In the golden age of NASCAR, legends like Tony Stewart, Jeff Gordon, and Mark Martin set the standards for on-track etiquette. They were fierce yet intelligent competitors, embodying the spirit of hard but smart racing. Fast-forwarding to 2025, this ethos of mutual respect and strategic racing has seemingly evaporated, according to two-time Cup Series champion, Kyle Busch.
In a candid discussion on Kevin Harvick’s YouTube show “Happy Hour,” Busch, a veteran with 63 Cup Series wins under his belt, expressed his disappointment in the shift in NASCAR’s racing culture. No longer is the art of racing revered; instead, it’s been supplanted by a different, more aggressive philosophy, as embraced by the new generation of drivers.
Busch, who boasts the record for the most wins across all three of NASCAR’s national series (232), has seen his fair share of racing ups and downs. His journey to success was not a straight path paved with victories but a winding road speckled with losses and brash antics. Among the many lessons he learned along the way, one of the most impactful came from Tony Stewart.
When queried by Harvick about who tutored him in his early days, Busch didn’t hesitate to name Stewart. He recalled an incident at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway where he irked Stewart, creating a palpable tension between them. Stewart eventually summoned Busch for a heart-to-heart, imparting wisdom that would significantly influence his career: “You’re young, you’re fast… you’re going to be a multiple-time winner, champion… you just have to figure out how to rein it all in and be in control.”
Busch listened to Stewart, who was already a two-time champion by the time he was in his rookie year. However, his attempts to mentor the newer generation have yielded little respect or significant change. When asked why he didn’t guide younger drivers like Stewart once did him, Busch’s four-word response reverberated with regret and frustration: “There is no fixing.”
Busch further explained this verdict, expressing his dissatisfaction with the current state of NASCAR. He noted that some drivers would rather crash than win a race, a mindset he finds incomprehensible. One such driver is Carson Hocevar, who, despite his 2024 Rookie of the Year title and alliance with Hendrick Motorsports, has been causing ripples in the racing world.
In a recent race at the Atlanta Motor Speedway, Hocevar secured a career-best second-place, but not without bumping into Ryan Blaney and sliding up Kyle Busch multiple times, among other infractions. This wasn’t the first instance of Hocevar irking Busch. Their history dates back to a race at Michigan’s Kalamazoo Speedway where a teenage Hocevar sideswiped Busch and never apologized.
While dealing with Hocevar’s repeated transgressions, Busch is also battling a career-long 62-race winless streak. His frustration isn’t solely about the lack of victories, but also the reckless racing habits of new drivers. Despite occasional instances of clean racing, like from Christopher Bell, the overall trend is one of unchecked aggression, devoid of respect or strategy. It’s a far cry from the “give and take” era that Busch and his legendary peers once knew.
In the light of his observations and experiences, does Kyle Busch’s critique of modern-day drivers hold water? Weigh in on the discourse and share your thoughts!