Kyle Busch Does Not Want To Be Compared to Anyone
Kyle Busch is fast and fearless and wins at a pretty impressive pace.
Much like the late Dale Earnhardt.
So much so that some people want to compare the two.
Slow down, those around him cautioned, Busch doesn’t want to be compared to anyone, much less one of the most revered drivers in history. He is who he is, and few in NASCAR have seen anything quite like him.
“Kyle Busch is not Dale Earnhardt Sr.,” crew chief Steve Addington said. “Kyle Busch is Kyle Busch. I don’t like the comparison. I think that he’s his own person in his own time and winning races. I think we should all just enjoy it.”
Some might even say he enjoys it. If someone has to play the role of villain, Busch would be proud to accept the part.
“I really don’t care about that stuff,” he said. “I’m not out there to be No. 1. We all know who No. 1 is and forever will be. To me, I go out there to win races, to be No. 1 on the racetrack. That’s where I feel like I win, where my benefit is.
“I don’t think I would enjoy having the most fans out there. I actually like the way I am, the role I portray. And I think that there’s probably too much pressure on one guy’s shoulders who doesn’t seem to win very often.”
He was, of course, referring to Dale Earnhardt Jr. in what was one of Busch’s classic swipes at NASCAR’s most popular driver. Earnhardt supporters can’t stand Busch, and, come to think of it, Junior isn’t much of a fan, either.
“If you’re bragging, you got to be able to back it up. I don’t recall bragging about anything,” Busch said. “When you win races, I guess people want to say I mock the fans or whatever. That’s just ‘cause I’m excited. I gave them a bow. I gave them a great presentation.”
OK, so Earnhardt Sr. didn’t bow. But it’s not like the seven-time champion lacked any of the showmanship Busch now displays. After all, the man wasn’t called The Intimidator for nothing.
Alas, Busch is not Earnhardt and never will be. And that’s a good thing because NASCAR needs Busch to be Busch, regardless of whether fans love him or hate him. He’s confident and cocky and, in an era where fans complain that the drivers are too watered down and politically conservative, Busch is quite interesting.
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