And it really doesn’t matter what athletic discipline it exists in. The latest in sailing brilliance was Paul Cayard skippering to a win at the Etchells 22 Worlds. At nearly 67-years old, ffs.
I know a lot of us are also avid motorsports fans, and while I’m sure we all have our favorite type, be it F1, WEC, Indy Car, NASCAR, etc., brilliance must be recognized.
And today, I am going to pay homage to Kyle Busch, perhaps the most brilliant driver ever seen in NASCAR, who passed away yesterday at 41 years-old.
Allow me to indulge. My dad was an auto race fan, and I grew up one as well, and have never wavered, all these decades later. My F1 favorites were Alain Prost, Niki Lauda, Kimi Räikkönen, and currently Oscar Piastri. In Indy car it was Mario and Michael Andretti, with mad respect for guys like AJ Foyt, Rick Mears, etc.
NASCAR never really appealed to me, especially compared the speed and sophistication of the open wheelers. I used to call it Taxi cab racing! And while I was watching impressive guys like Dale Earnhardt and Rusty Wallace, it wasn’t until Boy Wonder Jeff Gordon came along that I started to really pay attention. He changed the sport with his driving skills, his wins, his good looks, his insanely positive personality.
Right on the heels of him was Kyle Busch. I loved him for his brilliance behind the wheel, and I revelled in his outspokenness. You knew exactly what kind of mood he was in the second he opened his mouth.
I could go on and on about what a fan I became, but let me put his brilliance in numbers: At 234 total wins, he is the all-time NASCAR race winner in history. He won 63 in the Cup Series, 102 in the Xfinity Series (an all-time record), and 69 wins in the Truck Series, also a record. He won two NASACR Cup titles along the way as well. He leaves behind a lovely family, his wife Samatha, son Brexton and daughter Lennix.
He was a hero of mine, and I am terribly saddened by the news. I doubt, I’ll ever watch a NASCAR race again – it just won’t matter without Kyle. – tempesta.
