Kyle Busch Drops “Checkered” Claim as Fans Debate Prime Dale Earnhardt-Rowdy Bristol Rivalry

As we await the Food City 500 at the iconic Bristol Motor Speedway on March 17th, NASCAR’s broadcast partners for the season finale in Phoenix, NBC, recently took to Twitter, asking fans to “settle the debate” on whether the legendary Dale Earnhardt Sr or Rowdy Kyle Busch would win in a “Top 10 dash” at the “fastest half-mile in the world.”

The legendary intimidator kicked off his 27-year-long extensive career with a win at this short-track oval in 1979 for Osterlund Motorsports, winning here 9 times until 1999. The inaugural Bristol victory undoubtedly helped Dale Sr build momentum on the way to 76 wins and 7 Bill France Cups. Kyle Busch, stepping into next week’s NCS race, has the exclusive opportunity to equal the Man in Black’s impressive Tennessee record, as the heavily debated G.O.A.T. of this generation currently stands with 8 wins at Bristol.

Only the fans can win a Kyle Busch-Dale Earnhardt Showdown

It was against this backdrop that NBC shared the viral debate on Twitter, prompting even KB himself to make his feelings known, “Neither one of us would see the checkered.“ This drew a lot of fan speculation online, with over a million views and 300 dedicated fans joining the discussions.

Many fans reiterated Rowdy’s funny yet sinister comment, replying with, “None they’d both take each other out first corner” and another stating in comedic reflection, “Whoever is running third..those two would never make it.” Even NBC tweeted Busch’s viral comment a few hours later, on another post captioning it with, “You’re probably right,” while also tagging the #8 RCR driver to notice.

On this post from NASCAR on NBC’s official Twitter handle, fans stormed the comment section again, and the fans never disappoint. Rowdy vs. The Intimidator at Bristol seemed to be everybody’s dream matchup, as this fan poetically elaborated, “Build me a time machine because this is what dreams are made of Kyle Busch, Dale Earnhardt Sr. Side by side for the Checkered Flag. I got goosebumps envisioning that FREAKIN AWESOME RACING MOMENT. Man what a day that would be.”

However, the original post received the most banter and raised the all-important question: if these two legends were ever to race in this aforementioned “dream matchup” at the “fastest half-mile in the world,” what would be the desired outcome? Only “the fans win in this situation,” as Twitter user @KyleVert53 aptly mentioned.

RCR’s #8 bold claims to greatness at Tennessee

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Nevertheless, this is a ‘fan’-tastic discussion. The G.O.A.T. debate in any field leads to a lot of whispers and arguments, as well as traction. It is as bad as choosing between Jordan and LeBron. Neither can come forward to justify who is the greater NBA champion, They remain champions regardless. The same stands true for Rowday Kyle Busch as well as the legendary Earnhardt Sr.

Read More: Kyle Busch’s Close Friend Reveals Dale Earnhardt Jr Was the Only Ex-Rival, Out of 4 Stars, to Accept His Offer for ‘Rowdy’

KB’s two championships to Dale Sr’s seven might seem meager, but he has already solidified his claims in the upper echelons of NASCAR royalty by winning a race in all of the 19 years he has competed at the highest level of national stock-car racing. The future Hall of Famer is also the first driver ever to win in the Cup Series, Truck Series, and Xfinity. So it is only natural for NBC to bring up this debate, days before Rowdy’s first showdown on the repaved Bristol circuit since its conversion to dirt in 2021.

Will he turn the tides for RCR and tie the Intimidator for all-time wins in Tennessee, or will Dale Sr’s legacy loom large in the face of Hendrick Motorsports and Joe Gibbs Racing dominance in the 2024 season?