"I missed the sport by 30 years": When Kurt Busch longed for NASCAR’s daredevil era with Dale Earnhardt and Davey Allison

Soon-to-be NASCAR Hall of Famer Kurt Busch has raced in the top division of the stock car racing series for over two decades. However, the 2004 Cup Series champion admitted in 2012 that he used to tell his team he missed joining the field by 30 years, as he did not have the extensive opportunity to race against legends like Dale Earnhardt Sr. and Davey Allison.

Busch made his debut in 2000 and got the chance to race against "The Intimidator" in his first few starts in the Cup Series. Moreover, he had a famous moment with the seven-time champion at the 2001 Daytona 500, where Earnhardt flipped the bird at the young racer after scrubbing the pair's door panels.

However, it was in this race that Big E unfortunately lost his life on the final lap of the race. Though Kurt Busch raced against Earnhardt, the 47-year-old did not get the full taste of it as the opportunity was soon taken away from him.

Moreover, when asked in 2012 about a hypothetical scenario where he could race in the NASCAR field 20 years in the future or 20 years in the past, he happily elected the latter option and explained how he missed the chance of racing against Cup Series legends. He said, via SB Nation:

"I would love to have driven 20 years ago. Safety, to me, hasn’t been a concern. I’ve always just been a guy to jump in the car and wrestle it for whatever it is. Back then, it was more about racing, getting side-by-side, putting donuts on the other guy’s door.

"That’s the era I grew up watching as a fan. I rooted for guys like Dale Sr. to rub it up with other drivers, and I rooted for guys like Davey Allison, who was a second-generation racer but jumped in there and had success right away. I always joke with NASCAR and my team: "Man, I missed the sport by 30 years.""

Years later, after Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s demise, Busch became a Cup Series champion himself in 2004.

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Kurt Busch once shared his thoughts on Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s legacy within the sport

Kurt Busch ahead of the 2023 Coke Zero Sugar 400 at the Daytona International Speedway - Source: Imagn

While Kurt Busch is a Cup Series champion, his tally didn't come close to Dale Earnhardt Sr.'s massive seven titles. Moreover, the No. 3 car driver was regarded as a fierce competitor whenever he was out on track.

Earnhardt's death had stunned the racing sphere. Reminiscing about him and his legacy in the sport, Busch had shared some elated words in the Big E's remembrance, in 2021, as he said, via Wyff4:

"Dale Earnhardt Sr, he is the intimidation. There will be nobody else every like him."

On the other hand, Kurt Busch retired from the Cup Series after his crash at the Pocono Raceway in 2022.