Las Vegas Sun

March 28, 2024

Younger Busch doesn’t fear any ‘labels’

Kyle Busch has watched from a distance as his older brother Kurt has become the driver fans love to hate on the NASCAR Winston Cup circuit.

But the 18-year-old Busch, who will compete fulltime in the NASCAR Busch Series next year with Hendrick Motorsports, said he isn't worried that the negative fan reaction his brother is receiving will trickle down to him next season.

"I wasn't old enough to remember when Michael Waltrip came into NASCAR but Darrell Waltrip was always that cocky, loudmouth type and I don't remember how people treated Michael in the beginning, but I'm sure they thought of him as a separate person," Busch said during a weekend visit to his native Las Vegas. "I hope that's the way (the fans) think of us -- even though we might be the closest set of brothers on the racetrack or in the garage area."

The older Busch has been treated as the sport's top villain since his well-publicized altercation last month with Jimmy Spencer in Michigan and, a week later, his on-track run-in with hometown hero Sterling Marlin in Bristol, Tenn. Much of Kurt's victory-lane interview at Bristol was drowned out by the booing of a partisan crowd after he spun Marlin late in the race.

Although Kyle said he and Kurt are close -- despite racing for rival teams -- they haven't discussed the recent events that have propelled Kurt into the sport's spotlight.

"Kurt and I -- all we talk is racing; we throw all that stuff behind us," Kyle said. "It's not even in the back of our minds. It's just trash."

That's not to say that Kyle hasn't learned something from his brother's current predicament.

"Basically, I (learned) if you have on-track confrontations, you don't need to do any paybacks," he said. "I always try to go out there and keep my nose clean, give 100 percent every time and try not to make anybody upset. But I guess you're always going to pass somebody the wrong way -- or they'll think that -- and you don't mean to do that stuff but it happens; it's just one of those deals."

As for some of Kurt's comments and actions that have landed him in NASCAR's doghouse on more than one occasion during the past two seasons, Kyle said that is where he and his brother differ.

"Unluckily for Kurt, he's the sort of loudmouth-type of our family," Kyle said with a laugh. "But when I get really upset or angry, I just kind of clam up and go away and hide, so I guess that's a good thing. I might mumble a few things, but hopefully no one's listening."

Busch, who finished second in the 75-lap NASCAR Super Late Models main event Saturday night at The Bullring at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, has gained the attention of racing fans this season for all the right reasons. Busch, a Durango High graduate, has two victories in five Automobile Racing Club of America (ARCA) races and a pair of runner-up finishes in three Busch Series starts.

Busch will make his fourth Busch Series start Saturday at Dover (Del.) International Speedway -- the same track where Kurt made his Winston Cup debut in 2000.

"We tested at Dover (last) week and I had a decent test so I believe we're going to be really good," Busch said of the one-mile oval. "I enjoy running at that track. I think a top-10 finish there would be good for my first time there.

"Everybody was saying, 'Darlington is going to be your toughest track this year,' but I tell them Dover is. When the tires get old, it feels like they're bowling balls with just a little piece of rubber around them -- they're bouncing that hard on the racetrack."

Busch will run two more ARCA races and four more Busch Series events this season before making a run at Busch Series Rookie of the Year next season in the No. 5 Hendrick Motorsports Chevrolet.

"To get Rookie of the Year, that would be real neat," Busch said. "Honestly, in my head, being as though the competition seems like it's going to be tougher next year, I would like a top five (points finish) -- I think that would be a (realistic) goal but the championship is not that far out of reach."

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