The Untold Truth Of Kyle Busch
NASCAR race car driver Kyle Busch has to go through sensitivity training after using an intellectual disability slur, reported Yahoo! Sports. At the NASCAR Cup Series in Virginia over the weekend, Busch — who came in second and was eliminated — gave an interview to a reporter in a post-race chat. During his interview, a livid Busch discussed disappointment with one of his opponents, Brad Keselowski. Notably, he criticized Keselowski's driving skill and lashed out with an epithet (via NASCAR). "He was trying to do a Harvick is what he was trying to do ... For what? For second place? To do what? He wasn't going to transfer through with that. Freaking [r-word]. So stupid. I don't understand these guys. I should beat the s*** out of him right now is what I should do," said Busch in his interview. Later that night, Busch quickly took to his personal Twitter page to apologize for his use of the slur, but it was too late.
Big punishment for the racer
On November 1, 2021, NASCAR announced that it would require Kyle Busch to take sensitivity training for his use of the slur, per the company's website. The organization said that he will begin undergoing the instruction effective 2022 and complete it before their next season, which starts in June the same year. Keselowski, the person who was the target of Busch's slur, used Twitter to voice his response to Busch. However, he opted to take the high road by expressing pity for his fellow racer and went on to share his own disappointment with his loss.
So how did Kyle Busch get to this point in his career? It wouldn't be the first time that Busch has used foul language on live television, and he is also known for his profanity-laced commentary in interviews (via YouTube). But this is definitely his first time publicly using a slur, and the consequence was swift.
Early life and competitive racing
The future NASCAR star was born Kyle Thomas Busch on May 2, 1985, in Las Vegas, Nevada (via IMDb). He is the younger brother of Kurt Busch, who is six years older than him and also a race car driver. Their father is Tom Busch, a mechanic and former racer, per Essentially Sports. Naturally, with a father and older brother into car racing, it was only natural that professional racing was in Kyle Busch's future. Indeed, he first began repairing race cars under the guidance of his father and later started driving them. He got his start in competitive racing at just 13 years old, via Racing Woodys.
When Kyle Busch started competing in competitions, the teenager racked up dozens of wins. But while he made his official debut as a NASCAR professional driver in 2001 when he was just 16, the organization revised its age requirement to 18 years old, and he had to wait two more years before could rip the racetrack again.
Kyle Busch's NASCAR career
Kyle Busch kicked off his career with a great start. Upon turning 18, he wasted no time and signed up for several races to take part in. He won Rookie of the Year in 2004 for completing a feat no other rookie before him had done — winning five races (via his website). According to Racing Woodys, one of his first successful racing seasons was in 2006, and this was just the beginning — a career milestone also came for Busch in 2007 when he placed in the top rankings multiple times.
To date, Busch has won two NASCAR Cup championships and has appeared in the Championship 4 event for five years in a row (via NASCAR). The decorated racer holds the record for achieving the most wins in both the company's Xfinity Series and the Camping World Truck Series races. He currently ranks seventh in the NASCAR Cup series ranking, which is just two slots up above his brother Kurt and three spots behind Brad Keselowski.
He's been in trouble before
Now that NASCAR has mandated Kyle Busch to take instructional sensitivity training after using the r-word to insult another driver, some wonder if this is Busch's first rodeo with punishment by the organization. Well, it's not. Almost two months ago, NASCAR fined Busch $50,000 for violating safety precautions, says the company's website. In addition, this past June, he had a close call for hitting a car at a racing event, but no punishment was handed down to him.
Busch is also known for repeatedly using profanity during his post-race interviews. Many race fans know his extremely competitive personality, which translates into the hostile temper that he often displays when he loses a race. Notably, in 2019, he refused to do an interview after losing a race and stormed off shouting profanity at reporters, per Essentially Sports. He's been fined on multiple occasions and even had to sit out of a racing event once for his behavior, reported MassLive. Outside of NASCAR, he's been in trouble with the law. In 2011, he lost his license for speeding at 128 mph after pleading guilty to the charges (via WBTV).
Anger and apologies
Kyle Busch himself knows that he is no stranger to controversy. In fact, he even acknowledges his hot-tempered personality on his own website. Unfortunately, this anger has spilled over into almost every aspect of his career. Aside from unpredictable post-race interviews and walk-offs, he's been heard on the radio going off on other racers.
Just a week before using a slur on national television, Busch was heard angrily lashing out on radio during the Kansas Speedway race on October 24. He and fellow Nascar racer Bubba Wallace were fighting for a spot on track, and Busch expressed his anger by shouting into the radio, which can be heard here. The incident led to Busch later apologizing to Wallace for his reaction, per The Spun. He also apologized for bumping a car over the summer (via NASCAR), and when he caused a major accident on the track in 2020, he apologized to driver Chase Elliot.