"Those are the ones with 88 tattoo" - When Kyle Busch dared Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans amid guitar-smashing backlash
Kyle Busch once took a jab at Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans after the driver was criticized for smashing a guitar trophy in 2009. While some fans enjoyed the controversial post-race celebration, Busch said the ones who 'hated' it were the ones with the “88” tattooed on them, which was Earnhardt Jr.’s number in Hendrick Motorsports.
The race took place at Nashville Superspeedway where Kyle Busch won the 2009 Federated Auto Parts 300, a now-discontinued NASCAR Xfinity Series race. He smashed a custom-made Les Paul guitar reportedly valued at about $25,000.
In a press conference in Michigan, the then No. 18 Joe Gibbs Racing driver shared his thoughts on smashing the guitar trophy.
“I never thought it would get that much attention. It is what it is so I thought it was a neat idea to share the guitar with the whole team and in the spirit of rock and roll, smash it up, bang it up, whatever."
The Las Vegas native then shaded the people who criticized his post-race celebration, who he believed were fans of Dale Earnhardt Jr.
“A lot of people enjoyed it… thought it was different… sports not-so vanilla. A lot of people hated it. I guess those are the ones with 88s tattooed on their arm. Or maybe still 8s. I don’t know which.
Kyle Busch noted he didn’t have any issue with Dale Earnhardt Jr. and proceeded to call the No. 88 fans ‘crazy.’
“I ain’t got no issues with Junior. It’s his fans that are crazy. But that’s alright.”
Dale Earnhardt Jr. arguably had the biggest fanbase in NASCAR during his racing days, having won the stock car racing league’s Most Popular Driver Award from 2003 to 2017.
Kyle Busch once had a physical altercation with Richard Childress
Two years after the infamous guitar-smashing incident, Kyle Busch once again got into trouble. He was involved in a physical altercation with Richard Childress at Kansas Speedway in 2011. The team owner punched and ‘head locked’ Busch in the garage after the driver bumped into then RCR-driver Joey Coulter during the cooldown lap.
As a result, NASCAR fined Childress $150,000, and had limited access to and around a racetrack. He took responsibility for his actions but didn’t apologize to Busch.
“First of all, I'm responsible for my actions, plain and simple. As you know, I am a very principled person and have a passion for what we do at Richard Childress Racing. I believe passionately in defending my race teams and my sponsor partners. In this instance, I let that passion and my emotions get the best of me,” Childress said via jacksonville.com.
Reports say Richard Childress told his grandson Austin Dillon to, ‘Hold my watch” before getting into a fight with Busch.
Fast forward to 2022, the two-time Cup Series champion signed with Richard Childress Racing, ending a decade-long stint with Joe Gibbs Racing. During the signing ceremony, the team owner gifted the No. 8 driver a watch and uttered, ‘Will you hold my watch’ in reference to their 2011 incident.