, Busch would have been saluted for his go-for-broke approach.

Most of the fans who cheered Busch before Sunday’s Coca-Cola 600 appeared to be rowdy middle-aged men. Maybe these guys favor actual hardcore racing over pretty faces or family connections.

Kyle Busch has a long way to go before he reaches the status of Gordon, Johnson or Tony Stewart, yet he is earning fans the hard way with each triumph. The long lines at the

Busch souvenir trailer and Sunday’s prerace cheers are proof of that.

This success story of Kyle Busch has only begun, and it’s exactly what the sport needs.

Kyle may be brash and bratty, but he’s never boring.

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