{"id":1577349,"date":"2023-09-24T11:57:01","date_gmt":"2023-09-24T15:57:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/?p=1577349"},"modified":"2023-09-24T11:57:02","modified_gmt":"2023-09-24T15:57:02","slug":"kyle-busch-villain-denny-hamlin","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sports7.us\/news\/kyle-busch-villain-denny-hamlin\/","title":{"rendered":"Kyle Busch Talks About Life After Being a Villain and Grades How Denny Hamlin Is Doing in His New Role"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Kyle Busch<\/a> never shied away from playing the villain while at Joe Gibbs Racing. Before this season, his first with Richard Childress Racing<\/a>, the two-time Cup Series champion admitted a willingness to continue playing that role with his new team.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It hasn't happened. Just the opposite. Fans no longer shower the 38-year-old driver with boos on driver introductions or in Victory Lane, where he's made three trips this season<\/a>. Interestingly, his former JGR teammate, Denny Hamlin, has taken the mantle of the sport's most villainous character. Before the playoff race at Texas, Busch addressed what it's like not being booed anymore and how he thinks the three-time Daytona 500 winner is handling his new role.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Kyle Busch willing to play the villain role with RCR in 2023<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
\nhttps:\/\/youtu.be\/qkjpL6vh6xk?si=j0Tcr4JFFr_qM_hg\n<\/div><\/figure>\n\n\n\n

When Kyle Busch announced his move to RCR for 2023, many pundits suggested it would be a fresh start for the veteran driver with his new team that could lead to improved on-track performance. As for his off-track Rowdy persona, the future Hall of Famer was asked about it and what fans might expect before the season at a tire test at Circuit of the Americas<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

“It depends. It's a matter of who makes you mad,” Busch joked. “It's just a product of circumstances and what all goes down. Our sport needs some entertainment. It needs some excitement whether it's on the track or a little bit off the track. If I'm that guy \u2014 I've been that guy for a little bit. This hat's black for a reason. We'll keep rolling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Busch talks about life after playing villain and Denny Hamlin assuming new role<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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I asked @kylebusch<\/a> about his role of playing the villain and if it's behind him. He had some interesting thoughts on falling back into that role, how it's different now, and offered his impressions on how @dennyhamlin<\/a> has assumed the new role as NASCAR's biggest villain. pic.twitter.com\/7pGNSwuW64<\/a><\/p>— Kyle Dalton (@kdsportswriter) September 23, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote>