Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Kyle Busch fans show appreciation during autograph session on Strip

Kyle Busch Meets Fans

Steve Marcus

NASCAR driver Kyle Busch signs an autograph for Clay Schisler, 7, of League City, Texas at the M&M’s World Las Vegas store on the Las Vegas Strip Thursday, March 3, 2011.

Kyle Busch Meets Fans

NASCAR driver Kyle Busch greets fan Sue Parzych of Ann Arbor, Mich. at the M&M's World Las Vegas store on the Las Vegas Strip Thursday, March 3, 2011. Launch slideshow »

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Brenda Clem considers herself one of NASCAR driver and native Las Vegan Kyle Busch’s biggest fans.

Need proof?

Simply look at her back, which is a walking tribute to her favorite driver.

The 50-year-old from Fresno, Calif., has multiple colorful tattoos to document her passion for Busch — his portrait, Sprint Cup Series car, the trophy from when he won the Nationwide Series and a tribute to his sweep of all three races last year in Bristol, Tenn. The tattoos are so detailed that the one of his car includes all of his sponsors.

“I just love everything about Kyle,” Clem said. “I like his passion and how he isn’t afraid to show emotion while he is driving.”

Click to enlarge photo

Brenda Clem of Fresno, Calif., waits to greet NASCAR driver Kyle Busch at the M&M's World Las Vegas store on the Las Vegas Strip Thursday, March 3, 2011.

Clem was one of 200 fans at M&M's World on the Strip Thursday for a free autograph session with Busch. Mars U.S. (the parent company of M&M’s) is Busch’s main sponsor.

Several fans shared Clem’s fanatical attitude.

One brought homemade cookies and barbeque sauce for Busch, another brought a gift basket of candies and most had a grin from ear-to-ear when meeting their favorite driver. Several fans arrived by 6 a.m. at the store, three hours before wristbands were distributed, to guarantee they would be one of the 200 to meet Busch.

“It is a really cool deal to be from Las Vegas and be one of the home town heroes, I guess,” Busch said. “It’s awesome to see all of your friends and the people who watched you grow up and race at the Bullring (the speedway’s local track) coming out to support you racing in the big time.”

Clem and friend Sue Parzych of Ann Arbor, Mich., met on Twitter while following Busch’s tweets. The two, who are also part of Busch’s fan club, quickly developed a friendship and now travel to races together.

“I love his passion,” Parzych said. “I see a lot of his personality in me.”

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Lisa Knefelkamp and her husband Craig chat with Samantha Busch, wife of NASCAR driver Kyle Busch, at the M&M's World Las Vegas store on the Las Vegas Strip Thursday, March 3, 2011. Knefelkamp brought homemade cookies and BBQ sauce for the Busch's.

Lisa Knefelkamp of East Las Vegas and her husband, Craig, brought the cookies and sauce.

“Kyle gives us so much as a following that we had to give something back to him,” Lisa Knefelkamp said. “Very rarely does he get something back in return.”

Earlier in the day, the couple won tickets to Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 400 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. Both are out of work and had planned to enjoy the annual race week in Southern Nevada through free events such as Busch’s signing at M&M World.

Now, they’ll get to see Busch race in person. They say his aggressive attack while driving is part of what makes him so likable.

“I love bad boys,” Lisa Knefelkamp said. “He always speaks his mind and doesn’t back down from anybody. That’s a good way to live.”

The fourth floor of the M&M Store is filled with Busch memorabilia, including a full-sized replica car. From hats and other apparel with his car No. 18 on them to miniature cars and everything in between, the store and evening definitely belonged to Busch.

He greeted everyone with the same smile and laid-back attitude. His wife, Samantha Busch, also took pictures with fans and talked with each of them like they were old friends at a reunion.

It’s that type of down-to-earth attitude, fans said, that makes Busch so popular. It’s something Samantha Busch sees everyday.

“He’s just a great guy. It’s just his personality — he is so outgoing and friendly,” she said. “He’s one of those guys everyone has an easy time relating to.”

Kyle Busch, a Durango High graduate who now lives in Charlotte, N.C., won the Sprint Cup race two years ago at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. He stayed in Las Vegas that night and received a hero’s welcome from the hometown faithful while celebrating around town.

It’s an experience he would love to duplicate this year.

“(Winning in Las Vegas) is one of the great things I have done,” Busch said. “I have a checklist of things I want to accomplish, and that was definitely on the list.”

Winning a Sprint Cup championship, one of the highest honors in racing, is surely also part of that list.

If Busch ever wins a title, Clem knows exactly where she’ll be the following day: back at the tattoo parlor. After all, this mega-fan has the space reserved on her back.

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