“They Kicked Me Out” – Kyle Busch Reveals Bitter Feelings Over Mistreatment More Than 20 Years Ago, While Reminiscing About Fontana

It seems like the end of an era. With the Auto Club Speedway scheduled for a complete redesign soon, the NASCAR world cannot help but talk about the countless unforgettable memories associated with the historical Fontana tracks over the years. Be it Jeff Gordon’s first trophy or Kyle Busch winning his first Cup race—the speedway has seen it all.

Now, the governing body has decided to tear down the 2-mile track and replace it with a 0.5-mile short track. Moreover, much of the leftover land would be used for commercial development purposes and sold to bidders. Hence, last week’s Pala Casino 400 was the last Cup Series race to be held at the 2-mile Fontana track.

In a post-race interview with the media after his win at the Auto Club Speedway, Kyle Busch talked about the significance of the soon-to-be-torn-down speedway in his life. The Richard Childress Racing driver set two records with his win on Sunday. Thus, making his win at Auto Club a memorable event.

When asked if he had any other memories associated with the Speedway, Busch replied,

“A lot. I would say that the first one that comes to mind is when I was 16 years old. I came here to run in the Craftsman Truck Series, and I practiced, I was fast in practice and had a really fast truck and then somebody decided I wasn’t old enough to race, so they kicked me out. That was my welcome-to-NASCAR moment and welcome-to-California-Speedway moment.”

READ MORE: “That’s What I Love About Him” – Richard Childress Opens Up on the Immediate Impact Kyle Busch Has Made at RCR

Later, Busch shared some other important events in his career that were associated with the Auto Club Speedway.

What is the emotional bond that Kyle Busch has with Fontana? 

Although Kyle Busch’s first memory of the track was bittersweet since he was not actually allowed to race, his other experiences there were quite surreal. While reminiscing about them, Busch said,

“When I came back here the next time—I ran Xfinity here. My first Cup Series start here I was able to qualify on the pole, and then we finished 25th, and then my second time here, I qualified 25th and I finished first. That one was much better.”

Furthermore, he also revealed that while driving Xfinity races here, he became the first driver ever to win two races on the same day. He shared that he won an Xfinity race at Fontana and also a Truck Series race on the very same day. Owing to these great memories, the Auto Club Speedway holds a special place in his heart.

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