CORRECTION Obit NASCAR Kyle Busch Auto Racing

FILE - Kurt Busch waits in his car before practice for Sunday's NASCAR Sprint Cup series Coca-Cola 600 auto race at Charlotte Motor Speedway in Concord, N.C., Saturday, May 25, 2013. CORRECTION: Driver ID corrected to Kurt Busch, not Kyle Busch.

Tags

As featured on

Kyle Busch was more than a villain and the greatest NASCAR driver of his generation

Kyle Busch was more than a villain and the greatest NASCAR driver of his generation

Kyle Busch grew to expect — even appreciate — the boos. The driver was more comfortable over his 26-year NASCAR career than anyone might imagine with a checkered flag in one hand and fans jeering all around. He leaned into the villain role as the wins mounted and even started encouraging his haters, trying to get the howling to a fever pitch before delivering his signature bow. It was Busch at his best. And it’s the way he should be remembered. The two-time Cup Series champion, who won more races than anyone across NASCAR’s three national series, died Thursday at age 41. Tributes poured in, with many echoing the sentiment that racing had lost one of its fiercest competitors. Busch was that and much more.