Kyle Busch’s passing last Thursday still has the NASCAR world reeling from the monumental loss. ESPN journalist Marty Smith recently shared a classic encounter with Kyle Busch that perfectly captured the driver’s 'Rowdy' reputation.

Busch’s relationship with journalists wasn’t always the best, with his blunt one-word replies often challenging reporters during interviews.

Smith was part of the team that Kyle Busch captained and coached during the 2021 edition of Corey LaJoie’s Kickball Klassic celebrity charity match. Busch captained the black team, which eventually lost.

Smith recalled a moment from that game and shared it on social media.

Smith recalled getting injured during the game while catching Ryan Blaney. Smith landed awkwardly on his right shoulder.

Smith said, “I wasn’t sure I should keep playing. KB, flashing trademark s******* grin, walks over and says, ‘I won a championship with broken legs [Expletive]. Suck it up!’”

He pointed to the kind of mentality Kyle Busch had. He was a competitor who didn’t enjoy losing, as was the case at Corey LaJoie’s charity match.

Busch was coaching his team, which included his brother Kurt Busch, Austin Dillon, Corey LaJoie, Joey Logano, Smith, Bob Pockrass, and Conor Daly.

Busch’s Incredible 2015 Championship

What Smith recalled as Busch speaking about winning a championship with broken legs refers to Busch’s 2015 Cup Series win. That win is the definition of a comeback in NASCAR, if there ever was one.

Busch’s season started in horror with a crash during the Xfinity race in Daytona, leaving him with a broken right leg and fractures in his left foot. Busch missed the first 11 races of the season while recovering before taking the wheel of the #18 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota Camry.

Busch returned way behind the pack on points heading into the Chase, but was given a medical waiver. The waiver allowed Busch a spot in the playoffs if he won a race in the regular season. He won four.

Busch won at Sonoma, Kentucky, New Hampshire, and the Brickyard in an incredible spree of four wins in five races. Busch hadn’t just sealed his spot in the Chase; he had also given himself the very best shot at winning his first Cup Series crown.

At Homestead, Busch won the most crucial race of them all and completed a memorable comeback.

He drove through the season with feet that probably hadn’t fully recovered, and hitting full throttle with those feet just showed why Rowdy stood above the rest.

Read more at the RFK Racing Digest!

Written by

Debrup Chaudhuri

Edited by

Pulkit Prabhav