“I’m here to make RCR great again,” Kyle Busch said when asked about joining Richard Childress Racing. It was a bold statement from a driver with 63 career wins and two championships. But as of now, Busch has gone 63 races without a Cup Series victory. His last taste of triumph came in 2023, and since then, the cheers he once drowned out with dominance have turned into sympathetic applause.

NASCAR fans have a funny way of rewriting the narrative. When a driver wins too much, they’re the villain. When they struggle, they become an underdog. Busch, once the sport’s most polarizing figure, is now drawing support, simply because he’s not winning.

But this shift in perception isn’t unique to him. Another driver, once a golden boy of the sport, could be headed for the same fate.

Kyle Larson’s 2025 season has been marked by notable performances in both the NASCAR Cup and Truck Series. In the Cup Series, Larson has participated in six races, securing one win, three top-five finishes, and four top-ten finishes. His average finishing position stands at 11.33, with a total of 92 laps led. These are strong numbers, something which the fans are starting to dislike as they once did with Kyle Busch.

His biggest moment of the season so far came at Homestead-Miami Speedway, where he clinched his 30th career Cup Series win. “People want to see different winners. That’s why people are excited about Kyle Busch now, right? They’re cheering him because he hasn’t won in a long time. If he was winning as much as he did before, they’d still be booing him, right? Like Hamlin hasn’t had such a long period where he’s fallen off about out of contention where people go, ‘Oh, okay we’re sorry enough for him. We want to see him win again. So he still gets booed. Logano still gets booed. But like you know what I’m saying, Kyle Bush hasn’t won a while so like oh yeah.” Jeff Gluck noted.

To understand what Gluck said, let’s revisit Kyle Larson’s dominance last season. Apart from his several wins, a standout moment came during the night race at Bristol. Larson dominated, with 462 laps led. Fans began calling it out as a monotonous race, especially since there were very few overtakes. And that seems to have repeated this year when Yung Money went for Rowdy’s crown.

Larson almost pulled off a rare feat—sweeping all three national NASCAR series races at Homestead, a record Kyle Busch has achieved twice. He started strong with a thrilling Truck Series victory, recovering from a late-race spin to take the win. But his dream of a historic triple-header sweep ended in the Xfinity Series race, where he finished 4th, despite leading 132 of 201 laps. Larson’s attempt seemed like a bid to cement his own legacy in the way Kyle Busch once did—but it also put him at risk of the same kind of fatigue from fans.

Finally, Jordan Bianchi explained, “I will agree with you to a point and you’re right. Throughout NASCAR history guys who are once booed become cheered. Daryl Walters, Dale Earnhart, Rusty Wallace, except Jeff Gordon etc etc. Part of I think the Kyle Bush thing though as well he drives for Richard Childress Racing which is a legacy team um and say what you will, there’s people that will say well he’s no longer driving for Toyota now he’s driving for Chevy and you know they want Richard Childress Racing to be relevant and I think that’s part of it as well to some degree.”

Similarly, Dale Earnhardt was famously known as “The Intimidator” and wasn’t universally loved in his early years. But, by the time of his tragic passing in 2001, he had become one of the most beloved figures in the sport. Rusty Wallace followed a similar trajectory. Early in his career, he was seen as a hard-nosed, aggressive driver who wasn’t afraid to ruffle feathers. Over time, though, his talent and contributions to the sport earned him respect.

If history is any indication, Kyle Larson could be heading down the same road as Kyle Busch – dominating now, but eventually facing the backlash that comes with it. Fans love an underdog, but they tire of repeated success. If Larson keeps winning, the cheers may soon turn into boos, just as they did for Busch in his prime.

Kyle Busch’s downward spiral: From dominance to struggles

For years, Kyle Busch was the driver every fan loved to hate. His raw talent, aggressive racing style, and unapologetic attitude made him a dominant force in NASCAR. But dominance doesn’t last forever. Once a two-time champion and a near-guarantee for multiple wins a season, Busch has now gone 63 races without a victory—his longest drought in over a decade.

His move to Richard Childress Racing (RCR) was supposed to signal a fresh start, but instead, it has been a period of inconsistency. Busch ended the 2024 season with just five top-five finishes, his lowest tally since 2012. In 2025, the struggles have continued, with multiple DNFs and an average finishing position well outside the top 10. His reputation as a race-winning machine has taken a hit, and with each passing week, the frustration grows.

Busch’s decline isn’t just about bad luck. The Next-Gen car has proven to be a challenge, limiting the advantage that once set him apart from the competition. Younger, hungrier drivers have stepped up, making it harder for veterans like Busch to reclaim their dominance. Adding to the narrative is Busch’s changing role in the sport. He went from being the ultimate villain, booed at nearly every track, to a driver fans are starting to sympathize with. The same fans who used to celebrate his misfortunes are now pulling for him, hoping he can break the streak and return to victory lane.

But if history is any indicator, Busch may never return to his peak form. NASCAR’s competitive cycle is ruthless, and even legends struggle to find their way back to the top. Busch’s story is now less about winning and more about whether he can adapt before fading into the background.