Jeff Gordon knows a thing or three about being cast in the role of villain by NASCAR fans. The guy has spent his whole Sprint Cup career being the object of scorn and derision by the ticket-buying public.
So, when he talks on the subject, he does so as a respected authority. And right now, Gordon sees a new villain rising up to challenge his status as No. 1 most-hated.
That would be Kyle Busch.
Tuesday afternoon, Gordon was asked whether he considered Busch to be “the next great villain” in NASCAR.
“He definitely has the personality that could be the villain,” Gordon said.
From 2004 through 2007, Gordon and Busch were teammates at Hendrick Motorsports. And Busch got a personally guided tour of the causes and effects of NASCAR infamy.
Everywhere that Gordon raced, with the possible exception of his home state of Indiana, he was booed — and worse.
Asked about life as a villain over the years, Gordon will tell you that nobody likes to be treated like that. He will also tell you that fan reaction — good or bad — to a driver is a sign of success.
There is no doubt about Busch’s success since he moved from Hendrick to Joe Gibbs Racing this season. He has three victories and is the current points leader.
But it may not be success that is advancing his status as a disliked driver.
Busch can have quite a smart mouth. And on the track, he has shown what some consider bad-aggressive driving.
“I think he’s young and sometimes he says things that don’t always go over well,” Gordon said. “Sometimes on the racetrack, his aggressiveness can, you know, get him in trouble.”
Busch got in big trouble with fans two races ago at Richmond, Va., when he was involved in a wreck with race-leader Dale Earnhardt Jr., the sport’s most popular driver.
After the race, Earnhardt, who never blamed Busch for the wreck, said he hoped Busch would not need added security at future races.
Judging from the reaction to Busch at Darlington last week, Earnhardt’s concerns may have some foundation.
After winning at Darlington, Busch was asked about the reception he got. The smart-mouth thing came into play.
“I don’t care,” Busch said. “I’m here to race. I’m here to win. If I win, it just makes them more upset and crying on their way home. By the way, somebody threw a beer can at me. Next time just make sure it’s full so I can enjoy it out there, all right?”
While Earnhardt was not overly upset about the Richmond wreck, he didn’t sound happy with assertions that Busch has the kind of attitude that Dale Earnhardt Sr. had.
“Personalitywise, they are polar opposites,” Earnhardt said. “Give me a break. You knew my dad better than that. Give my dad a little more credit than that.”
Gordon, who is now Earnhardt’s teammate, figures that the contempt Busch incurred at Richmond won’t be disappearing any time soon.
“I’ll be curious to see how that sort of goes forward,” Gordon said. “It could be something that could work in his favor if he handles it correctly.”
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