In the wake of the abrupt passing of NASCAR legend Kyle Busch, NASCAR Hall of Famer and longtime rival Dale Earnhardt Jr. reflected on how the two went from sharing a “challenging existence” to becoming friends.
Earnhardt and Busch were one of NASCAR’s most heated rivalries in the late 2000s.
Of course, Earnhardt, in leaving his longtime home at Dale Earnhardt Incorporated, technically took Busch’s spot at Hendrick Motorsports at the conclusion of the 2007 season.
In their first seasons at Joe Gibbs Racing and Hendrick, the two would have one of the most iconic moments of this period in NASCAR history, with Busch wrecking Earnhardt while racing for the lead at Richmond.
For many people, this was the moment Busch “turned heel” in NASCAR, becoming one of the most booed drivers in sports history.
While Earnhardt retired in 2017, Busch continued to win, cementing his place as one of the sport’s most accomplished drivers and often drawing comparisons to Dale Earnhardt Sr.
Shortly after Busch’s passing on Thursday, Earnhardt Jr. took to social media to reflect on their, at times, turbulent relationship and their eventual friendship.
In his post, Earnhardt said they “had a really challenging existence for many years.” But noted that the steps towards friendship began when Busch approached Earnhardt to discuss business.
The longtime owner of JR Motorsports also shared that he had recently had a discussion about him driving one of JRM’s Late Models at North Wilkesboro this summer, with Earnhardt noting that, “he laughed over the idea of his fans and JRM fans having to cheer in unison during that race.”
Of course, while these plans will now never come to fruition, Earnhardt looked past the racer and rival and reminded everyone how great a person Busch was, saying, “I will never be able to make sense of this loss but I am thankful that we had found a way to become friends.”
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