Busch can be likeable, just look back at Bristol races

BRISTOL, Tenn. -- See, Kyle Busch is not always angry and miserable.

It just seems that way sometimes. Then again, he's always been happy when he wins races -- which he did twice in a five-day span at Bristol Motor Speedway that culminated in his victory in the Sharpie 500 last Saturday night before 160,000 screaming fans.

What a week

It was a roller coaster of emotions for Kyle Busch at Bristol. Relive the two wins, the rough crash and the fallout from Michigan.

• Emotional after his Truck win
• Austin ends Nationwide night
• Holds off Martin for Cup victory
• All smiles in Victory Lane
• Chase hopes still alive

Busch didn't even seem to mind that many of them appeared to be screaming for his head after he outdueled the more popular Mark Martin in a sprint to the finish line at the end of the 500-lap race. In fact, it probably bothered Martin more that, after finishing second to Busch, he was cheered while Busch was roundly booed.

Martin was making his 1,000th start in NASCAR's three national touring series, so he has seen a whole lot in his racing life and he speaks with the wisdom befitting such an experienced man.

"He has won a lot of races," Martin said of Busch, who won not only Saturday's Cup race but also last Wednesday's Truck Series race at BMS. "I'll tell you, anybody that wins a whole lot gets booed. Jeff Gordon never did anything, in my opinion, to get booed. And he got booed because he won a lot. That's part of the sport.

"Kyle's incredibly talented and he's won a lot. That's part of it. The other part is he has kind of antagonized his detractors as well, which doesn't help any, either. I don't know why the fans were so kind to me [Saturday night]. Maybe they realize that the reason that I've been around for 1,000 races is because I love it as much as they do."

He loves it, too

See, that's just it. Kyle Busch loves it, too. Lives it, loves it, breathes it -- and hates it when he loses.

For better or for worse, it's how he's built. A week earlier, he got into it with driver Brian Vickers after the two battled for the lead on the final lap of a Nationwide Series race at Michigan.

The fallout from that incident carried over to Bristol when Vickers continued to throw verbal jabs at Busch on Friday, questioning Busch's upbringing and wondering aloud how someone could be so "miserable and angry." (Continued)