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NASCAR Sprint-Cup Series
VODA: Bad Boy vs. Poster Boy
Kyle Busch earned the dubious distinction as “Bad Boy” a couple of seasons ago while Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been the “Poster Boy” for years...
Krista Voda  |  Posted February 19, 2009   Fontana, CA
Krista Voda is the host of NASCAR Camping World Truck Series Setup. (Image: SPEED)

The much-debated, multi-car wreck caused by Dale Earnhardt Jr. in the Daytona 500 produced more than a pile of mangled sheet metal. It also generated a bit of irony regarding two of the sport’s most well-known drivers and a possible role reversal of the two.

We may have seen a small shuffling of NASCAR’s resident “Bad Boy” and “Poster Boy.” Kyle Busch earned the dubious distinction as “bad boy” a couple of seasons ago while Dale Earnhardt Jr. has been the “poster boy” for years. Actually, Jimmie Johnson is more of a “poster boy” than Jr., but Jr. is the sport’s most popular driver who sells more tickets and merchandise than any other.

What’s ironic to me is that fans might finally feel a smidgen of empathy for Kyle Busch, who had the dominant car at Daytona, because he was knocked out of the sport’s biggest race by none other than Dale Jr. Less than a year ago at Richmond, it was the opposite scenario and everyone was calling for Kyle’s head because he spun out Jr.

Now the shoe is on the other foot and I’m hearing sympathy for Kyle and unprecedented examination of Jr.’s moves on the race track, even by his own fans. Jr. usually can do no wrong in many people’s minds but in the various radio interviews I’ve given since the 500 and people I’ve spoken with around town, a little doubt has crept in. Kyle may be winning some fans over to his side through no doing of his own. Don’t get me wrong – he still will be booed at Fontana but maybe not so vigorously and possibly with a few cheers mixed in. Kyle definitely registers on the positive end of the fan feedback meter this week.

I think Kyle started to gain a little more likeability last year when his storybook season imploded in The Chase. People were able to empathize and share in his disappointment. It’s difficult to relate to someone who dominates as Kyle did in the first 26 races, so when he veered off course the final 10, fans could connect to him more.

Kyle will be the first to admit he’s brought a lot of the negativity on himself. He developed a reputation as an aggressive driver but that’s also what helped spur his early success. He once said he anticipated some fan backlash when he entered the Cup Series because he’s Kurt Busch’s brother and Kurt raised the ire of fans in his early years. By virtue of sharing the same last name, Kyle expected to shoulder some of that animosity. But between that, the Richmond incident and his total supremacy in last year’s regular season, the hostility toward him mounted. Kyle figured he’s the villain, the driver fans love to hate, so he grew to relish and embrace that role.


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