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via Getty

via Getty

Kyle Busch stands out as the top racer among active drivers with 63 Cup race victories, landing him ninth in the all-time rankings. He’s not just about wins, though; he’s bagged two championships too, in 2015 and 2019. While this season’s start might not be what he’d hoped for with just a couple of top-5s and top-10s, leading a lot of fans to call him a ‘loser,’ the season is long, and there’s plenty of time to turn things around.

Plus, Kyle Busch’s not even close to considering retirement, wherein he needs to worry about his last few wins. He just celebrated his 39th birthday and feels he has a lot of racing left in him. At his birthday bash, Busch acknowledged that maybe he hasn’t lived up to everyone’s expectations lately, but he shared some upbeat thoughts about his future on the tracks.

Kyle Busch still has a lot of racing left in him

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Kyle Busch just hit 39 and doesn’t seem to be slowing down anytime soon. He popped onto Twitter to celebrate, posting, I may be getting old, but at least the trophies will always out number the candles.🎂🏆 Thx for the bday wishes everyone! Remember back in 2021? He won in Kansas right on his birthday. He’s surely itching to pull off something similar soon, even if it’s not on the exact day this year!

So far, we’ve seen flashes of the old Kyle Busch magic, like that nail-biter in Atlanta where he was just shy of beating Daniel Suarez and Ryan Blaney, finishing a close third. He also snatched the first pole of the season at Dover but couldn’t turn that into a win. Other than these moments, Busch’s been kind of MIA at the front of the pack, with too many finishes beyond 20th for comfort.

This slump is a bit of a shocker, especially since last season he had already bagged two wins by this point. After a rough 26th place at Talladega recently, even Kevin Harvick pointed out Busch’s clear frustration. Post-Dover, this year marks the first since 2020 that Kyle Busch hasn’t celebrated a victory in the first 11 races. And it’s not just him; his teammate Austin Dillon’s also hitting a rough patch.

Kyle Busch’s latest tweet oozes the kind of optimism you’d hope to see play out on the racetrack too. Even with the rough patch he’s been through, you might think all that frustration would lead to some wild moves on the track. But it turns out, he’s mellowed quite a bit lately—something he credits to his family life with his wife and kids. So, while the old fiery Busch might have made headlines, this chilled-out version is just as keen to make a comeback, just with a cooler head.

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#8 credits his wife for his comparatively calm demeanor now

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Gone are the days when Kyle Busch was the NASCAR bad boy, stirring up drama on the track and riling up fans. Nowadays, he’s mellowed out, and it looks like we’ve got his wife, Samantha Busch, to thank for that change. Chatting with Kenny Wallace, Busch didn’t hold back on giving credit where it’s due, saying, Oh yeah, a 1000%, definitely, when asked if Samantha has made him a better person. The Rowdy nickname didn’t come along because I wasn’t. I did have a little bit of that before her and then obviously we dated a little bit, we’ve been married for 13 years now, so it’s been a hot minute.”

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He also gave a shout-out to fatherhood for further dialing down his fiery side, adding, The kids thing kinda changes you a little bit too as well, more so, just I was still a hothead getting into trouble doing crazy, stupid things with Samantha, being married to Samantha but when the kids came along, I think it kinda calmed down a lot more.”

Yet, maybe with this new calm Kyle Busch, some folks are missing the old thrill—his racing isn’t quite the same. Do you think a little bit of the old Rowdy might spice things back on track? What’s your take?