"I think drivers know where they stand with me": When Kyle Busch talked about his reputation among NASCAR rivals

Kyle Busch once talked about his reputation among his fellow competitors in NASCAR. In a 2016 interview via USA Today, Busch said he was as straightforward as it gets and drivers already knew where they stood with him.

Busch is a veteran NASCAR Cup Series driver from Las Vegas, Nevada. At the time of the interview, he was driving for Joe Gibbs Racing and was the defending champion after winning his first title in 2015.

When asked about what he thought his reputation was among his peers, Busch said:

"I think my reputation is pretty fair among the drivers. The drivers know what they get when they see me or talk to me, if they get the chance to talk to me, because some of them I just don’t talk to because I don’t like them, so they should know."

The then-JGR driver stated he had a reputation where his fellow competitors already knew where they stood with him.

"We all have to be at the same place every weekend, but there are certainly guys out there who I’m not friends with and who I’d probably never be friends with. So I think drivers know where they stand with me," Kyle Busch added.

Busch was also asked whether the reputation was accurate. He said that while the fan perception got better, he was still perceived for his actions from his younger years.

"As far as fan perception, it’s probably worse than it should be. I think it’s getting better, but I think I still get perceived based on the things I did earlier in my career. I still hear from people today who say, “Man, I can’t stand that guy. Ever since 2008.” I’m like, “That’s a long time ago! Move on," Busch shared.

Kyle Busch won the 2015 NASCAR Cup championship - Source: Imagn

Given his attitude and daring driving style, Kyle Busch was nicknamed 'Rowdy.' Billy Ballew Motorsports gave the driver the nickname at the beginning of his NASCAR Truck Series career.

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Kyle Busch reacted to fight with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in All-Star race

Kyle Busch had infamous incidents on and off the track throughout his NASCAR career. The most recent incident was a physical altercation with Ricky Stenhouse Jr. in the All-Star race at the North Wilkesboro Speedway last year.

After the two met up post-race, Stenhouse Jr. swung on Busch before the crews stepped in to break up the fight.

In an interview with Charlie Marlow in May 2024, Busch shared his point of view on the incident, saying:

"Trying to have some casual words. I had no idea his comments of 'Hold my watch' or 'Hey if you want to see something afterwards hang out until afterwards.' Nobody told me so I went into an ambush blind with him and his team and having an idea that they were all kind of set up in different areas." [5:12]

He added:

"But [I] tried to hold my own the best I could, fighting off five different guys and came out of there with no black eyes."

While Kyle Busch walked off without a penalty, Ricky Stenhouse Jr. was slapped with a $75,000 fine. The latter driver's father and two JTG Daugherty Racing crew members involved in the physical altercation were also suspended.