NASCAR star Kyle Busch opens up on 'Rowdy' nickname and role as Cup Series villain

Kyle Busch opens up on role as NASCAR villain and 'Rowdy' nickname

NASCAR Cup Series star Kyle Busch has been one of the most polarizing figures within the sport for some time now, and as it turns out, he loves it.

From the first moment that a young Busch entered the Cup Series full-time in 2005, he showed very strong speed, but he also quickly became a 'love-hate' type figure, amassing a dedicated and loyal fan base on the one hand, while at the same time growing a big crowd of haters on the other.

One key incident that didn't help things in that regard came in 2008, when Busch wrecked fan favorite Dale Earnhardt Jr. with three laps to go at Richmond, causing uproar.

Later in his career, Busch would also develop a rivalry with 2012 Cup Series champion Brad Keselowski, and to this day, there is still no love lost between the pair.

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Kyle Busch on being the NASCAR villain

Now, speaking on the latest installment of Full Speed on Prime Video, Busch has revealed why he chose to embrace the villain persona, rather than rail against it.

"Most people know me as Rowdy," Busch explained on the feature-length documentary.

"Rowdy in the movie Days of Thunder was known for his no b******t attitude. His, 'Hey, I'm the badass on the scene', causing a little bit of chaos sometimes at the race tracks.

"2008, I wrecked Dale Jr. at Richmond...public enemy number one. The rivalry with Brad Keselowski. During driver intros [at Bristol in 2010], Brad gets the microphone and says [Kyle Busch is an a**]. Okay, cool, whatever.

"You come to a point where you're like, 'Okay, they want me to wear this black hat. They want me to be the villain. Let's do it'. I went full in on just being 'Rowdy.'

"I'm not gonna say it wasn't fun being the villain because I was also winning. I don't care. I'm going home with the trophy and going home with the check."