FORT WORTH, Texas — Kyle Busch admits “it’s fun to watch” Denny Hamlin take over the role of NASCAR villain.
“When you’re in that spot like I was, and I guess Denny is, you’ve got to do what Denny is doing,” Busch said Saturday at Texas Motor Speedway. “I mean it’s perfect. You’ve got to play with it and just go with it and roll with it. I did.
“There were so many quotes in the years past when I was talking about (Dale Earnhardt) Jr. Nation and other stuff. Trust me, you’re never going to win those battles. They’re hard, hard, hard, hard to win.”
Busch has been sport’s villain for much of his career, inheriting the title from his brother Kurt. While Kyle Busch has his fans and other drivers occasionally received more boos, he was often the driver many NASCAR fans loved to hate.
Now, Busch hears cheers in his first season with Richard Childress Racing, while Hamlin has become the sport’s villain to many fans.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever been in this spot because when I first came into the sport … my brother had made a lot of enemies both on and off the racetrack, so I was kind of thrown into that right off the bat,” Kyle Busch said.
Hamlin embraces his new role.
After winning last weekend at Bristol, he looked at the booing crowd and said: “I beat your favorite driver.” Asked which one by NBC Sports’ Marty Snider, Hamlin said: “All of them.”
Busch admits that while Hamlin has the title now, it could be temporary.
“I’m sure I could put myself back in that category real easy,” Busch said. “It would only take something spectacular to do.
Kyle Larson, who has had his run-ins with his friend Hamlin this season, has noticed the change in the crowd reaction to Hamlin.
“It’s pretty interesting to hear the boos for him, so keep them going,” Larson said with a smile.
