There is no Rowdy without Kyle Busch and vice versa. While he traded nicknames like Wild Thing, Candyman, and the Shrub, the two-time Cup Series champion was known for his aggressive driving style that made him the villain. Whether it’s him bowing down to the crowds while waving the checkered flag or instigating the fans when they boo, Busch’s unapologetic nature is what made him the NASCAR star he is today.

However, more recently, the No. 8 driver seems to have lost that spark and has settled at the bottom of the river with his once aggressive persona. In his stint with Richard Childress Racing, Kyle Busch has transitioned from a young role into a more seasoned and veteran role. And now Busch is reflecting on what changed.

Kyle Busch opens up on conserving energy by staying calm

Speaking on the Name the Game podcast, the 40-year-old reflected on his Rowdy persona that faded away. He said, “You know, and so now I’m with Richard Childress Racing, you know, a lower-tier team, lower than JGR. not going to say the bottom, but just lower. And so your expectations are just a little bit less…But yeah, the JGR era, you’re going to be a hothead when you don’t win. You’re also younger. Sometimes it’s just it just burns too much energy. You don’t even want to give the energy up. There is a lot of that when you get hit by somebody or wrecked by somebody.”

The pressure to do well in a top-tier team is very real, and Kyle Busch recognizes that. Just take the 2017 Las Vegas race, for example. During the final lap of the 2017 Kobalt 400, Kyle Busch’s No. 18 JGR Toyota and Joey Logano’s No. 22 Ford were battling for a top-five finish when Logano’s car drifted upward in Turn 3 and made contact with Busch, sending him spinning across pit road and ultimately finishing 22nd while the Penske driver ended fourth.

After exiting his car, Busch charged toward Logano on pit road and threw a punch, triggering a brawl involving both drivers’ crews and leaving Busch with a cut above his eye. Not regretting his action, Busch later said, “I got dumped. Flat-out just drove straight into the corner and wrecked us. That’s how Joey races, so he’s gonna get it.” That had sent a clear message to the rest of the field. Do not mess with Kyle Busch.

But as Busch has evolved into this seasoned veteran through the years, Rowdy has lost that aggressive driving style, chasing a win-at-all-costs persona. It is no secret that Busch’s 2025 season with Richard Childress Racing has been in a slump. But with his P8 finish in Las Vegas and a 13th-place finish at Martinsville, the two-time Cup champion seems to have found his mojo back and is now charting his path to Victory Lane.

And with a fresh and rejuvenating break coming up, all eyes are on Busch to return to his championship-winning form next year. But before we close the chapter on Rowdy, the Nevada-native remembers exactly when the whole villainization started.

Kyle Busch reflects on the Richmond race that made him NASCAR’s enemy

17 years after the dramatic events that divided NASCAR fans, Kyle Busch is finally revisiting the infamous 2008 Richmond crash that ignited his long-standing feud with Dale Earnhardt Jr. While discussing how he landed Dale Jr.’s crew chief for the 2026 season, Busch remains calm in his approach. The incident definitely altered the outcome of a single race, but it also set the stage for one of NASCAR’s most memorable rivalries, shaping the RCR driver’s image and career for years to come.

During the decisive Richmond race, Kyle recalled how a battle for the lead spiraled into a defining moment that would haunt both drivers. Recounting the sequence, explain, “I get loose into Turn 3, and I turn the car right to correct it so I don’t spin myself. I end up hitting him, and it spins him out, and he hits the wall. Clint Bowyer won the race. It’s nothing. It wasn’t even cool, like I didn’t even win. Like, that just goes to show you, I didn’t know what the hell I was doing.”

Although Clint Bowyer crossed the finish line 1st, it was the clash between Busch and Junior that seized the spotlight. The crowd’s reaction was deafening, as boos occurred through the grandstand, instantly painting Busch as NASCAR’s newest villain. He reflected, saying, “So, from that day on, I was public enemy number one. Yeah, earned the name Rowdy.” 

The 2008 Richmond race became a defining chapter in modern NASCAR, a turning point where a fiery 23-year-old driver evolved into one of the sport’s most polarizing figures. The ensuing Dale Jr.-Kyle Busch feud intensified public fascination, ensuring that every future on-track encounter carried the weight of their shared history. Moreover, figures like Ricky Stenhouse Jr., who later crashed with Busch, and powerhouse teams such as Hendrick Motorsports continued to shape this ever-evolving rivalry with NASCAR’s high-pressure landscape.

After years of jeers, controversy, and self-discovery, he admits the experience ultimately fuelled his growth from embodying the reckless, rowdy persona to seeking reconciliation with both Dale Jr. and the fans. But now the NASCAR community gets to see a new side of Kyle Busch as he navigates a very difficult winless streak.