Take a ride with NASCAR's Kyle Busch, and you might find you like him after all

Take a ride with NASCAR's Kyle Busch, and you might find you like him after all
By Steve Kaminski | The Grand Rapids Press
May 11, 2010, 9:45PM

WYOMING -- You know what happened to me Tuesday? I got a chance to be part of Kyle Busch's entourage.

Truthfully, I only got about 30 minutes or so to hang with Busch one on one. But, what the heck, it's my story, and I'm thinking he will call me to be his best man at his upcoming wedding any day now. Hope his brother Kurt isn't too disappointed.

The folks at Michigan International Speedway invited me to meet them at the airport Tuesday morning when they picked up Busch, and they said I could drive with them over to Craig's Cruisers Family Fun Center for an interview. They would then take me back with Busch to the airport once the media day was completed.

Man, it seems like Busch has the life. He gets to drive fast cars and he is all over the place. He was in Orlando on Monday before flying up to Chicago. He then headed to West Michigan for Tuesday's visit.

I asked the Las Vegas native what is the best thing about being one of stock car racing's top drivers as we drove along Clyde Park Avenue SW.

Well, it's apparently not all glamour.

"I will tell you what. There is a lot of pros and a lot of cons," Busch said. "Of course, the pros are that you make a great living and you get to travel the country all the time. You have beautiful toys and a nice home.

"But the cons are that you are always in the limelight, you are always in the media. You are not quite a Hollywood star, but any little drama that comes about, you do one tiny little thing wrong, and it overshadows everything.

If I walked into that Menards store right now and had a photo of me taken, I would be in trouble because I am a Home Depot guy. All of us have to deal with it, but I'm going to say I get criticized a lot more than the rest. I don't know what it's from or what I've done, but I have rubbed a lot of people the wrong way."

Hmmm. I didn't say this out loud because my car was back at the airport and it was pouring down rain. It would have been awful if he had kicked me out of the car.

But still, I was thinking maybe he rubs people the wrong way because he smashed a beautiful guitar after winning at Nashville last year. I also wanted to tell him to quit bowing to all those booing fans after he wins a race. That just makes them madder. He knows that. That's why he does it.

Here's a suggestion, though, in case Busch rubs you the wrong way.

Give him a closer look. You might end up cheering for him.

I found him to be polite and personable, and he cares a lot about the fans, even the ones who boo him. It's amazing how much time and resources he puts into his Late Model team that will compete at Berlin Raceway on June 15.

Busch is an awfully sharp kid, too. Keep in mind he's only 25 and he already has his own team that includes two NASCAR Camping World Trucks.

The thing I like most about Busch, though, is probably what rubs some people the wrong way. He speaks his mind.

You know what he said about the incident between Carl Edwards and Brad Keselowski at Atlanta?

"Ever since (Keselowski) got upside down at Atlanta, he has had his head on straight," Busch said. "Good job, Carl."

Did I mention Busch is just a fun kid to hang around with, even if it's for only 30 minutes?