Wife Samantha Left Wishing for ‘Old School’ Kyle Busch, Blames Sponsors for NASCAR’s Biggest Issue Samantha Busch wishes for Kyle’s “old school” Rowdy persona, blaming sponsors for NASCAR’s lack of dr

NASCAR’s always been about larger-than-life characters, and nobody embodied that more than Dale Earnhardt Sr. As Kenny Wallace put it, Earnhardt was “bigger than NASCAR,” a guy who’d spark a frenzy just walking from his motorhome to the garage. Fans would lose it, screaming for the Intimidator, whose off-track hustle, merch, endorsements, and a rock-star persona, made him a cultural giant, not just a driver.

Modern drivers, polished by media training and sponsor demands, often come off as “vanilla,” as former reporter Deb Williams pointed out. Sponsors want safe, predictable faces to match their corporate vibe, muting the fire that once defined the sport’s stars. Mark Martin’s defended the new generation, saying the grind of technical work and media duties leaves little room for the u