Back in 2011, Kyle Busch was a bold 25-year-old at Darlington. He had the guts to bump Kevin Harvick, then again bumped his car after the race, sparking a brawl. Full of attitude, young “Rowdy” swiftly won races (100 across all series by 2013) and made enemies just as quickly. He spun Ron Hornaday Jr. in a Truck event that season, showing he didn’t care whom he affected, leading to NASCAR suspensions. He turned trophies like they were nothing, gave fans the finger, and flipped them off. That was Kyle’s unapologetic attitude of speed, aggressiveness, and my way or highway kind of thinking.

Busch is now 39 years of age in 2025. 5 years. He’s still got fight, look at the 2024 All-Star Race when he wrecked Ricky Stenhouse Jr. and took a punch for it. But he’s different. But he’s a father now, he helps his son Brexton in kart racing and posts about it on X. Richard Childress Racing has a second-in-command running behind a racecar. His body has deteriorated since the 2015 Daytona incident, so he races more smartly much as he did when he claimed the 2019 Cup championship. He doesn’t provoke fans anymore, rather he thanks the members of “Rowdy Nation. ” The old Kyle was all chaos, this one is more calm but still tough where it counts.

Rowdy becomes a cheerleader for the young debutant Connor Zilisch

March 2, 2025, rookie Connor Zilisch made a challenging entrance at the NASCAR Cup Series event at Circuit of the Americas. The 18-year-old ran into his pal Daniel Suárez in Turn 19 on Lap 50. Suárez spun across the track, and Zilisch couldn’t miss him. After both vehicles struck the wall and came off the course, Zilisch finished 37th, last in line. In a post-race reflection, Suárez downplayed the error as a minor miscalculation, “I wish I could say it was a big mistake, but it wasn’t. It was just maybe a tire width too far to the left, and I hit the curb and I spun out.” After the race, Zilisch tweeted to say he felt sorry his car was fast, but it was all for nothing. At that point, Kyle Busch stepped in with a message.

Busch, a two-time champ, posted on X to cheer Zilisch. He wrote, “Your future is bright, I too finished at the bottom in my Cup debut.” Busch knows the sentiment, his first Cup race in Las Vegas in 2004 ended last amid issues early on. Kyle Busch’s first NASCAR Cup Series race was a rough one, and it didn’t last long. On March 7, 2004, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, the 19-year-old debuted in the No. 84 Chevy for Hendrick Motorsports. Starting 27th in a 43-car field, Busch’s day ended after just 11 laps. He smacked the wall twice coming off Turn 4, first scraping it, then hitting it hard enough to crumple his car beyond repair.

That weekend wasn’t all bad for Busch, though. He qualified decently at 27th which wasn’t a standout. But he had beaten some veterans in a stacked field of 52 trying to make the show at his hometown track. In 2003, he’d run seven Xfinity races for Hendrick, grabbing two top-10s, and won an ARCA race at Nashville. Heading into Vegas, he wasn’t a total rookie but just new to Cup’s chaos. And Busch isn’t alone when it came to difficult Cup starts.

Chase Elliott bombed his 2015 Martinsville debut, finishing 38th, but grabbed a championship in 2020. Jimmie Johnson’s first Cup run at California in 2001 landed him 25th, and he still got seven titles. Brad Keselowski debuted at Texas in 2008 with a quiet 27th, later winning a championship. Zilisch’s 37th-place wreck mirrors these flops, but with Xfinity wins already, he’s got the same shot to turn a lousy start into a big career as these legends did.

Coming back to Zilisch’s debut, Suarez, the driver involved in the crash, said, “When you have low air pressure, that’s very easy to do because the car is lower to the ground. I wish I could say it was a big mistake, but it wasn’t. It was just maybe a tire width too far to the left, and I hit the curb and I spun out.” 

While Zilisch’s COTA has been a mixed bag of results, the same cannot be said about Kyle Busch, who had a redeeming performance at the track.

NASCAR Veteran points out Kyle Busch’s strong mindset

Kyle Busch showed he’s still a top competitor and NASCAR veteran Kyle Petty noticed. The COTA race was the third of 36 races in 2025. Busch started eighth, got seventh in the first two stages for points, and led most of the final stage. Busch led 42 laps, more than anyone, and looked set to win his first race since June 2023. He ended up fifth after Christopher Bell passed him late. Petty says Busch’s mindset makes him different from other drivers.

Petty said in an interview, “Just to win a race to get in the playoffs… that’s ho-hum for Kyle Busch.” He explained that some drivers are okay with just making the playoffs, but Busch isn’t. Petty added, “Yeah, I want to be in the playoffs, but when I get to the playoffs, I want to have a shot at winning the playoffs. And that’s more important than even getting to the playoffs.” For Busch, it’s about winning, not just showing up.

Tires wore out, and he missed the win, but he’s not down. He told reporters, “We had speed, just not the right timing.” On X, he posted, “Led the most laps, and had the best car all day. #RowdyNation deserved that one. If we keep doing what we’re doing, it won’t be long.” Busch still wants to win bad. His streak without a victory is at 60 races, but Petty thinks his drive keeps him among the best. The next race is at Phoenix on March 9, and people are watching to see if Busch can turn his mindset into a win soon.