This surely has to be Kyle Busch’s worst season so far since he became a Cup Series driver. The man who has been a frontrunner in NASCAR for the last 20 years has never gone winless for a whole season, until now. It’s not that Kyle Busch cannot find pace this year. From what fans notice, Busch takes the race leader spot quite a few times. Call it bad luck or whatever, but from what we have seen, Busch’s victory always manages to elude him at the most crucial moment.

On the bright side, Busch doesn’t have much left to prove as he has already won the title twice in 2015 and 2019. With such an illustrious career, it’s only fair to wonder if he still enjoys racing or if it’s just a job for him at this point.

Kyle Busch breaks down his NASCAR career so far

After yet another race where Kyle Busch finished 19th, ‘Rowdy’ made his way to speak to The Athletic. The media house interviewed the No. 8 driver and that came in the form of their 12-question format. Starting from things on his bucket list to a question that was framed by Noah Gragson, Busch shared many interesting things about his career. However, things got interesting when he responded to Gragson’s question.

Noah Gragson had one special question to ask Busch, and he did it in two parts. Gragson’s question was: “Do you enjoy the Cup Series as much as you thought you would when you were a kid? And at what point did it become a job for you instead of just for fun?” This is a question that many would like to know the answer to. Behind the glamour of being a NASCAR driver, there is a lot of work that goes on in the background.

Kyle Busch takes fans back to his origins with his answer: “When I was a kid, growing up watching racing on TV, it was always a dream just to race on Sunday, to race with Jeff Gordon and Dale Earnhardt and Mark Martin and all those guys. So when I was able to get here, it was an awe moment. Like, ‘Oh, damn. This is really cool. I made it. I’m here.'” But all that is shiny is not gold, as he explains the pressure of performing: “But then you’ve got to win, and you’ve got to perform.”

The Richard Childress Racing driver then revealed when things got clear for him as he said, “Man, this is not as easy as it seems the greats are making it look on television.” Explaining how things were different when he was winning with teams like HMS, JGR, and RCR compared to this year’s slump, he remembered the days racing used to feel easy. Compared to his situation now, where he explained, “You go through the years of having one win, and you’re just pulling your hair out. Like, ‘Damn, why is this so hard? It’s not that hard.’”

The question becomes even more relevant considering how the RCR move has brought a world of misery for Busch. Despite a dominant start in 2023 with 3 wins with Richard Childress Racing, Rowdy’s form fell off. He couldn’t replicate the years of success, with several problems emerging within the team. Lack of success with the Next-Gen car paired with the ever-growing win drought may have taken its toll on Kyle Busch. Even Denny Hamlin thought there was self-doubt from Rowdy. With a 52-race win drought and the possibility of breaking a 19-year-long streak of getting wins in every season he has raced in, Kyle Busch tries to find the balance between competition and how the NASCAR community perceives him.

The difference between NASCAR being fun and a job, Busch explained, is that it feels like work when he needs to explain himself to the media. On the other hand, the obvious answer was, “Winning is fun, right? Racing and competing is fun.” Over the 20 years that Busch has raced in the Cup, he explained how others will always have an opinion on what he does. He then revealed how he deals with the outside noises, saying, “You’re having to make sure you try to project yourself the way you need to and not come off as a j–k or a b–head or a whiny baby—which I’m all of those, apparently. (Smiles.)”

Despite the chaos that often leads to Busch losing the lead, there is a personality trait of his that he is most proud of that contrasts with what he deals with on track.

Kyle Busch’s love for order

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One question asked in the same interview was about the No. 8 driver’s personality trait that he is most proud of. In response to the question, Busch explained it was his OCD. Busch revealed, “It’s not that hard to have things go right and be orderly. You just need to think one step ahead and be ready for what’s next. That gives you the mindset or the demeanor of trying to make sure you do things to the proper level as much as you can.”

Although Busch prefers having things in an orderly manner, it comes as a contrast to his driving style on the tracks. Kyle Busch is famously called Rowdy for his aggressive driving, which has caused a few wrecks for other drivers. He received the name when he drove for Billy Ballew Motorsports at the beginning of his NASCAR Truck Series racing career, and his driving style made the name stick.

On one end, Busch enjoys order, but on the other, he is one of the most tenacious drivers on the grid. Judging by this, who is to say that it’s not possible to be successful while having contrasting principles in life? That being said, do you think Kyle Busch will get over his slump to earn a win before the season ends? Share your thoughts in the comments below.