Kyle Busch was “so frustrated” with what NASCAR‘s fan base thought of him. That’s what Dale Earnhardt Jr. thinks, anyway.
Busch, a two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion, was certainly known for his fire. Few drivers, if any, were more outspoken and passionate than Busch. Tragically, Busch died last week, at 41, from complications of pneumonia.
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In the wake of Busch’s death, Dale Jr. is speaking out. He’s made it clear that he believes Busch was not happy with how NASCAR fans viewed him.
“If I could take a stab at how I think Kyle thought, and what kind of person he was, he was so frustrated that he was kind of cast [as] the villain,” Dale Jr. said during the Tuesday, May 26, episode of his “Dale Jr. Download” podcast.
Busch, whose brother, Kurt, also drivers in NASCAR, didn’t have the best reputation when he arrived in the sport.
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“Kyle comes in and had been cast in a negative way, I remember him saying, like, ‘That wasn’t fair. … People have made this assumption about me that wasn’t fair,’” Earnhardt recalled.
Mar 29, 2026; Martinsville, Virginia, USA; Richard Childress Racing driver Kyle Busch (8) during practice at Martinsville Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images© Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images.
Earnhardt Jr. admitted that he and Busch didn’t get off to the best of start. They had a bit of a heated incident following their first Daytona 500 together.
“He said something over the roof of the car, like, ‘Man, you better watch it. What you’re saying in the media.’ I was like, ‘What? That was weird. He’s mad?’ He took that really personal; that was not that big of a deal,” Earnhardt recalled. “We didn’t get off on the best foot.”
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Busch ‘wanted to be liked’
“Kyle wanted to be liked. Kyle wanted to be a fan favorite. There’s fans of his listening to this show, going, ‘He was a fan favorite. He had fans.’ He didn’t love being the guy that they booed,” Earnhardt added. “He didn’t want that. He didn’t choose [or] prefer to be polarizing. He kind of just had to embrace and lean into it at some point, so he did.”
Busch embraced it all, though.
“I think deep down in there, Kyle wanted affirmation. He wanted approval. He wanted people to recognize his statistics, his greatness, his wins,” Earnhardt added. “He kept winning. He’d win and win and win and look around and go, ‘Look at what I’m doing. Where is the acknowledgement? Look at what I’ve done.’ He wanted that, and we all weren’t as quick to give it to him.”
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NASCAR continues to mourn Busch’s death.
“Our entire NASCAR family is heartbroken by the loss of Kyle Busch. A future Hall of Famer, Kyle was a rare talent, one who comes along once in a generation. He was fierce, he was passionate, he was immensely skilled and he cared deeply about the sport and fans. Throughout a career that spanned more than two decades, Kyle set records in national series wins, won championships at NASCAR’s highest level and fostered the next generation of drivers as an owner in the Truck Series. His sharp wit and competitive spirit sparked a deep emotional connection with race fans of every age, creating the proud and loyal ‘Rowdy Nation.’ Our thoughts are with Samantha, Brexton and Lennix, Kyle and Samantha’s parents, Kurt and all of Kyle’s family, Richard and Judy Childress, everyone at Richard Childress Racing, his teammates, friends and fans. NASCAR lost a giant of the sport today, far too soon.
“During this incredibly difficult time, we ask everyone to respect the family’s privacy and continue to keep them in your thoughts and prayers. Further updates will be shared as appropriate.”
This story was originally published by The Spun on May 28, 2026, where it first appeared in the NASCAR section. Add The Spun as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
