Kyle Busch Voted NASCAR’s Most Popular Driver: ‘It’s Really Special’

Knight Theater (Miami) — NASCAR fans honored the late Kyle Busch by voting him as the NASCAR Cup Series Most Popular Driver.

Busch, who died suddenly on May 21 from pneumonia complications, was a popular but polarizing figure in the sport as his fiery demeanor made him the favorite of many but also earned his share of people rooting against him.

Busch’s widow, Samantha, accepted the honor Tuesday night as part of NASCAR’s annual end-of-the-year awards ceremony. 

“I want to cry thinking about it,” Samantha Busch told me and others on the red carpet prior to the awards ceremony. “He wanted that award so bad for so many years, and I’m so thrilled that he got it. … For the kids [Brexton and Lennix], it is actually particular.

“After I instructed Brexton, I used to be like, ‘Hey, Dad acquired it’ and he was like, ‘No method!’ And he was actually pumped. In order that’s thrilling for them.”

Chase Elliott — who had gained eight consecutive MPD awards — pulled his name off the ballot, simply as his father, Invoice, did in 2001 when Dale Earnhardt died within the Daytona 500.

“He sort of embraced that villain function and perhaps individuals completely did not like him, however they positive did make a variety of noise for him. I feel we are able to all agree on that,” Elliott stated final month when voting started.

“I simply felt like due to that, and due to a variety of issues that I acquired the prospect to see behind the scenes of issues that he did for his followers and the way a lot he cared concerning the sport and for his supporters, I felt like that he deserved to win that vote.

Many present drivers urged their followers to vote for Busch, a two-time Cup champion who earned 63 wins in Cup, 102 in O’Reilly and 69 in vehicles.

Kyle Busch was honored posthumously with NASCAR’s Most Common Driver award. (Getty Pictures)

“The good factor about it’s simply how the opposite drivers got here collectively with a purpose to rally their followers behind him,” Samantha Busch stated. “Lots of people see they’re rivals or they do not like one another.

“However on the finish of the day, NASCAR is a giant household, and simply seeing Chase and [Kyle] Larson and all them being like, ‘No, give this to Kyle, give this to Kyle.’ I do know he is up there being like, ‘Nicely, I lastly acquired it.’”

Elliott instructed me Tuesday morning that he had not but talked with Samantha concerning the award, that he needed to speak to her in-person at a time he felt was proper.

“I hope our paths can cross to attach and discuss it. And if nothing else, simply me categorical my feelings on Kyle and the way a lot I appreciated his relationship over time and the respect I really feel that we had for each other and a variety of the issues I instructed you guys [in the media],” Elliott stated.

“It will be actually vital to inform her, too, in some unspecified time in the future in time when the time is suitable, and I intend on doing that.”

Busch’s spouse, Samantha, says that she appreciates the fan help her household has obtained since Kyle’s demise. (Getty Pictures)

Samantha Busch stated she cherished listening to the tales from different drivers and people within the sport. 

“He was such a giant a part of this sport, and it was simply stunning to listen to within the final couple months the influence that he had. I hear so many tales… [that] he had that coronary heart,” Samantha Busch stated. “And I do not assume lots of people noticed that.

“However now that persons are speaking about it, I am so glad that individuals acquired to see that facet of Kyle that I knew so effectively.”

The Cup hottest driver award is offered by the Nationwide Motorsports Press Affiliation. Justin Allgaier gained the award within the O’Reilly Sequence and Layne Riggs gained in vehicles. 

“There was no Rowdy with out the followers,” Samantha stated throughout her acceptance speech. “And there’ll by no means be one other Rowdy. As a result of there was really nobody else like Kyle.”