Kyle Busch addresses his surprising newfound fan support

Feb 19, 2023; Daytona Beach, Florida, USA; NASCAR Cup Series driver Kyle Busch (8) during driver introductions before the start of the Daytona 500 at Daytona International Speedway. Mandatory Credit: Mike Dinovo-USA TODAY Sports

Kyle Busch is in a new car and part of a new racing team this year, and he seems to also have some new fans. He thinks he might have an idea of why he’s receiving some newfound fan support.

Busch joined the “Rubbin is Racing” show for an interview that was released on Thursday. During the interview, the driver of the No. 8 Chevy for Richard Childress Racing was asked about receiving fewer boos than he has in the past.

“It used to be probably 30/70 — 30 cheers, 70 boos. Now it might be 60/40 maybe 65/35. We’re heading in the right direction,” Busch humorously said.

When asked to assess why fans may now be supporting him after viewing him as a heel for the last two decades, Busch shared his best guess regarding the reason.

“I think maybe just through all the stuff of last year and all the unknowns of my future and kind of how everything went down, people kind of … felt for me a little bit. There was that show that NBC put together last year … and there was a lot that was kind of revealed in that,” Busch said.

Busch was talking about his negotiations with Joe Gibbs Racing, for whom he drove from 2008-2022. After the breakup with JGR, Busch believes he became more of an underdog story.

So far, the underdog is winning. Not only was he in a position to win the Daytona 500, but Busch won the Cup Series race at Fontana last weekend, and he took home the checkered flag in the Trucks Series race in Las Vegas on Friday.

You can watch the clip here, but beware of some bad language.

Why don’t people hate @KyleBusch as much as they used to?

Watch the Full Episode of @RubbinIsRacing: https://t.co/qrMlK5ikEg pic.twitter.com/o9fyR8aAEw

— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) March 2, 2023