Kyle Busch reveals stepping out of character to acknowledge only one NASCAR driver’s performance 

Kyle Busch doesn’t congratulate his fellow racers when they win races. It’s kind of like a strict rule for the two-time NASCAR Cup Series champion. However, he broke the rule recently, and that, too, for a 19-year-old Xfinity Series driver.

It is none other than Connor Zilisch, driver of the No. 88 Chevy for JR Motorsports, a four-car team co-owned and run by Hall of Famer Dale Earnhardt Jr. Zilisch won his fifth race this year and third in a row just a few weeks ago at Indianapolis Motor Speedway.

Busch was impressed by Zilisch's sheer talent. It is the youngster's first full season in the Xfinity Series, and he is already the winningest driver on the roster.

When Jeff Gluck of The Athletic asked Kyle Busch who he would congratulate in victory lane if they won a race, the Las Vegas native replied:

“None. None of ’em. I did text Connor Zilisch and congratulated him on one of his wins. He’s a good kid, so I like him.”

Kyle Busch is currently in his third season driving the No. 8 Chevrolet Camaro for Richard Childress Racing. He is one of the drivers who are yet to log their maiden win of the season. Busch sits 15th in the driver standings with 501 points.

Busch finished 20th last week at Iowa Speedway. Next up for the driver is the Go Bowling at The Glen. Scheduled for Sunday, August 10, the 90-lap event will be televised on USA (2 p.m. ET) with radio updates on MRN and SiriusXM NASCAR Radio.

Kyle Busch opens up about NASCAR’s declining popularity

Lately, NASCAR has been making consistent efforts to push its boundaries way beyond the national borders. The sport has joined forces with media collaborators and gone to new racetracks. However, NASCAR isn’t as popular as it was 20 years ago.

Reflecting on it, Kyle Busch said in a statement:

“I think it's a culture problem, and I say that in regard to the world culture. In the '80s and '90s, you had a bunch of Hot Rod guys who were cool with souping up their 1970s, 1980s street rods. A lot of those guys are aged out.

Busch feels that the problem is that there aren’t many race fans anymore. There used to be a time when people would bring their kids to the track, but now there are so many other things that they can do with their family and kids.

“No offense, but we just stood outside, right? It's 90-something degrees outside. Who wants to sit in metal bleachers under the sun for three hours? If you're out there, God bless you. More power to you. I appreciate that,” Busch added.

That being said, only three races remain until the playoffs kick off at Darlington Raceway on August 31. And as things stand, Kyle Busch needs to win a race to qualify for the postseason.