Few of NASCAR’s relationships are ranked as average Dale Earnhardt Jr. again Kyle Busch – a transition that began with lyrical tension, spiraled into a years-long feud and eventually blossomed into a true friendship before Busch’s shocking death at the age of 41.
Busch died on May 21, 2026, after being hospitalized for a serious illness. The cause of his death was later revealed to be pneumonia that progressed to “sepsis, resulting in rapidly related and more severe complications.”
In the days since, Earnhardt has been opening up about the highs and lows of his years-long history with the future Hall of Famer — and the conversations he hopes to have soon.
Keep scrolling to take a closer look at their departures and stays over the years:
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch Had a Strong Start
The rivalry between the two NASCAR stars dates back to their early days racing together. In the May 2026 episode of “The Dale Jr. Download” podcast, Earnhardt recalled how their first Daytona 500 together set the tone for years of excitement.
After Earnhardt told the media that Busch had been “a little reckless,” Busch confronted him directly.
“He said something on the roof of the car, like, ‘Man, you better watch what you’re saying to the media.’ I was like, ‘What? That was strange. Are you crazy?’ He took that really personally; that wasn’t that big of a deal,” Earnhardt recalled. “We didn’t get off on the best foot.”
Kyle Busch Was ‘Frustrated’ By His Villain Status
Earnhardt believes a large part of Busch came from being played as a NASCAR bad guy – a role Busch never wanted but ended up leaning into with his “Rowdy” nickname, a nod to antagonist Rowdy Burns from the 1990 film. The Days of Thunder.
“If I could take a stab at what I think of Kyle, and what kind of person he was, he was so frustrated that he was a throwaway. [as] a thug,” Earnhardt mused, noting that the neglect of Kyle’s brother, Kurt Busch, had continued unduly.
“Kyle comes in and he was mistreated, I remember him saying, ‘That wasn’t right. … People made this wrong assumption about me,'” Earnhardt said.
He added that beneath the heroism, Busch craved acceptance: “Kyle wanted to be loved. Kyle wanted to be a fan favorite. … [or] they choose to be polarizing. He just had to hug and lean on it at some point, so he did. “
The extended NASCAR community has spoken out following the death of racing legend Kyle Busch. The athlete died at the age of 41 on Thursday, May 21, following a “severe illness,” according to a statement released on behalf of the Busch family, Richard Childress Racing and NASCAR. “Our entire NASCAR family is devastated by the loss […]
Dale Earnhardt Jr. and Kyle Busch Make Peace Before He Dies
Two drivers ended up burying the hatchet – thanks in large part to Busch’s efforts to clear the air.
“Kyle and I have had a really challenging life for many years. But fortunately we took the time to work out our differences and that was something he developed through a conversation on his bus about how each of us runs our race team,” Earnhardt wrote in an article shared by X following the news of Busch’s death. “I was very eager for us to get along better. But he is the one who made the effort to make that happen.”
The two were even seen together in the media making fun of their past beef. “We did media together to laugh at some of the things we went through over the years,” Earnhardt added.
Dale Earnhardt Jr. He Reveals His Last Text Exchange With Kyle Busch
Their friendship was so strong that Earnhardt and Busch were texting each other just one day before Busch’s death about an upcoming CARS Racing Tour partnership.
“I was texting on the cell phone the day before he died about meeting on Thursday to bring his late model chair to my shop,” Earnhardt said. “We had agreed that he would race our car in the CARS Tour.”
When Earnhardt asked what number Busch wanted to run, the choice made a lot of sense.
“He’s … he said, literally, ‘Dale Jr. 8.’ I was like, ‘You got it,’” Earnhardt recalled, noting that Busch posted an exploding head emoji in response — a nod to how race fans would react. Earnhardt famously drove the No. 8 sponsored by Budweiser from 1999 to 2007.
This story was compiled with the help of AI tools and edited by journalists.
